SAN DIEGO - Jordan Hasay had wanted to set a fast pace Saturday. She did.

The Arroyo Grande resident and Mission Prep junior just didn't want to be the one leading that fast pace. She was.

If she had gone out a tad slower, “I might have had more left at the end,” at the Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships Finals. As it was, the pre-race favorite finished third in 17:31 over the muddy 5,000-meter Morley Field course at Balboa Park.

Michael Fout, a junior from LaPorte, Ind., won the boys race in 14:50. Co-race favorite German Fernandez of Riverbank finished third.

Hasay led by 10 seconds at the two-mile mark in 11:08, but Ashley Brasovan, a junior from West Palm Beach, Fla., passed her on the second trip up The Hill (the biggest hill) on the course and pulled away for an upset win in 17:20. Steve Underwood of Dyestat.com had picked Brasovan 11th in pre-race predictions. Rich Gonzalez of DyeStatCal.com had picked her third.

Kathy Kroeger, a junior from Franklin, Tenn., also passed Hasay but, trying to repeat as national champion, couldn't catch Brasovan. Kroeger ran second in 17:28.

Hasay led through the first mile in 5:18. She was at 2:31 at 800 meters according to a blog during the race but, “It didn't feel that fast,” Hasay said in a post-race phone interview.

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“I ran about the same time the first mile here as I did as a freshman,” said Hasay. “I ran 5:20 then. The difference was, I was in the lead this time.”

As any number of runners can attest, it's hard for anyone to lead a national caliber race wire-to-wire. No girl has done it at the Foot Locker nationals for at least the last three years.

Hasay was in seventh after the first mile her freshman year. Then she made a big mid-race move and won handily in 17:05, the eighth-fastest girls time ever on the course.

This time, Hasay said she was happy enough with third place in general and with the way she finished the race in particular.

Last year she crossed the line, utterly drained, in 10th in 18:14. This time, after dropping to fourth, she passed two-time Northeast Regional winner Neely Spence for third place. Spence finished fourth in 17:35.

“I was just happy to finish third,” said Hasay. “I passed Neely with about 200 meters left, and I kicked it in.

“After the race, people told me I probably did the right thing by taking it out fast.”

Hasay is a national prep cross country All-American for the third consecutive time with her Foot Locker finish. She is a two-time All-American in track and field.

Her finish Saturday gave Hasay an All-American status upgrade. She was on the second All-America Team last year. This year, she is on the first.

Hasay kept pushing at the two-mile mark and had a 10-second lead then. However, “I was starting to get a little tired, and it was muddy. Since I was leading, that made it even harder. There was a lead pack behind me. I knew they were coming.”

Brasovan and Claire Durkin were part of that lead pack. Durkin, a senior from Columbus, Ohio, made the biggest news of the four regionals when she broke Melody Fairchild's course record while winning the Midwest Regional at the 5,000-meter University of Wisconsin-Parkside course. Fairchild holds the girls Footlocker Nationals course record at Balboa Park, 16:39.

When she saw Brasovan had pulled even with her on the big hill, “I was really surprised,” said Hasay. “I thought it would be Claire. She'd been running really well. I saw (Brasovan) had been picked 11th,” by Underwood.

Durkin, whom Underwood picked for second, finished fifth in 17:44.

Hasay will turn her attention to defending her 2006 title at the Junior Cross Country Nationals, scheduled for Feb. 9 at Mission Bay in San Diego. “It's a couple of miles away from (Balboa Park),” said Hasay. “We may go check out the course. That'll be cool.”

Hasay won the 6 K race at Boulder, Colo. last year. She passed up the World Juniors meet in Kenya because of a terrorist threat, and has said that she does not plan to make the trip to the World Juniors in Scotland this year even if she does qualify.

As for the 2008 Foot Locker Nationals, with national champions Hasay, Kroeger and Brasovan all figuring to be in it, message board mavens are already talking about that race.

Girls basketball

Ruth Dozer Tournament

Santa Maria (1-3) lost the third-place game 60-44 to Tracy Merrill West at Atascadero High School.

Hannah Miller led the Saints with 24 points and 10 rebounds. The Saints trailed West 26-19 at halftime, then a four-point third quarter doomed them.

Miller made the All-Tournament Team.

Gold Coast Tournament

Righetti's Desiree Domingues stole the show, literally, as Righetti defeated Santa Ynez 50-21..

The Warriors' talented guard swiped 10 steals, and contributed eight points as Righetti topped Santa Ynez in the final day of action at the Gold Coast Tournament. Her numbers were good enough for all-tournament honors.

Chelsea Mitchell led all scorers with 13 points. Teammate Molly Schlemer contributed eight points. Santa Ynez was led by Whitney Moir's eight points.

Righetti opens league play against Atascadero on Tuesday at home.

Nordhoff Tournament

OJAI - Arroyo Grande (4-1) defeated the host Rangers 50-25 for third place.

All 12 Eagles scored. Maddie Franklin led Arroyo Grande with nine points. Olivia Trudeau, who played a solid all-around game, had eight.

Franklin and teammate Kelsey Wagner made the All-Tournament Team. Arroyo Grande hosts Santa Ynez at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in a non-league game.

December 9, 2007