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2003 State Cross Country Championships
11/29/03
BYLINE: STEVE BRAND FRESNO -- Although it happened a year ago, Rancho Cotate's Phyliss Blanchard remembers it like it happened yesterday. Barely 100 yards into the 2002 CIF-State Cross Country Championships, Blanchard estimates she was in 60th place. Not the spot to be if winning a title is the goal. Amazingly, Blanchard rallied to finish fourth in the Division I race. With that memory still clear in her mind, Blanchard took a different approach after the Cougars moved to Division II this year, sprinting into the lead at the challenging Woodward Park 3.1-mile course. Although the finish was the same -- fourth place -- the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo-bound Blanchard was much more pleased as she improved her time by 36 seconds to 17-minutes, 42-seconds. Just two places back was Montgomery's Kim Conley (17:53) as the two reversed their placing from last week's North Coast Section championships. Cardinal Newman's J.K. Withers was the area's top boys finisher, earning All-State honors with his eighth-place finish in Division IV. Blanchard found moving down doesn't necessarily mean moving up as Division II was clearly the best of the day as Granite Bay's Caitlin Chock defended her title in the fastest time overall, 17:21. But it took Chock half the course to catch the determined Blanchard. ``If I'd have run like this last year, I would have won,'' said the 17-year-old senior. ``Those girls really pushed me the first half of the race, and I had to rely on myself the second half. ``Once again, when I finished I thought I had too much left. Just once I'd like to be like those people who collapse at the finish line, knowing they've given all that they have. Maybe next week -- I'm ready for the race of my life.'' Blanchard, like all of the top California runners, will compete in the Foot Locker Western Regionals in Southern California next weekend, hoping to qualify for the National Championships on Dec. 13 in San Diego. She sprinted the first 100 meters this time and bolted into the lead, which she held until the pack of runners went up the course's steep hill. When the others raced past, she went with them. ``It was good to have those girls (Chock, Escondido San Pasqual's Claire Rethmeier and bronze medalist Lindsay Allen of College Park) around for me to drag on,'' said Blanchard, who passed another San Pasqual runner, Lorin Scott, in the final 20 meters to earn fourth. Conley took the more traditional approach and worked her way up to the sixth-place finish, finishing seven seconds behind Scott. She also earned All-State honors by placing in the top 10. Withers, like Blanchard and Conley, found himself in one of the better races as defending champion Mohamed Trafeh of Duarte won by eight seconds in 15:16. Trafeh was second in the Foot Locker Nationals a year ago. Withers also led his school to a 12th place finish -- best among local teams. Top local times Boys Complete 2003 State Meet Boys combined (Dyestat) JK Withers SR 16:13, 15th fastest all-time at Woodward Silas Stafford SR 16:35 Eddy McFarlin SR 16:36 Michael Brew SO 16:40 Brian Whitley SR 16:52 Diego Moulton SO 16:55 Eric Hadland SR 16:55 Christian Yungert SR 16:57 Galen Aymar SR 17:08 Alex Wolf-Root JR 17:12 Ryan Aldridge SO 17:30 Logan Ensign SO 17:38 Brice Winkler FR 17:42 Tim Cumbo JR 17:42 Zak Stein SR 17:51 Christian Henderson JR 17:51 Girls Complete 2003 State Meet Girls combined (Dyestat) Phyllis Blanchard SR 17:42, 4th fastest 5,000m all-time Kim Conley SR 17:53, 6th fastest 5,000m all-time Amy Robinson JR 18:33, 12th fastest 5,000m all-time Shelby Leland SR 18:45 Leanne Fogg FR 19:35 Amanda Atkinson SO 20:09 Kelly Lane SR 20:11 Kristin Sanzari FR 20:11 Mariele Ponticiello FR 20:21 Tiffany Roberts FR 20:39 Jessica Chapman FR 20:48 Kendra Cheney JR 20:55 State Meet places Complete 2003 State Meet results (Dyestat) On individuals the 1st place is their overall place and the 2nd is their team finish place. Boys Div. II 13. 339 Maria Carrillo ( 16:55 1:24:34) =================================== 67 49 Michael Brew SO 16:40 80 60 Brian Whitley SR 16:52 89 68 Diego Moulton SO 16:55 92 71 Eric Hadland SR 16:55 115 91 Alex Wolf-Root JR 17:12 133 (107) Ryan Aldridge SO 17:30 143 (116) Logan Ensign SO 17:38 20. 465 Santa Rosa ( 17:22 1:26:48) =================================== 60 42 Silas Stafford SR 16:35 61 43 Eddy McFarlin SR 16:36 147 120 Brice Winkler FR 17:42 153 125 Zak Stein SR 17:51 163 135 Colin Gibbs SR 18:04 187 (159) AJ Alcocer SR 19:41 188 (160) Kevon LeMaitre SO 19:51 Div. IV 12. 307 Cardinal Newman ( 17:27 1:27:13) =================================== 8 6 JK Withers SR 16:13 57 40 Galen Aymar SR 17:08 98 72 Tim Cumbo JR 17:42 108 80 Christian Henderson JR 17:51 139 109 Andrew Bertolli JR 18:19 163 (133) Jack Bieting JR 18:55 174 (144) Matt Brattin SO 19:24 Div. V 15 Christian Yungert SR St. Vincent 16:57 81 Jeff Jackson JR Santa Rosa Christian 18:06 Girls Div. II 4 Phyllis Blanchard SR Rancho Cotate 17:42 6 Kim Conley SR Montgomery 17:53 27 Shelby Leland SR Ukiah 18:45 15. 345 Maria Carrillo ( 19:58 1:39:46) =================================== 16 12 Amy Robinson JR 18:33 64 49 Leanne Fogg FR 19:35 99 78 Kristin Sanzari FR 20:11 123 99 Tiffany Roberts FR 20:39 132 107 Jessica Chapman FR 20:48 137 (111) Kendra Cheney JR 20:55 169 (142) Kristin Fladseth JR 21:56 Div. IV 46 Amanda Atkinson SO Healdsburg 20:09 15. 360 Ursuline ( 21:14 1:46:08) =================================== 48 34 Kelly Lane SR 20:11 59 43 Mariele Ponticiello FR 20:21 115 88 Kelsey Boyd JR 21:37 125 96 Heather Evans JR 21:58 128 99 Racheal Cumbo JR 22:01 138 (108) Hilary Buckley SR 22:15 145 (114) Jenny Degennaro JR 22:24 Div. V 62 Leslie Hirshfield SR Santa Rosa Christian 21:41
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