Recently in Cross Country Category

Amber Murakami's season debut for Saugus resulted in a victory in the JV race in 21:04 at Castaic Lake, giving the Centurions the frosh/soph (Kathryn Huntington, 20:30) and varsity (Stephanie Bulder, 18:44) winners.

Murakami joined recent graduate Erin Ortega -- now at UC Santa Barbara -- in the rare achievement of competing for Saugus in a league race at all three levels. Murakami made an appearance at the frosh/soph level in 2007 and raced at the JV level for the first time Thursday.

The Centurions just missed a 1-5 sweep in all three girls' races, taking the top five spots in the varsity race, the top five spots in the frosh/soph race and first through fourth, along with sixth, in the JV race.

None of the girls' races had repeat winners from the first league meet Sept. 30 at Central Park. West Ranch junior Jennifer Owen didn't compete in the varsity race Thursday because of a fever, Saugus' Emily McCarty sat out the frosh/soph competition because of recent illness and Murakami won the JV race after West Ranch's Kaitlin Phillips triumphed the first time.

Golden Valley had repeat winners at the boys' varsity (Seth Totten) and frosh/soph (Juan David Garcia) levels.

Saugus hasn't lost a varsity girls' league race since the 2005 Foothill final and hasn't dropped a boys' varsity league competition since the second Foothill meet in 2006, falling to Canyon.

The most significant movers -- based solely on place -- at the girls' varsity level from the first league meet were: Hart's Jordan Walsh (27th to 15th), Saugus' Danielle Hernando (14th to 4th), Hart's Grace Zamudio (13th to 7th) and West Ranch's Ashley Welker (11th to 6th).

The most significant movers -- based solely on place -- at the boys' varsity level from the first league meet were: Valencia's Andrew Berumen (23rd to 11th), Canyon's Tyler Tockstein (25th to 15th) and Tim Gonzales (17th to 8th), as well as Saugus' Alec Nelson (15th to 9th).

Not since Canyon defeated Saugus both times in Foothill League competition during the 2006 regular season -- only to watch the Centurions emerge victorious at the league final, resulting in a co-championship -- had the battle between the rival cross country programs been as close it was Thursday at Castaic Lake.

Under the double-dual scoring format -- the same method used for the first league meet Sept. 30 at Central Park -- Saugus held off Canyon 27-28, with the Cowboys closing the gap from a 23-32 setback in their first meeting. Canyon defeated Golden Valley 26-29, atoning for a 25-30 setback at Central Park.

However, if the meet had been scored using the invitational format -- the way it will be for the league final Nov. 5 at Central Park -- then Canyon would have defeated Saugus 54-58, with Golden Valley right behind with 61 points.

Kurt Lutz was Saugus' fifth runner in 25th place, two spots ahead of Canyon's No. 6 runner Mason Bouchet. That 11-second differential was crucial in Saugus prevailing in the double-dual format. But the the Cowboys' strength of Thomas McGuan (second), Tim Gonzales (eighth), Sam Willis (12th), Tyler Tockstein (15th) and Michael Noris (17th) would've been enough to defeat Saugus' Robert Pion (fourth), Logan Smith (seventh), Alec Nelson (ninth), AJ Hebert (13th) and Lutz under the invitational format.

Hebert finishing in between Willis and Tockstein was also instrumental in Saugus' one-point victory, as was Smith finishing ahead of Gonzales.

Under the invitational format, Golden Valley did well to place all its scoring runners in the top 20, but the gap between Seth Totten's victory and Avery McDougal's 10th-place finish was too much to overcome against Saugus and Canyon.

On your mark, get set and think about what might have happened until next Wednesday.

The anticipation for the Foothill League boys' varsity race Thursday was unbelievable. So many storylines and possible scenarios, yet no results to sort them all out.

There were races run at Central Park -- congratulations to Golden Valley freshman Juan David Garcia and Saugus sophomore Emily McCarty on winning the frosh/soph competitions -- but not the ones people have been talking about since the end of track season.

So, all of the Santa Clarita Valley running community will sit and wait until 4 p.m. Wednesday when Valencia's Falco DiGiallonardo, Golden Valley's Seth Totten, Canyon's Thomas McGuan, Hart's Sam Peckham and Saugus' Robert Pion line up again to lead their teams for the Foothill boys' varsity race 2.0.

As for DiGiallonardo, he and the rest of the Vikings will travel Saturday to the Bell-Jeff Invitational at Griffith Park/Greek Theatre. DiGiallonardo will get a shot to race Loyola's Elias Gedyon in what should be an impressive showdown.

It will also be quite interesting to see what the Saugus girls' varsity lineup looks like Wednesday with the McQuaid Invitational in New York looming three days later.

As for the limited action that did take place Thursday, here is a quick breakdown:

Boys' frosh/soph -- Saugus 5-0, Golden Valley 4-1, Hart 3-2, Valencia 2-3, West Ranch 1-4, Canyon 0-5. Saugus defeated Golden Valley 25-32.

Juan David Garcia (Golden Valley) 17:20, A.J. Yarnell (Saugus) 17:25, Joshua Sherfey (West Ranch) 17:37

Girls' frosh/soph -- Saugus 5-0, Canyon 4-1, Valencia 3-2, Hart 2-3, Golden Valley 1-4, West Ranch 0-5. Saugus defeated the entire field 15-40.

Emily McCarty (Saugus) 19:03, Jenay Jauregui (Saugus) 19:14, Kaylie Fisher (Saugus) 20:48, Kathryn Huntington (Saugus) 21:00, Francesca Bosnoyan (Saugus) 21:06.

It's only September, but there were so many success stories Saturday night at Woodbridge, a mere top 10 performance list would not be a fitting tribute to the local athletes who shined so bright under the lights in Irvine.

So, in attempt to capture the entire scope of the 29th annual event, what better way than to cover Woodbridge from A to Z.

A is for Adolfo Camarillo, which demonstrated it belonged with the heavyweights in the boys' sweepstakes race, finishing seventh, second among local teams behind Royal of Simi Valley. Daniel Stebbings (15:01) and Erik Pinuelas (15:02) were huge for the Scorpions in supporting Heyden Wooff.

B is for bright lights. Once again, the night atmosphere at Woodbridge was electric, and the stars shined at one of the state's premier competitions, which showcased 8,686 runners from the first race to the last Saturday.

C is for Camille Chapus. After winning the sophomore class race Sept. 11 at the Seaside Invitational in Ventura, the Harvard-Westlake of Studio City standout captured the Div. II girls' varsity race in 17:21, which would've won the rated race and finished in the top 20 in the sweepstakes race.

D is for deliver. Some local athletes and teams did, others didn't Saturday on one of the fastest courses in the state. The good news is Southern Section and state championships aren't based on what happens at Woodbridge, but rather Mt. SAC and Woodward Park, which means teams will be back at practice Monday preparing for their next race.

E is for Emily McCarty. The Saugus sophomore ran 17:58 to place fifth in the Div. I girls' varsity race, but it would've been the Centurions' No. 5 time in the sweepstakes race, behind Kaylin Mahoney, Karis Frankian, Stephanie Bulder and Danielle Hernando.

F is for frightening. As in, after looking at the times from Woodbridge, it's frightening how fast some of the area's top athletes could run in November, providing they can stay healthy.

G is for gap. Of the 21 teams entered in the girls' sweepstakes race, only one -- Arcadia -- had a larger gap from its first to fifth runner than Simi Valley, which had a margin of 2:56 between senior Liberty Miller and freshman Hanna Jeters. If the Pioneers want to make a run at the Div. II state meet, that margin will need to close substantially.

H is for Heyden Wooff. The Camarillo junior took advantage of the faster course to run 14:08, a 30-second improvement off last year's sophomore class record and good for the No. 2 time in meet history.

I is for incredible. That's the only way to describe Sarah Andrews of The Woodlands, Texas, who defeated a quality field of California runners by 36 seconds en route to repeating as champion in a meet-record 16:01.

J is for junior. Four of the top five boys in the sweepstakes race were 11th-graders -- led by Camarillo's Heyden Wooff -- and that doesn't even include Loyola's Elias Gedyon, who dominated the competition earlier Saturday at the Mt. Carmel Invitational in San Diego. Although the top two girls in the sweepstakes race were seniors, 11 juniors finished among the top 16, led by a third-place effort from Saugus' Kaylin Mahoney.

K is for Karis Frankian. Despite running ill, the Saugus sophomore followed her victory Sept. 12 at the Great Cow Invitational by taking seventh in 16:50, making her the top 10th-grader in the field by more than 30 seconds.

L is for Liberty Miller. And there was justice for the Simi Valley senior in her final Woodbridge appearance, as she held off a strong charge down the stretch by Saugus' Kaylin Mahoney to take second in 16:37, making her the second Pioneers runner to break 17 minutes, following Anna Sperry.

In honor of the 17th annual Seaside Invitational being held on Sept. 11, here are nine individuals and 11 additional performances that deserved to be recognized following their efforts Friday at San Buenaventura State Beach Park.

1. Falco DiGiallonardo, Valencia, Jr. -- One of the area's top 800- and 1,600-meter runners, he wants to be mentioned in the same sentence as Golden Valley's Seth Totten, Hart's Sam Peckham, Canyon's Thomas McGuan and any healthy runner at Saugus in the list of challengers for the Foothill League title. Well, he got their attention with his 15:37.81 on the 3.1-mile course, the fastest time of the day.

2. Jennifer Owen, West Ranch, Jr. -- Ship officials prohibited her from running on the track on the main deck during a recent two-week cruise to Alaska, but Owen showed no signs of rustiness as she handled a solid field en route to winning the junior race in 18:00.63. Owen was the only athlete who openly expressed regret about not being able to run against Saugus' Kaylin Mahoney and Stephanie Bulder, who are running Saturday in Cerritos. She'll get her chance in a few weeks.

3. Melissa Skiba, Oak Park, Sr. -- Her training regimen has become so impressive that she's not even training with her female teammates anymore, instead working out with the boys' cross country runners. She also separated herself from the pack of female challengers in the senior race, most notably La Reina's Sarah Pearson, to clock the fastest time of the day at 17:39.87 for her second victory in as many years.

4. Sarah Adams, Valencia, Jr. -- Perhaps the most impressive performance of the day in terms of time drop came from Adams, who was 37th in the sophomore race last year in 20 minutes, only to run 18:35.77 to take runner-up to Owen, which would've likely converted to a sub-18 time since Friday's 3.1-mile course ran a minimum of 30 seconds slower than last season.

5. Sam Peckham, Hart, Soph. -- After winning the freshman race last year, Peckham was challenged by a pair of Trabuco Hills runners, but held strong to prevail in 16:10.95 for the 13th-fastest time among all male runners.

6. Camille Chapus, Harvard-Westlake, Soph. -- Following a 12th-place finish at the Div. IV state meet last year and an impressive rookie campaign on the varsity soccer team, Chapus committed herself to more intense training during the summer and it showed, winning in her Seaside debut in 18:36.57. The daughter of former Alemany of Mission Hills standout Vickie Cook could be primed for a run at a state title this year.

7. Hayley Parkinson, Canyon, Sr. -- Proving there is life in the Foothill League outside of Saugus, Owen, Adams and Parkinson offered a glimpse of their talents Friday. Parkinson surged past West Ranch's Bailey Miller in the final 200 meters to take fourth behind Skiba, Pearson and Trabuco Hills' Kamilah Foley in 18:26.09 for the fifth-fastest time of the day.

8. Thomas McGuan, Canyon, Sr. -- McGuan closed the gap on Oxnard's Gustavo Mena, but ran out of room before the finish line, clocking 15:46.30 for the fifth-fastest time of the day. His effort helped Canyon post a team time of 81:38, second only to Trabuco Hills (79:38).

9. Kegan Marsh, Quartz Hill, Soph. -- On a day when there wasn't much to cheer about for the Antelope Valley area schools, Marsh's fourth-place mark of 16:27.69 ranked him 25th among all male performers.

The day began with Shannon Murakami's victory in Provo, Utah, and concluded with Brianna Jauregui, Nina Moore and Anne Randall all finishing in the top six in Fullerton.

Throw in Brandon Jauregui taking 14th at Cal State Monterey Bay in his debut for San Francisco State and it was a strong day for several former Saugus cross country standouts at the Division I and junior college levels.

Murakami, a 2007 graduate and UCLA junior, dominated the field at BYU's Autumn Classic to cover the 5-kilometer course in 17:59.2, 25 seconds ahead of BYU sophomore Katy Andrews.

"I honestly couldn't have done it without all of coach Paragas' training and the Nelson and my family's support," said Murakami, who benefitted from training over the summer with the Centurions, as UCLA underwent a coaching change that saw the dismissal of Eric Peterson and the arrival of Johnny Gray and Forest Braden.

Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta's Rachel Lange, a BYU sophomore, was fourth, helping the Cougars win with 34 points, ahead of Idaho State (41) and UCLA (47). Burroughs of Burbank graduate Sadee Martinez was 24th (19:36.4) for UCLA and Crescenta Valley alumnus Michelle Callister, a BYU freshman who competed unattached, was 25th (19:37.9).

At the 25th Cal State Fullerton Invitational, Jauregui and Moore -- competing for Glendale Community College -- and Long Beach State's Randall occupied half of the top six spots. Jauregui, a freshman, was the top junior college finisher, taking third on the 6-kilometer layout at Fullerton Golf Course in 23:02.20.

"The course reminded me a lot of (Woodward Park)," Jauregui said. "During the race, I just kept telling myself, 'This is just like state.'"

Jauregui and her Glendale College teammates, who finished third out of 26 teams with 93 points, will run at Woodward Park -- site of the state junior college and high school championship meet -- next Saturday at the Fresno Invitational. The Vaqueros hope to have 2008 Saugus graduate Katie Dunn back next week after she was sidelined Saturday with a lower back injury.

Moore, who didn't compete last year after graduating in 2008, finished fifth in 23:09.30 and Randall was the top Division I finisher, taking sixth in 23:11.40, as Long Beach State took second with 65 points, trailing Azusa Pacific's 53.

APU's Jacky Kipwambok, a 24-year-old junior from Kenya, won the race in 21:24.20, followed by former GCC standout Vivien Wadeck (22:43.10), who attends Cal State L.A., but competed unattached Saturday.

The seventh and final installment of the College of the Canyons summer cross country series took place Thursday. One of the most successful summers concluded for COC with a course record on the men's side and the fastest time of the summer by a woman.

Here's a recap of the final night of competition at COC, with seven things learned to take into the upcoming fall season:

1. Michael Thatcher is still the man: With all respect to Arcadia junior Ammar Moussa, even if he had traveled to Santa Clarita to compete instead of running in the Apaches' alumni race, it might not have made a difference in the race's final outcome. Thatcher, the La Canada High assistant, returned home Thursday morning from logging 67 miles at Big Bear during the Spartans' summer training camp and took down Moussa's 3-mile course record set July 30 by seven seconds, winning in 14:46.29. No one else in the field broke 15 minutes. Not bad for a 32-year old ready to lead the Spartans back to the Southern Section Div. III final.

2. Birmingham definitely has one talented transfer: But his name is Rafael Mendez, a junior who moved from Visalia. As far as Highland of Palmdale standout Dylan Alexander joining the Patriots, a family source said Thursday that Alexander has not yet enrolled at Birmingham, contrary to a report from coach Scott King two weeks ago. As for Mendez, he finished fifth with a mark of 15:34. Alexander's younger brother Ryan competed Thursday (running 16:39), but Dylan Alexander didn't. Stay tuned to find out where the talented athlete ends up running this fall.

3. Summer training has paid off for some more than others: With fellow Foothill League standouts Alec Nelson of Saugus and Falco DiGiallonardo of Valencia serving as spectators Thursday, Canyon senior Tommy McGuan finished fourth in 15:22 and tops among high school competitors, demonstrating that he should be in contention for the league title in November. Reigning girls' champion, Saugus junior Kaylin Mahoney, ran a 4-mile course instead of three, but still finished in 25:22, nearly a 90-second drop from two weeks ago. Sophomore teammate Karis Frankian shaved more than a minute off her time from Aug. 6 to run 25:49.

4. Nina Moore continues to amaze: When asked how fast she ran last summer during the COC series, Moore's answer was: "I didn't." After helping Saugus repeat as Div. I state champion in 2007 and run on the Centurions' state-record 4 x mile relay at the 2008 Arcadia Invitational, Moore took time off from running competitively following her high school graduation. But she could start the year at Glendale Community College as the Vaqueros' No. 1 runner following her winning time Thursday of 17:35, nearly a minute faster than she ran July 30.

5. GCC coach Eddie Lopez has more firepower than he knows what to do with: With Moore running 17:35, GCC's 3-mile team time Thursday would've been 91:09. Saugus, with three girls under 18 minutes, ran 89:17 at last year's final race, but the Centurions clocked 92:55 at the 2007 COC finale, demonstrating the Vaqueros are in good company. And they should be with former Saugus standouts Brianna Jauregui (18:15) and Katie Dunn (18:21), along with Bravo Medical Magnet graduate Karen Rosas (18:12) -- the overall female summer series winner -- and Rosa Del Toro (18:46) in the lineup. Angie Gonzalez should be a major contributor as well for the Vaqueros. And the talent is solely reserved for the women's team, as Frankie Quijada took third in the men's competition in 15:15.

6. Hart's Konrad Antoniuk might have some company: When it comes to distance running/swimming hybrids, West Ranch junior Riley Mita demonstrated that he can go the distance out of the pool as well, running 18:15 in his first COC race. Mita, a two-time Foothill League champion in the pool in May, would be one of the top cross country runners at West Ranch based on that time alone. Hart's Sam Asencio, who trains with Antoniuk and Mita at Canyons Aquatics, also competed Thursday and one of the league's top female swimmers ran 22 minutes.

7. I don't agree with the Hart Unified School District on this one: Perhaps the most disappointing news that came out of Thursday's finale was the announcement that the Foothill League programs will not be allowed to compete Sept. 19 at the Woodbridge Invitational because the Hart School District made the decision that the event conflicts with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which begins at sundown on Friday, Sept. 18. This is not an anti-semitic point of view on my behalf, but I don't think the decision is a good one because Woodbridge is one of the elite meets of the season at which several top programs and runners get an early litmus test by competing against top teams from around the state, and, in some cases, the country. Some Foothill programs will compete Sept. 16 at Crescenta Valley's nonleague meet at C.V. Park, but the depth in competition won't be the same as Woodbridge.

Finally made it out to College of the Canyons on a Thursday night -- work-related commitments and being in Big Bear precluded my attendance the past month -- for the big summer series event and saw some old faces, future stars and plenty of strong efforts from some of the best runners past and present in the Santa Clarita Valley.

With one more race next week before the big finale Aug. 20, this is what I learned before darkness fell at COC:

1. Michael Thatcher means business: The former La Canada standout and current Spartans assistant coach is 32, runs like he's 23 or younger and ready to take on all challengers in two weeks at the summer series finale. Thatcher, who won for the second time in three weeks unofficially at 15:07 for 3 miles -- just ahead of former Hart of Newhall and COC standout Alfredo Coronado at 15:10 -- is coming off a 97-mile week of training, the biggest of his running career (of course that still comes up short of the 103-mile effort Saugus senior Alec Nelson -- all 16 years old of him -- recently put forth in Big Bear, but very impressive nonetheless). Thatcher, who trains with the Pasadena-based Run With Us, has a dream of breaking 4 minutes in the mile. He says it might never happen, but at his age, just to have such an amazing goal is not only admirable but inspirational. And look for La Canada, under the guidance of Thatcher and Andy DiConti, to bounce back with a big year in Div. III this season.

2. Glendale College is gearing up for another state title run: This just in, the Glendale Community College women's cross country team is good enough to beat some four-year programs this fall. The way Saugus graduates Brianna Jauregui and Nina Moore have been training this summer, combined with the efforts of returning runners Katie Dunn and Rosa Del Toro, plus the addition of Karen Rosas from Bravo Medical Magnet, this team -- barring injury -- will be a major contender for the state championship at Woodward Park in November following a runner-up finish last year. I believe it was former GCC standout Zitalic Ley that took the women's competition Thursday unofficially at 18:02, but Jauregui was at 18:14 and Dunn came in at 18:24, with Del Toro having gone 18:26 and Moore 18;32 already this summer.

3. Birmingham has elevated itself among the City elite: Had a great conversation with Birmingham of Lake Balboa coach Scott King -- just months removed from leading the Patriots' girls' track and field team to a third straight City title -- about the upcoming City cross country campaign, and how the presence of one runner could change the landscape of not only the West Valley League, but the entire section. Highland of Palmdale's Dylan Alexander has transferred to Birmingham and met with his Patriots teammates for the first time Thursday. That means a section that already featured Granada Hills brothers Javert and Joshua Solorzano, as well as San Pedro brothers David and Pablo Rosales, and Monroe of North Hills teammates Jorge Mendez and Jesus Garzon, now has some company in Alexander, who will no doubt thrive under the guidance of one of the state's best coaches.

4. Stephanie Bulder never ceases to amaze: Maybe she was feeling a little more inspired to flash a confident smile since she got her braces off earlier this week, but the Saugus junior was the Centurions' top female finisher at the 4-mile distance in 26:50 -- of course Shannon Murakami ran 25:21 if we're counting alumni -- this coming off a 90-plus mile week of training in Big Bear, plus East Canyon on Saturday and regularly scheduled workouts leading up to Thursday. Kaylin Mahoney, who has been splitting time between workouts and doing five shows every weekend at COC with the Canyon Summer Theatre Guild and its production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, was close behind in 26:51, with Karis Frankian at 26:57, Merissa Kado at 27:12, Amber Murakami at 27:17 and Danielle Hernando at 27:21. Alumni Anne Randall (26:50), Keri Molt (27:09) and Courtney Wilson (28:31) got in good workouts as they prepared to head off to Long Beach State, Cal State L.A. and UC Irvine, respectively.

5. A lot of people are going to miss Brandon Jauregui: The Saugus graduate was disgusted at his 11th-place finish of 16:22 last week, so he went out and ran 15:43 in his final race in his backyard before departing for San Francisco State, demonstrating why he is one of the most tenacious runners in the Santa Clarita Valley. He didn't win the race, but he once again earned the admiration and respect of his peers and adults, teammates and opponents, boys and girls, men and women alike. Jauregui will make one last trek Saturday morning up The Beast before making the journey up north to begin his college career, which means the race will now be on to crown a new Foothill League boys' cross champion this fall. Let's hope Golden Valley's Seth Totten, Saugus' Alec Nelson, Canyon's Tommy McGuan, Valencia's Falco DiGiallonardo, Hart's Sam Peckham and whatever other challengers there are for the individual title in November can represent their family, program and school in similar fashion to the way Jauregui did his senior year.

Waking up early on a Monday morning and running is always a challenge.

Doing so on your birthday isn't exactly my idea of celebrating.

But a 40-minute run up the trail off Poligue Canyon Road adjacent to Big Bear Lake was the present awarded to UCLA junior Shannon Murakami, who was celebrating her 20th birthday with her younger sister, Amber, and the rest of the Saugus cross country program Monday.

Birthday well wishes were also going out to Saugus assistant Jenny Ridnor, who joined the Centurions for their morning run, which begins with roughly 1,500 meters along a paved road, then becomes similar to the "Beast" course at Whitney Canyon Park in Santa Clarita, as it develops into a predominantly uphill, windy trail of mostly uneven terrain that narrows as it ascends.

The good news for the Saugus runners, coaches and parents who embarked on the Poligue Canyon trail is whatever territory was covered going uphill on the way out was a much less stressful downhill run on the way back to the parking lot adjacent to the Cougar Crest trail, the site of another Saugus morning run later this week.

After 40 minutes of continuous running on the 1 1/2 mile loop on the interpretive Wildwood course Sunday afternoon, Saugus was back to its 80-minute schedule Monday morning.

The Centurions also welcomed junior Kaylin Mahoney to the group for her first run of the week, as the defending Div. II state champion was fulfilling her obligation over the weekend with the Canyon Theatre Guild and its production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at College of the Canyons.

Mahoney, who plays the role of "Wife" in the summer production, has balanced her time the past seven weeks since finishing third in the 3,200 meters at the state track meet with training with the Centurions and rehearsing for the play.

Recent graduates Brianna Jauregui and Anne Randall were among the strongest of the female runners, with the nucleus of the varsity girls' roster and Murakami following closely behind.

Along with UC Santa Barbara sophomore Baxter Frick and Jeff Nelson -- a former Burbank High and Glendale College standout -- the boys' varsity group, led by Alec Nelson, Alex Ruther, Zack McGraw, Robert Pion, AJ Hebert, Logan Smith and Kurt Lutz, took the Poligue Canyon trail further than ever before, reaching the 5-mile peak and descending another mile on the other side of the mountain during the 84-minute round-trip run.

The group is returning to the cabin preparing for breakfast, with another run scheduled for 5 p.m. today.

Will check back later with more updates.

Everybody returned to the cabin in Big Bear Lake following the first "Fawnskin" run, and aside from the fatigue that comes from running anywhere from 60 to 100 minutes at race pace, and the occasional bout of altitude sickness, the Saugus contingent was in good shape following its first morning run of the week.

Some athletes needed to soak in ice baths afterward, the product of their legs and knees pounding on the asphalt and uneven terrain for anywhere from 10 to 14 miles round trip.

Saugus senior Alec Nelson, his father Jeff -- a former standout at Burbank High at Glendale College -- and Centurions graduate Baxter Frick, a sophomore at UC Santa Barbara, extended the "Fawnskin" run further than any Saugus athlete had ever taken it before, covering 14 miles, including two miles uphill on the way back which leads to a locked gate just above Hanna Flats at the San Bernardino National Forest Campground.

Female alumni Shannon Murakami, a junior at UCLA, and Glendale College freshman Brianna Jauregui did an admirable job of keeping up with the rest of the boys' varsity roster, including Alex Ruther, Logan Smith, Kurt Lutz and Robert Pion.

Recent graduate Anne Randall, a freshman at Long Beach State, led the group featuring the girls' varsity runners, followed by Stephanie Bulder, Danielle Hernando, Karis Frankian, Danielle Hernando, Merissa Kado, Emily McCarty and Nicole Penick.

According to Saugus coach Rene Paragas, the varsity girls covered more ground in less time than they did last season, a good sign for the start of the week. Whether Saugus can duplicate those efforts as the days progress.

As for now, a lot of down time for the athletes, including reading -- there's a lot of pleasure readers in this group -- playing billiards and watching TV, relaxing before an afternoon workout scheduled to cover around five miles and begin around 5 p.m. Will report later with more updates.