CROSS COUNTRY: SAUGUS NOT SATISFIED GIRLS' CROSS COUNTRY TEAM IS AIMING FOR STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS.Byline: Sean Martin Sean Martin may refer to:
VENTURA - Saugus High's Shannon Murakami and Katie Dunn strolled across a concrete trail in Ventura's Seaside Park last Friday. Behind them, dozens of girls labored toward the finish of the junior girls' race, their sweaty faces contorted con·tort·ed adj. 1. Twisted or strained out of shape. 2. Botany Twisted, bent, or partially rolled upon itself; convolute. con·tort in agonizing expressions. Murakami competed in that race and won by 29 seconds, affording her time to relax while the rest of the field was still racing. It was the kind of dominant performance expected of the junior who is the second-ranked runner in Div. I statewide. ``You're always nervous when there are expectations, but I'm confident in my abilities,'' Murakami said while squeezing her green stress ball, which she named Spork. She didn't earn the attention leading up to this year's cross country campaign because of how she finished last season, when she failed to win the Foothill League title or advance to the state meet, in which she finished 10th in 2003. Murakami made her mark during track season. She won the 3,200 meters in the three postseason meets heading up to the state meet, where she finished fourth. She also won a CIF (1) (Common Intermediate Format) A standard video format used in videoconferencing. CIF formats are defined by their resolution, and standards both above and below the original resolution have been established. The original CIF is also known as Full CIF (FCIF). Div. I Finals title in the 1,600. That success led some to call Murakami the most improved runner in the area - if not the state. Murakami quit club soccer last year to focus on running, which contributed to her breakout track season, as did the addition of Rene Paragas to the Saugus coaching staff. He helped devise an offseason training program for her. ``He brought coaching experience and background that we hadn't had before,'' Saugus head coach Christian Standley said. The results of Murakami's training showed at the Seaside Invitational, where her time of 17:18 was part of an impressive performance by the Saugus girls, who ran the ninth-best time in meet history. Dunn won the sophomore girls' race in 17:59, Murakami's winning time last year. Chelsea Johnstone finished 12th in the senior girls' race. Murakami has been the team's best runner since her freshman year, but she's the team's captain for the first time. ``Her maturity as a runner has been accompanied by her maturation as a runner,'' Standley said. ``She had to learn how to take care of herself her first two years, but now she's calm and confident and has embraced and encouraged our other runners.'' Saugus will compete against a Canyon team that is going for its 12th consecutive Foothill League title. Coach Dave DeLong said this could be the best team he's ever had, which includes the 1995 state champion. The Cowboys raced for the first time on Wednesday, placing four runners in the top five at the Crescenta Valley The Crescenta Valley is a small inland valley in Los Angeles County, California. Its name derives from its crescent-like shape, with the convex portion facing roughly northeast and the concave portion southwest. Mini-Invitational. Kalyn English, who won her division at the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Triathlon triathlon, athletic event made up of three contests. Since the 1970s the term has come to mean especially a race combining swimming, bicycling, and running. A notable example is Hawaii's Ironman Triathlon, held since 1978, which features a 2. on Sept. 11, won the meet in 19:24. She was 21 seconds faster than teammate Brenda Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. . Although there is one league title available, there is room for both teams at the state meet. Each made it to the Southern Section Div. I final last season. Canyon finished ninth, one spot ahead of Saugus. The top seven at that meet advance to the state championship. ``I don't think they'll be satisfied with anything less than going to state,'' Standley said. ``They've been to (Southern Section) finals the last two years, which has been great, but we know we're capable of more.'' Sean Martin, (818) 713-3607 sean.martin(at)dailynews.com BOYS' RUNNERS TO WATCH Alfredo Coronado, senior, Hart; Orlando Benitez, senior, Hart; Chris Dickinson, senior, Canyon; Joe Dunn
GIRLS' RUNNERS TO WATCH Brenda Cohen, senior, Canyon; Wendy Cohen, sophomore, Canyon; Katie Dunn, sophomore, Saugus; Kalyn English, senior, Canyon; Brittany Jones, sophomore, Canyon; Chelsea Johnstone, senior, Saugus; Katie Kykendall, junior, Hart; Megan McDaniel, freshman, Valencia; Shannon Murakami, junior, Saugus. KEY MEETS Woodbridge Invitational, Saturday in Irvine; Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. Invitational, Oct. 15 at Central Park; Mt. SAC Invitational, Oct. 21-22 in Walnut; Foothill League Finals, Nov. 3 at Griffith Park Griffith Park is a large public park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains. It is situated in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park covers 4,210 acres (17 km²) of land, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America. ; Southern Section Prelims, Nov. 12 at Mt. SAC; Southern Section Finals, Nov. 19 at Mt. SAC; CIF State Championship, Nov. 26 at Woodward Park Woodward Park (34 acres) is a public park, botanical garden, and arboretum located between 21st Street and 24th Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is open to the public daily. in Fresno; Foot Locker Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL) is a major American sportswear and footwear retailer, with its headquarters in New York City, and operating in approximately 20 countries worldwide. It is the successor corporation to the F.W. Woolworth Company (“Woolworth’s”). West Regional, Dec. 3 at Mt. SAC. CAPTION(S): photo, 3 boxes Photo: Saugus' Shannon Murakami improved during the spring and is considered to be one of the top runners in the Foothill League. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer Box: (1) BOYS' RUNNERS TO WATCH (see text) (2) GIRLS' RUNNERS TO WATCH (see text) (3) KEY MEETS (see text) |
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