Thousand Oaks’ cross-country runners ready for State Meet

THEY’VE GOT THE HARDWEAR—The Thousand Oaks girls’ cross-country team finished in second place at last Saturday’s CIF-Southern Section finals at Mt. SAC. This Saturday, the Lady Lancers will take part in the State Meet at Woodard Park in Fresno. The Thousand Oaks High girls’ cross-country team hopes to put a winning combination together and fare well Saturday as it runs on the 3.1 mile State Meet course at Woodard Park in Fresno.

The Lancers will be in the meet against California runners from the Central Coast, Central, Los Angeles, North Coast, Northern, Oakland, San Diego, San Francisco, Sac-Joaquin and Southern Sections.

Senior Lynne Fletcher is expected to be the Lancers lead runner as she and her teammates run in the Division I race at 12:50 p.m.

“We think we’ve got the makings for a great meet on Saturday,” said head coach Robert Radnoti. “We’re excited about it. The Top One is what we’re shooting for. We finished second twice, third twice just the last few years.

“There’s only one prize that we don’t have in our trophy case yet and that’s what the girls are going for.”

Running last Saturday on the 3-mile course at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, seven teams from the Southern Section qualified for the State Meet. The Fountain Valley Barons, with 68 points, a 1:32:53 time and a 1:36 spread, took first place. The spread is the difference in finish time between the first-and fifth-runner for each team.

Thousand Oaks second-place total was a low of 18 points, a time of 1:34:16 and a spread of 1:03. Fletcher took eighth place with a time of 18:14 in the 3mile race.

In the middle of the season, Fletcher had a quad injury that hampered her progress, Radnoti said. “Otherwise I think she’s be contending for the state championship,” he said.

The coach said that it’s been a slow return, but that Fletcher is starting to come into form.

“We think she’s going to pop one at the state meet and be one of the leaders,” Radnoti said.

Fletcher was followed by Thousand Oaks’ teammates sophomore Kaitlyn Sullivan, ninth place, 18:19; freshman Allie Lopez, 25th, 19:12; freshman Megan Meyer, 28th, 19:14; and junior Nina Su, 32nd, 19:17.

“Sullivan, she’s been running just super,” her coach said. “She’s been running with Lynne (Fletcher) lately because of Lynne’s injury. But she’s coming into her own and she’s one of the Top 10 runners our Division I state meet also.”

“Allie Lopez and Megan Meyer (are) just outstanding competitors,” the coach said. “They both have soccer backgrounds.”

Lopez, who was hurt a week ago Saturday, Radnoti said, “didn’t run her strongest as should could have (last Saturday). We finished second so that might have cost us a little.

“I’m not sure if it would have been enough to win the CIF championship, but we think she’s going to be close to or at 100 percent for the state meet. That’s certainly going to boost our chances there.”

The displacers at Mt. SAC were senior Miranda Houston, 35th, 19:21, and freshman Hanna Snyder, 55th, 19:48.

Running as individuals for the Lancers were Fletcher, 21st, Sullivan, 22nd; Lopez, 76th; Meyer, 83rd; Su, 93rd, and Houston, 100th.

The next five teams after Thousand Oaks were the Saugus Centurions, third; 134 points, 1:35:10 time; 2:31 spread; Royal Highlanders, fourth, 147 points, 1:36:43 time; 0:48 spread; Murrieta Valley Nighthawks, fifth, 149 points; 1:36:39 time; 1:15 spread; Crescenta Valley Falcons, sixth, 162 points, 1:37:00 time, 1:02 spread, and Dana Hills Dolphins, seventh, 201 points, 1:38:10 time, 0:52 spread.

Thousand Oaks didn’t qualify for the boys’ CIF-SS Southern Section Division I finals or the State Meet.