The Woodbridge Classic’s Doug Speck boys sweepstakes race on Saturday had 107 runners finish the Great Park 3-mile course in Irvine in under 15 minutes.
Thirteen runners in that race, named for longtime track and field and cross country supporter Doug Speck, finished under 14 minutes.
Yes, it’s a fairly runner-friendly course – flat with a finish line a few feet below the elevation of the starting area.
But those times might have to do more with the evolution of the athletes, their gear and their access to growing technology than the Great Park course.
“A lot has changed,” said Craig Dunn who has coached cross country at Dana Hills for eight years. “The shoes, for one. Those carbon-plated shoes the kids wear now are helping them run faster.”
Dunn said training methods, and shared knowledge of those methods, is raising standards.
“Technology is helping the sport,” Dunn said. “Everything is on line now. There are no workout secrets any more. The sharing of information is making the sport better.”
NOTES
• Dana Hills senior Evan Noonan finished 18th in the Woodbridge Classic sweepstakes race. Dunn said Noonan, who won CIF Southern Section and CIF State championships in cross country last year, was disappointed. Dunn said Noonan was ill a couple of weeks before Woodbridge and lacked his usual strength in the final yards Saturday. Dunn expects Noonan to improve as the season progresses. …
• Tesoro senior Griffen Kushen was Orange County’s top finisher in the boys sweepstakes race, 13th with a time of 13 minutes, 59.1 seconds. Kushen finished third in last year’s CIF-SS Division 2 finals. …
• Depth is a great commodity in cross country. El Toro’s girls team has it. The Chargers had five athletes finish among the top 25 runners in the girls varsity rated race to win the team championship. …
• Trabuco Hills junior Millie Bayles was the top Orange County finisher in the Woodbridge Classic girls sweepstakes race. Bayles was 13th with a time of 16:18.6. …
• Upcoming events include the Sunny Hills Invitational at Clark Regional Park in Buena Park and the Trinity League Preview at Central Park in Huntington Beach on Friday, and the Brea Invitational at Carbon Canyon Regional and the Central Park Invitational on Oct. 5.
