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MARIA CARRILLO'S FOGG PERSEVERES FOR REPEAT TITLE: SENIOR PUMA, TEAMMATES SEEKING 2ND CONSECUTIVE CHAMPIONSHIP TODAY BYLINE: ERIC BRANCH Her body screamed at her to stop, but Leanne Fogg didn't listen. Not after what she'd endured the past 19 months. So, Fogg, a Maria Carrillo senior, ignored her mid-race agony and charged to victory at last week's North Bay League Championships, the first win of her four-year varsity cross- country career. For Fogg, an all-league runner, it was an emotional triumph, more evidence of her ability to deal with adversity. Consider that in April 2005, doctors found the reason for her shortness of breath, dry skin and loss of hair: Graves' Disease, an autoimmune disease that causes overactivity of the thyroid gland. Then, in July, her 15-year-old brother, Garrett, died after a seven-week struggle with meningitis. There was no way aching legs were going to stop her last week. ``I was thinking `Well, I could slow down and take it a little easy,''' said Fogg, who has combated her disease with radiation followed by daily medication. ``But I kept reminding myself how hard I'd worked and how much I've been through.'' Fogg and her teammates hope to make another memory today at the North Coast Section Championships at Hayward High School. The NCS meet is the last step before the state meet Nov. 25 in Fresno. The Pumas, ranked No. 1 in Division III, are seeking their second consecutive division title. Maria Carrillo's boys' team, ranked No. 1, also is seeking a repeat championship. If both teams win, Maria Carrillo would be the first Division III school to win back-to- back boys' and girls' crowns in the same years. But Maria Carrillo may not be the only school hoisting hardware today. In Division II, the top-ranked Petaluma boys' team, led by SCL champion Sterling Lockert, a sophomore, will battle No. 2 Montgomery. The Vikings are led by senior Blake McDowall, the NBL champion who is favored to win the individual crown. ``We're the favorites going in and I think our kids feel real confident,'' said Petaluma coach Jim Lynch, whose program last won an NCS title in 1978. ``I think if we hit on all cylinders, we should be in great shape.'' Other individuals who could compete for NCS titles include Casa Grande freshman Jacque Taylor in Division II and St. Helena senior Brian Cole in Division V. You can reach Staff Writer Eric Branch at 521-5268 or ebranch@pressdemocrat.com.
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