Let the predictions begin for the Saugus girls at Woodbridge

Five days before the 28th annual Woodbridge Cross Country Classic and coaches and pundits around the state are already throwing out predictions as to how fast the Saugus girls' cross country team will run on the flat, fast 3-mile layout in the sweepstakes race at 9:15 p.m. Saturday in Irvine.

After a fourth-place finish in the 2005 sweepstakes in a team time of 92 minutes, Saugus has won the event the past two years, clocking 87:09 in 2006 and 86:21 last year.

Murrieta Valley (2001-03) is the last girls' team to win the Woodbridge meet three years in a row, although the Nighthawks' times pale in comparison to Saugus, their best effort coming with an 89:01 -- No. 7 on the meet's all-time list -- in 2003.

Two predictions on the Dyestatcal.com message board Monday had Saugus running 84:23 and 85:18.

Well, based on last year's results from the season-opening Seaside Invitational to the Woodbridge meet the following week, the Centurions improved nearly three minutes, clocking 89:17 last season on the Sanbuenaventura State Beach course and 86:21 on the Woodbridge course.

If Saugus produces a similar improvement from its 87:33 at Seaside, then breaking 85 minutes Saturday is a definite possibility.

Katie Dunn, now competing for reigning junior college state champion Glendale Community College, holds Saugus' school record on the Woodbridge course, clocking 16:47 last year.

Among the Centurions' returning runners from last year's record-setting team, Brianna Jauregui boasts the fastest time at 17:07, with Kaylin Mahoney right behind at 17:11. Amber Murakami clocked Saugus' No. 4 mark at Woodbridge with a 17:06 in 2006.

The fastest time ever produced by a Foothill League runner on the Woodbridge course belongs to former Canyon of Canyon Country standout Lauren Fleshman, who clocked 16:35 in 1998. That mark stood as the course record until Woodbridge's Christine Babcock clocked 16:31 in 2006 and 16:05 last year.