Runner

The disappointment following a second-place finish at the California Community College Athletic Assn. Women's Golf Championship couldn't be hidden by Glendale Community College Coach Greg Osbourne. The Vaqueros, making their first appearance in the event in the program's five-year history, held a four-stroke lead over Palomar College entering Tuesday's final round at Kings Country Club in Hanford. But, Glendale college saw Palomar wrestle away the championship on the final hole to claim the title by one stroke.

WALNUT - One of the more distinctive sounds of victory was again present, sort of, at Friday's first day of high school competition at the 64th annual Mt. San Antonio College Cross-Country Invitational. Hoover High junior Jeremy Zadoorian won his second straight coveted tin cowbell, given only to the race winner, after taking first place in the boys' Division III green race in a time of 16 minutes, 43 seconds. There was one catch, however, as Zadoorian was serenaded with silence after attempting to ring his bell only to find out the clapper was missing.

When her 2010 sophomore track and field season with Glendale Community College ended with a grand double-championship curtain call on the state-meet stage, Karen Rosas could have jogged off into the sunset this summer having scripted the perfect epilogue to her Vaquero career. Already eligible to transfer to a four-year college, and with interest from several such institutions floating her way after winning the 5,000- and 10,000-meter events at the California Community College Athletic Assn.

With the Division 1 varsity girls' race too close to call between the Crescenta Valley High and San Clemente cross-country teams at the Clovis Invitational at Woodward Park in Fresno on Saturday, race officials looked to the order of finish of both teams' sixth runners to decide a winner. That didn't make it much easier to break a 103-103 tie between the Falcons and Tritons, as CV's Hayley Witzeman and San Clemente's Sara Kebede both crossed the finish line in 20 minutes 9 seconds.

VAN NUYS - The cross-country depth of the Mission League was in full display at Thursday afternoon's second meet at Woodley Park in Encino. Maybe the day's most exciting result took place during the girls' varsity race along the park's three-mile grass, dirt and mud course. Flintridge Sacred Heart senior Stephanie Vargas turned in a gritty performance in placing higher than any area runner by taking second in 18 minutes and 33 seconds. "I was completely satisfied with my finish," Vargas said.

Mizrael Mendez isn't overly excited with the fast start to his cross-country career at the collegiate level. That's not his style. When Mendez gets to the starting line to race for the Glendale Community College men's team, there's no strategy planned out before taking to the four-mile courses. He's not overly excited, he's not visualizing and he's trying to block out all distractions once the starting gun goes off. Thus far it's worked out well, as he's been accumulating first-place individual performances for a Glendale college team eyeing another Western State Conference championship in October and an appearance at the California Community College Cross-Country Championship at Woodward Park in Fresno in November.

LOS ANGELES - Both portions of the first Pacific League cross-country meet of the season had something to offer Thursday afternoon at Griffith Park. When their respective races concluded, both the Crescenta Valley High girls' and Burbank boys' teams left the venue encouraged after challenging Arcadia's powerhouse squads. Burbank Coach Trevor Marca said he couldn't have asked for a better effort from his team, which was fended off, 27-28, by an Arcadia squad ranked No. 1 in the Division I poll.

ALHAMBRA - The Pacific League was competitive with its share of talented players and teams even before this season in girls' golf. But with La Cañada High joining the league this year, that competition got inherently tougher. Most of the league coaches figured with the addition of the Spartans, league placement among the other teams would likely get jostled around, and the fight for individual and teams' postseason spots would become more difficult. That premise held to form Wednesday in the opening Pacific League match at Alhambra Golf Course with the Spartans tying for third with San Marino.

LA CRESCENTA - Whether they were experienced or novice runners, it didn't make a difference moments before gathering at the starting line in the final day of the inaugural Crescenta Valley Park Summer Cross-Country Series. On Wednesday night in a comfortable setting at Crescenta Valley Park, runners, ages 5-65, competed in separate races to test their endurance and running skills without worrying where they finished. The event, spearheaded by Crescenta Valley High cross-country and track and field Coach Mark Evans, attracted local runners, as well as runners from the San Gabriel and Santa Clarita valleys, for $5 apiece.

SAN MARINO — Before winning in rather unconventional fashion, the Crescenta Valley 9-10 All-Star Softball squad received a key defensive play from one of its outfielders. In an inning that had the District 16 champions three outs away from advancing to the second round of the Section 2 Tournament, Crescenta Valley right fielder Peyton Lindman Marshall caught a fly ball hit to her, then threw a runner out at second base for the double play. It stopped the bleeding that was District 40 champion Granada Hills scoring three in the inning to tie up the ballgame.