Top Cross-Country Races Expected Today

The State high school cross-country championships are five weeks away, but the top two races of the season--in terms of quality teams--are expected to take place at today’s Mt. San Antonio College Invitational in Walnut.

Eight of the top-10 ranked Division I teams in the state and four of the top six Division II squads will compete in the boys’ team sweepstakes race.

The girls’ team sweepstakes event will include seven of the top-10 Division I teams and seven of the top nine Division II schools.

Thousand Oaks is favored in both races.

The Lancers are the defending State Division I boys’ champions and the No. 5-ranked team in the Harrier magazine’s national poll; the girls are ranked 15th nationally and first in the state.

Carmichael Jesuit--the No. 1-ranked Division II team in the state--Newhall Hart, Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula and Camarillo are expected to give Thousand Oaks its stiffest competition in the boys’ race.

Brett Strahan of Hart, Mike Stember of Jesuit and Antonio Arce of Palmdale have established themselves as the three top runners in the state during the first half of the season.

The girls’ team sweepstakes will mark the first clash of the season between Thousand Oaks and Irvine, the defending State Division I champion.

Thousand Oaks’ top six runners finished within 62 seconds of each other in a dual meet Tuesday and junior Kim Mortensen should be among the race leaders.

Today’s meet, which will include more than 40 races, starts at 7:30 a.m.