Rakestraw, Blue guide Newport

Weeks of comparing times, gauging results and projecting finishes

came to a halt Thursday at Irvine Park.

And the Newport Harbor High boys and girls cross country teams

were able to ascertain their strengths and weaknesses compared to

other schools in the Sea View League.

It was a true test that provided multiple learning experiences.

Seniors Kenny Rakestraw and Whitney Blue paced both squads,

finishing second and third, respectively, in the league cluster meet

involving Laguna Hills, Aliso Niguel, Woodbridge and Foothill.

Rakestraw, who clocked 15 minutes, 42 seconds, was topped by

Woodbridge’s Conrad Wozniak (15:35), while Blue, who won the Orange

County championships a year ago at the same location, took a wrong

turn and ended up losing her lead.

Blue clocked in at 18:40 after going nearly 200 yards down a wrong

path, giving up her initial lead of about 10 seconds.

“My goal was to come out and win this easily,” said Blue, who

finished second in last year’s CIF State Division II race. “I better

watch and figure out the course [for Oct. 15’s county championships

on the same course].”

The Sailor girls, ranked No. 6 in CIF Southern Section Division

II, lost to Woodbridge, 26-30, but topped the other four schools,

while the Newport boys defeated Irvine, 18-30, but lost to the

remaining schools.

Blue led the Newport girls (4-1), while junior Lauren Maddox

(eighth, 19:19), junior Taylor Bryson (10th, 19:33), Melissa Mead

(12th, 19:40) and Desiree Alexander (23rd, 20:15) rounded out the

scoring.

Woodbridge, led by Jessie Babcock (first, 18:04) and Christine

Babcock (second, 18:07), went undefeated in the meet to gain an edge

in the league standings.

“The girls ran really well,” Newport girls coach Eric Tweit said.

“I was really happy with all of them.”

Tweit said the whole team took responsibility for Blue’s

misdirection.

“What can you do?” he asked. “We made a mistake, all of us. We

didn’t do what we should have done. I think the combination of the

heat and how focused she was on what she was doing before the race

had something to do with it.”

Blue took her wrong turn about two miles into the race, Tweit

said, as she had a sizable lead before backtracking.

The extra distance cost her about 25 seconds, Tweit added.

The Newport girls finished third in league last season behind

Blue, who won the league title in 17:07, considerably faster than her

outing on Thursday. Her winning time was exactly the same as her time

at the county championships a little earlier in the year.

This year’s squad, with numerous returners, looks to improve on

last season’s finish.

On the Sailor boys(1-4) side, Rakestraw, who raced to the top time

at the Laguna Hills invitational Sept. 10 in 15:40, said he was

recovering from a cold Thursday.

But, after a less-than-ideal 2004 campaign, he added that this

season has been his best as a Sailor so far.

“I have had no injuries and I’ve been training a lot harder,” he

said. “I got a lot of mileage over the summer and recently I’ve been

picking up a few speed workouts.”

Rakestraw will be preparing next week for the county

championships.

“I would like to see him in the top 10 in the county,” Newport

boys coach Nowell Kay said. “I really think there’s only two guys who

have run faster than him.”

Sophomore Mike Puncel (24th, 17:17) followed Rakestraw Thursday,

while sophomore Murphy Hitchcock (28th, 17:33), senior Wiley Hunter

(30th, 17:43) and junior Francisco Avonce (36th, 18:25) rounded out

the top five Newport boys.

“This was the first time all of the league leaders actually raced

together,” Kay said. “Team wise, I think we’ll be in a battle for

third. This year, we don’t have the horses to compete.”

But individually, with Rakestraw, the Sailors have a threat that

could potentially go deep into the CIF postseason.

Kay said the league individual title will be a battle between

Rakestraw and Wozniak, a junior.

The team league race will likely come down to Laguna Hills (5-0),

Foothill (4-1) and Aliso Niguel (3-2). The Sailors currently sit in

fourth, behind Woodbridge (2-3) and in front of last-place Irvine

(0-5).

The Newport boys eked into the CIF postseason last year, finishing

fourth at the league finals but third in the league standings.