Woodward Park

Come late November, invitations to compete in the CIF State Cross-Country Championships at Woodward Park will be issued to a select few, but on Saturday the revered Fresno course was open to all comers. Several local teams, all hoping to end their seasons there, as well, took advantage of the opportunity to tackle Woodward Park at the 2012 Clovis Invitational. Crescenta Valley High enjoyed strong showings in the Division I Extra-Large Boys' and Girls' races, with the Falcons boys, who are ranked ninth in CIF Southern Section Division I, taking third, while the girls surged to fourth.

state preview for saturdayCross-country: CV's Sellers, plus four area squads will compete in prestigious state meet at Woodward Park today.GLENDALE -- They took on Southern California's best last week. Now they'll see the best the state has to offer. Crescenta Valley High's Nathan Sellers will join the Falcon girls' team, the Flintridge Prep boys' and girls' squads and the La Cañada boys' program at today's CIF State Cross-Country Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno.

TODAY FOOTBALL  Crescenta Valley at Glendale, 7 p.m.   COLLEGE CROSS-COUNTRY  Glendale Community College in Western State Conference Preview Meet at L.A. Pierce College, 3:30 p.m.   WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL  Santa Monica City College at Glendale Community College, 7 p.m.   WOMEN’S SOCCER  Glendale Community College at...

Participating in the Clovis Invitational last Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno, the Crescenta Valley girls' varsity cross country team won the sweepstakes race with 109 points. The Falcons barely got by Davis who finished second with 110 points. CV's Rachel Lange came in third overall with a time of 17:59. Teammates Claire Collison took 10th place (18:36), followed by Michelle Callister in 30th place (19:14), Shelby Pock in 36th place (19:21) and Rachelle Blinoff-Mudd in 46th place (19:42)

Erik Boal Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy senior Joanne So calls it "uncharted territory." The members of the Flintridge Prep girls' team refer to it as "Hawaii." Crescenta Valley High senior Ben Kessen looks at it as a history-making opportunity. And for the individuals who comprise the Flintridge Prep boys' squad, it is their shot at redemption. Whatever ways or methods by which this select group of local athletes chooses to identify the 17th annual CIF-State Cross-Country Championships, the bottom line remains for all of them -- the stakes don't get any bigger than they do today.

It was no ordinary day for Crescenta Valley High School star runner Nathan Sellers at the CIF State Cross Country Championships at Fresno. Coming into the state finals, he had already placed second in the Southern Section CIF Division I, proving him to be a contender in the final race. The field of runners lined up and after two false starts, Nathan was still on his toes, looking relaxed and confident. His easy and relaxed manner helped motivate and inspire his teammates to rally around him all year long.

ERIK BOAL When you're so heavily involved in taking care of the plethora of responsibilities that come with transitioning from one sports season to another -- in this case, fall to winter -- it is easy to lose sight of how gratifying this profession can be. For yours truly, on my short list of the most rewarding events to cover is the annual CIF-State Cross-Country Championships, which took place Saturday at Woodward...

Erik Boal Just in case anybody thought the championship-caliber performance turned in by the Flintridge Prep boys' team at the Nov. 23 CIF Southern Section Division V final was a fluke, the Rebels made sure to erase any doubts with their effort at Saturday's 16th annual CIF-State Cross-Country Championships. And just in case its legacy as one of the elite small-school programs in the state wasn't already solidified -- which, according to the division preview in the meet program, it wasn't, after Flintridge Prep was referred to as the Tologs, the nickname of intracity counterpart Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy -- Ingrid Herskind's squad was more than happy to add another chapter.

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.

GLENDALE — On a loopy, grassy course near the outskirts of Sea World and the Pacific Ocean, the Glendale Community College men's and women's cross-country teams tuckered out. Glendale college Coach Eddie Lopez saw it unfold during each race at the Southern California Preview at Mission Bay Park in San Diego on Saturday afternoon. "In both races, we were in it and then we tired going into the last mile," Lopez said after the women's team finished second and the men's squad placed sixth.

Come late November, invitations to compete in the CIF State Cross-Country Championships at Woodward Park will be issued to a select few, but on Saturday the revered Fresno course was open to all comers. Several local teams, all hoping to end their seasons there, as well, took advantage of the opportunity to tackle Woodward Park at the 2012 Clovis Invitational. Crescenta Valley High enjoyed strong showings in the Division I Extra-Large Boys' and Girls' races, with the Falcons boys, who are ranked ninth in CIF Southern Section Division I, taking third, while the girls surged to fourth.

It might be a little over dramatic to say Anthony Monroy had something to prove during his senior cross-country season at Burroughs High this past fall. In his final season, Monroy was trying to put a disappointing end to his junior track and field campaign behind him. In the spring, he was hampered by a foot injury that impeded his chance of advancing to the CIF Southern Section Division I competition in the boys' 3,200 meters after qualifying for the Masters Meet in the same event in 2010 as a sophomore.

Battling various illnesses hasn't kept Karen Rosas from flashing her winning form late in the 2011 Glendale Community College cross-country season. The Vaqueros are hoping that trend doesn't stop, as Rosas may once again be under the weather when she competes in the California Community College Cross Country Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno at 10 a.m. today after returning earlier in the week from a recruiting trip to frigid Colorado with flu-like symptoms. "It's kind of crazy because for the last three races, which have been the most important races of the season, I haven't felt completely OK, health-wise," said Rosas, who battled a similar illness to win the Western State Conference crown on Oct. 25 before overcoming food poisoning to claim the Southern California individual championship in 17 minutes 54.6 seconds on Nov. 11. "That's the only thing I'm concerned about, but I am positive with the team and we all want to go out there and give the best.

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.

GLENDALE — Entering the latest installment of the women's portion of the California Community College Cross Country Championship, it figured to be a toss up between Glendale Community College and San Diego Southwestern battling for state supremacy. The Vaqueros came into Saturday's race at Woodward Park in Fresno as the defending state champion. Southwestern entered with momentum having won the Southern California Championships on its home course Nov. 6. Glendale college saw its bid to win a second state championship in a row and third in four seasons come up short, as Southwestern won with 36 points and Glendale placed second with 74. "We did well and second place isn't bad," said Glendale college Coach Eddie Lopez, who led the Vaqueros' women's team to a state title in 2007 and a second-place finish in 2008.

GLENDALE — On a loopy, grassy course near the outskirts of Sea World and the Pacific Ocean, the Glendale Community College men's and women's cross-country teams tuckered out. Glendale college Coach Eddie Lopez saw it unfold during each race at the Southern California Preview at Mission Bay Park in San Diego on Saturday afternoon. "In both races, we were in it and then we tired going into the last mile," Lopez said after the women's team finished second and the men's squad placed sixth.

GLENDALE — Taking a break from their respective league battles during the week, the boys' and girls' cross-country teams from Crescenta Valley High and the Flintridge Prep boys' cross-country team took a road trip this weekend. But all three had business on their minds, namely competing in the 2010 Clovis Invitational at Woodward Park in Fresno on Saturday. In addition to getting some good experience against some of the top teams in the state, all three programs left the course with some performances to be encouraged by. The Falcons varsity girls took on a loaded field in the Championship Varsity Girls race and placed a very respectable fifth with a team time of 1 hour 36 minutes 41 seconds and a score of 165 points.

GLENDALE — Their goal was never anything less than the ultimate prize and many figured them as the favorites to win it all before the season even began. But the members of the Glendale Community College women’s cross-country team took nothing for granted and, on Saturday, made good on their vast potential, capturing the 2009 California Community College Cross Country Championship at Woodward Park in Fresno. “I feel awesome,” said Nina Moore, who won the race in 17 minutes 48 seconds to claim her own state title.

TODAY FOOTBALL  Crescenta Valley at Glendale, 7 p.m.   COLLEGE CROSS-COUNTRY  Glendale Community College in Western State Conference Preview Meet at L.A. Pierce College, 3:30 p.m.   WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL  Santa Monica City College at Glendale Community College, 7 p.m.   WOMEN’S SOCCER  Glendale Community College at...

GLENDALE — Aspirations for state titles and podium placement are at the forefront today, as Crescenta Valley High senior standout Zack Torres and four area cross-country teams take off at Fresno’s Woodward Park hoping to emerge as the best of the best at the CIF-State Cross Country Championships. Crescenta Valley High’s girls’ team, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy and both Flintridge Prep squads will partake with all of their outlooks varying across three different divisions, but Torres and the Division I boys’ field will begin the day at 8:30 a.m. on the 3.1-mile course.