Fountain Valley’s Fortunes a Mixed Bag

The Fountain Valley girls’ cross-country team earned a spot at the starting line for Saturday’s state finals the hard way.

The Barons were awarded one of six Division I at-large bids into the field of 25 at Woodward Park in Fresno, joining Esperanza and four other Southern Section teams that met a predetermined race time at the section finals Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College.

Fountain Valley junior Julie Allen, the 1999 Times’ Orange County runner of the year who finished second in the Division I state finals last season, was excited that she’ll be joined by her teammates this year.

“It’s going to be a great experience for us,” she said. “We didn’t perform too well on Saturday, but we gave it our best shot.”

The Fountain Valley boys’ team wasn’t as fortunate. The Barons’ No. 2 runner, Mike Gavino, tripped 30 yards into the Division I race Saturday and was trampled by several runners. He eventually got up, and despite an injured thumb and several bumps and bruises, he finished fifth on his team and 75th overall.

Fountain Valley Coach Barry Migliorini expected the race to be restarted, but it wasn’t and the Barons didn’t qualify.

Migliorini filed a protest and showed video of the accident to race officials, but by then the race had been completed and it was too late.

“It’s just a shame to get eliminated that way,” Migliorini said. “If you take Gavino’s slowest time on Mt. SAC this season and exchange it with what he ran Saturday, that would have put us in.”

Fountain Valley was one of nine teams to meet the at-large time in Division I, but with only six spots available, the Barons had little chance.

“The [Southern Section] should be ashamed of themselves,” Migliorini said. “The rule book says if anyone goes down on the pavement before the valley loop, then the race must be restarted. We showed the tape to the race director and the best he could do was say, ‘I’m sorry.’ ”

Even without the Barons, the boys’ Division I race should be one of the best Saturday. Joining Long Beach Poly, ranked second in the nation by The Harrier magazine, will be county hopefuls Dana Hills, El Toro, Santa Ana and Edison. Individual favorites are Ozzie Pina of Long Beach Poly and J.J. Duke of Clovis, the top returning finisher from last season’s final.

Dana Hills is also entered in the girls’ Division I race, the only county school to have both teams qualify, and will be joined by at-large qualifier Esperanza. The team to beat in this race will be Palos Verdes Peninsula and the runner to beat will be defending champion Anita Siraki of Glendale Hoover.

Woodbridge, winner of last season’s Division I girls’ race, moved to Division II this season where it will be hard-pressed by Southern Section champion Hesperia Sultana and defending state champion Foothill. From the North, Santa Rosa Montgomery and Danville San Ramon Valley should be near the front.

Individually, Montgomery’s Sara Bei will be attempting to become the first California runner to win four individual state titles. However, she’ll receive a major challenge from Ukiah’s Amber Trotter, who has already defeated Bei twice. Newport Harbor’s Amber Steen, who defended her Southern Section Division II title Saturday, should also be in the mix.

Valencia, led by sophomore Juan Robles, is the lone county boys’ team entered in Division II. Canyon Country Canyon, coming off a Southern Section title, is the favorite, but Riverside Rubidoux, Sultana, Bellflower St. John Bosco, Eureka, Concord De La Salle and Granada are among a large group that could challenge.

Individually, Santa Margarita’s Steven Murray ran a smart race to win a Southern Section title last weekend and he’ll need that type of effort to keep the Division II title in county hands. Villa Park’s Augie Escobar won the same race last season.

The county’s best shot at a team title will come from Corona del Mar in the girls’ Division IV race. The Sea Kings didn’t run well in defending their section title; a top-notch effort will be needed from the defending state champions Saturday.

Individually, Laura Meyers of Sierra Madre Maranatha and Bridget Duffy of Berkeley St. Mary’s are the front-runners.