ORANGE COUNTRY CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS : Competing Meets Skim Top Talent from One Another

Despite the fact that the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational, the nation’s largest high school cross-country meet, is scheduled for the same day, today’s Orange County Cross-Country Championships at Irvine Park in Orange still will feature a majority of Orange County’s top teams.

Of course, there are exceptions.

Edison High School sophomore Shelley Taylor, the county’s top girl this season, will compete along with her teammates in the girls’ sweepstakes race at Mt. SAC. And the Saddleback boys’ team, ranked No. 1 in Orange County, will forgo the chance to win its first county title in order to compete in Mt. SAC’s prestigious team sweepstakes race.

“I honestly feel really bad that we had to make this decision,” Saddleback Coach Mel Silva said. “Who doesn’t want the prestige of a county championship?”

Taylor, eighth in the state as a freshman last year, is undefeated this season but should meet her toughest competition in freshman Miesha Marzell of Sparks, Nev. Marzell was the fastest eighth-grader in the nation last year.

Bypassing the county meet might bring Saddleback some criticism--the Roadrunners are the only team in the county’s Top 10 that won’t be in attendence--but Silva said he believes running Mt. SAC will help them in the long run.

Mt. SAC, with its grueling three-mile course, will be the site of next month’s Southern Section championships, so a number of coaches, including Silva, believe runners need as much experience there as possible.

In Saturday’s team sweepstakes race, Saddleback, the state’s sixth-ranked team led by junior Eddie Salinas and senior Robbie Price, will compete along with top-ranked Camarillo, No. 2 De La Salle of Concord, No. 3 Agoura, No. 4 Canyon Country Canyon and No. 5 Arroyo Grande.

Oregon’s top team, Ashland, will also compete in the race.

But back in Orange County, competition should be just as intense Saturday with 80 varsity teams--41 boys, 39 girls--competing in the county’s 23rd championship meet.

In the boys’ seeded varsity race (10 a.m.), the title may come down to San Clemente, led by Mike Farrell, and Corona del Mar, which has won the past two titles.

In the girls’ division, top-ranked Woodbridge, led by Cathi Peck, will battle it out with three South Coast League powers--No. 2 San Clemente, No. 3 El Toro and No. 4 Irvine--in the seeded varsity race at 8:36 a.m.