COVERT ACTION: FEWER MEETS.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer

The schedules are reversed for Antelope Valley College cross country runners.

While most of the Marauders spent their prep days competing in events on a weekly basis and cutting down on heavy practice time, AVC will race just six times before the state championships on Nov. 22 in Fresno.

That lighter load allows Marauders coach Mark Covert to groom his men and women for the biggest meets of the season.

``I'll put all of our eggs in one basket,'' Covert said. ``I'll give up some of the early season to have success later.''

The Marauders make their fourth appearance of the 1997 season on Saturday at the Santa Barbara Invitational, but Covert has his main focus on the Foothill Conference Championships on Oct. 29, the Southern California Championships on Nov. 8 and, he hopes, the state finals two weeks later.

``When we work out we're going a little harder (than high schools). It's a step up,'' Covert said. ``All of our races are big races, but we're not racing every week, so we can go pretty hard for a week and a half. In high school they couldn't train every single day of the week.''

Beyond the simple increase in competition is the lack of experience racing the four-mile courses on the Marauders schedule.

``Not all of these guys were true distance runners in high school. When they have to race four miles against some 25-year-olds, that's a lot to ask,'' Covert said.

The AVC men proved they can be a factor in the team events with an 11th-place finish at the 25-team Golden Gate Invitational at City College of San Francisco on Oct. 3.

Aaron Williams, Mike Barkhuff and Geoff Thurber, all freshmen, have been the Marauders' top three runners.

``If we continue to improve, we have a shot to make it to the state meet. We have all freshmen and one sophomore,'' Covert said.

The women are again led by sophomore Shannon Earle, who won the Foothill Conference championship in 1996 and is a prohibitive favorite to repeat later this month. She is the lone AVC veteran, though freshmen Jennifer Dykstra and Diana Russo have posted some good times.

``The girls continue to get better,'' Covert said. ``We'll have to run very well to get to state.''

Add cross country: Joey Montelongo, who placed 14th at the men's state championships a year ago as an AVC sophomore, is the top runner at Clayton State College in Morrow, Ga.

Football: AVC returns to action on Saturday night when the 2-2 Marauders host Desert at 7.

Though he sat out the first two games, running back Lafayette Bailey continues to lead the Foothill Conference in rushing, averaging 201.5 yards a game.

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Photo

PHOTO AVC cross country runners Mike Barkhuff, left, and Josh Stiles work out on a grass field.

John Lazar / Special to the Daily News