RUNNER CHANGES HER TUNE WOODBRIDGE TO BE TEST FOR SIMI VALLEY'S SPERRY.

Byline: KEVIN CONNELLY Special to the Daily News

Anna Sperry had just enrolled as a sophomore at Simi Valley High when cross country coach Roger Evans pulled her aside and proposed a challenge.

A short and sprightly girl who had by all accounts underachieved as a freshman, Sperry was surprised when Evans told her she had the potential to become one of the best runners in school history.

``He listed off some really good runners that he thought I should be competing with that year,'' said Sperry, now a senior. ``But I pretty much laughed and said, `Are you kidding me coach. I can't beat those girls, there's no way.'''

Sperry then blossomed as a runner, and -- to her own astonishment -- began to exceed those expectations by leaps and bounds. A few months after her conversation with Evans, she was a Ventura County cross country champion and a ninth-place finisher at the state Div. I meet in Fresno.

Evans laughs when he recalls the role-reversal that took place after the race in Fresno, where Sperry was the one pulling him aside and insisting that there were many more impressive races yet to come.

``Something inside her clicked after that race,'' said Evans, Simi Valley's cross country and track and field coach since 1990. ``She looked up at the podium and pointed at the medal on (the first-place finisher) and told me, `I'm going to get one of those before I'm done.'''

But despite a strong sophomore showing in track and field, and continued improvement in both cross country and track as a junior, Sperry is still without that first-place medal. She insists it's the desire to call herself a state champ -- and the desire to continue improving year by year -- that drives her in her final season with the Pioneers.

Sperry, who won in dominating fashion last week in the season-opening Fastback Shootout at Mt. San Antonio College, will be seriously tested Saturday for the first time this season at the Woodbridge Invitational in Irvine.

One of the biggest early-season meets in the nation, Woodbridge will feature defending state Div. I champion Shannon Murakami (Saugus) and Div. II standouts Christine Babcock (Woodbridge of Irvine) and Kevyn Murphy (Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach).

Babcock, owner of the fifth-best 1,600-meter clocking in state history (4:41), will be one of the favorites anywhere she races this year, but especially at her home course.

``I'm at a point where -- although I may not be the favorite -- I truly expect to win every race I enter, so I take it pretty hard when I fall just short,'' said Sperry, who placed fourth at the state Div. II cross country meet as a junior after Simi Valley was moved to a lower -- but arguably more competitive -- division. ``The state title is still something that's on my mind. I would be lying if I said it wasn't important to me. Last week I was winning my race by a pretty large margin, but I kept pushing myself because I know that's what it's going to take to compete with girls like Shannon and Christine.

``Everyone who competes at this level is so good that winning or losing a race oftentimes comes down to making just one or two mistakes.''

Sperry, who is being recruited by Stanford, Duke and Arizona State, said she is aware that an impressive performance at Woodbridge would establish her as one of the favorites at the state meet scheduled for Nov. 25 in Fresno.

Win or lose, at Woodbridge and beyond, Evans says he is satisfied with how far Sperry has grown from that young underclassman who openly questioned her own ability.

``Anna isn't the most talented runner I've come across in my lifetime,'' Evans said. ``There will be a lot of runners at her level with more natural talent, but she has the strongest desire to win I've seen, and I wouldn't count her out this year at all.

``She's become the best distance runner in Simi Valley High history.

``And it's not even close.''

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ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

BOYS

Graham Wilbert, Sr., Valencia

Football

The first-year varsity starter passed for 657 yards and nine touchdowns in his first two games for the Vikings, with a 318-yard, five-touchdown effort in Friday's 59-37 victory over Bishop Amat of La Puente. Wilbert is replacing Mississippi freshman Michael Herrick -- the state's all-time passing yards leader.

GIRLS

Chelsea Daley, Sr., Moorpark

Girls' Volleyball

Daley buried 28 kills in eight games to lead the Musketeers to the championship Saturday at the 15-team Cougar Classic in Ventura. The outside hitter, who had 10 kills in the final against Simi Valley, was the tournament MVP.

UP & COMER

Amber Murakami, Fr., Saugus

Girls' Cross Country

Running in her first high school race for the Centurions, Murakami -- the younger sister of defending Div. I state champion Shannon Murakami -- clocked 18 minutes, 17 seconds over three miles to win the girls' freshman race at the Seaside Invitational in Ventura. Murakami, who will compete on varsity this year for the Centurions, finished fourth overall. Her big sister (17:26) was first.

TRIVIAL MATTERS

Joe MacMillan kicked three field goals in the first quarter Friday as Loyola of Los Angeles won 30-12 at Thousand Oaks. MacMillan, who also had four touchbacks in the quarter, is said to have 60-yard range in practice. The longest prep field goal in state history? Erik Affholter of Oak Park kicked a 64-yarder against Carpinteria in 1982.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, 5 boxes

Photo:

(1) Simi Valley High cross country runner Anna Sperry has developed into one of the top distance runners in California.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News

(2) Graham Wilbert

(3) Chelsea Daley Sr.

Box:

(1) ATHLETE OF THE WEEK (see text)

(2) UP & COMER (see text)

(3) TRIVIAL MATTERS (see text)

(4) THEY SAID IT

(5) WOODBRIDGE'S BEST