CROSS COUNTRY NOTEBOOK: COC SUMMER SERIES CONTINUES ITS RUN LOCAL EVENT IN 27TH YEAR.

Byline: Scott Magoloff Staff Writer

VALENCIA - For 27 years local runners have enjoyed a summer cross country series. In the early years, the races were a combined effort of area high schools.

As interest waned it became an annual event produced solely by Hart High of Newhall. When Lindie Kane became the head coach of the College of the Canyons track and cross country teams six years ago, she saw an opportunity to use the series as a way to tap into the community resources.

Kane, along with assistant coach Louie Bernal, teamed with Hart to continue the series and it worked out for a couple of years before Hart dropped out, leaving Kane and Bernal to organize the event by themselves.

The COC summer cross country series is run Thursday evenings on COC's cross country course and costs $3 for anyone to enter.

``It's a lot of hard work,'' Bernal said. ``The running community really appreciates it.''

Added Kane: ``It's been a community event for 27 years and we're glad to be a part of that.''

Runners must compete in at least three of the five qualifying races, with the last one on Aug. 3, to race in the finals on Aug. 10. The event begins at 7 p.m. on both days.

The top three finishers in each age group at the finals receive trophies.

Thursday's overall men's winner was Tyrus Deminter, 37, who is an assistant coach for the women's track team at USC. He completed the course in 16:31.45. Former COC runner Jennifer Overlock, 24, won the women's race in 20:50.70.

--Changes: One of the things Bernal enjoys about the COC cross country series is the history, which includes a number of major changes that have been made to the course over the years.

The difficult course will be altered yet again when the new parking lot is constructed near the old starting point of the course.

``That will help us out with access,'' Kane said. ``A lot of people won't come out here (to run) because they won't just come running up here (to get to the course).''

As it is currently situated, even innocent onlookers must make a lengthy, uphill, offroad trek to reach the open field adjacent to the hilly course.

--Dividends: Kane prefers to look at the summer cross country series as a recruiting grounds for her program at COC. That's how she discovered Brian Spangenberg, 36, who had only begun running competitively when he heard about the summer series four years ago.

Kane asked Spangenberg if he'd like to run for COC after last summer's series. Coincidentally, Spangenberg's job required him to learn new computer skills, so he enrolled at COC.

Spangenberg took computer classes and ran track and cross country last year, advancing to the state finals in cross country and the Southern California championships in track (5,000 and 10,000 meters).

With his original goal of learning new computer skills complete, Spangenberg could have left COC. But he's back and he has a state championship in his sights.

``The coaches have helped me so much and I like the competition,'' said Spangenberg, a vice president in the sales department of a Northridge medical supply company. ``It's something that I really enjoy that I missed out on previously.''

Spangenberg finished 11th in 18:55.28 on Thursday despite not really competing. He took the last few weeks off to rest before beginning his preparation for the upcoming fall season and he ran an easy race Thursday to ease himself back in.

``I'm trying to build my strength so I can run faster at the end of the season, when it counts,'' Spangenberg said. He was referring to his poor performance in the state cross country finals last season, when he pulled a quadriceps muscle at the start of the race and finished near the bottom.

``The first year was a learning experience for me,'' he said. ``This year I'm being a lot more cautious.''