Canchola, Nordhoff Set for Another Title Run

WALNUT — Elaine Canchola and the Nordhoff High girls cross-country team will be trying for a double quadruple--you can add it up--in the Southern Section divisional championships at Mt. San Antonio College this morning.

The first quadruple: Canchola, a senior, is expected to become the first runner--boy or girl--to win four consecutive individual titles.

The second: Nordhoff is trying for its fourth consecutive girls’ title.

Corona del Mar and Costa Mesa, the Nos. 1- and 2-ranked Division IV teams in the section, finished well ahead of third-ranked Nordhoff in the Division IV sweepstakes race of the Mt. SAC Invitational on Oct. 24. But since then the Rangers have improved substantially and they posted the fastest team time in the section preliminaries last week.

“We’d like to get our fifth girl within 10 seconds of [Corona del Mar’s] fifth girl,” Nordhoff Coach Ken Reeves said. “And we’d like every girl to run at least a second faster this week than they did last week.”

Canchola, the 1995 state Division III champion, is shooting for her second consecutive Division IV section title after winning Division III championships in 1994 and ’95.

The meet, which includes five boys’ races and five girls’ races, starts at 7:30 a.m. with the girls’ Division III final. The top four teams in each race and the top five individuals not on a qualifying team will advance to the state championships at Woodward Park in Fresno on Nov. 29.

Nordhoff, paced by seniors Dusty Herman, Victor Ochoa and Matthew Torres, is favored to win its third section title in the past four years in the boys’ Division IV race.

The Rangers had the fastest Division IV team time in the preliminaries, even though Ochoa didn’t run so he would be fresh for this week.

The boys’ teams from Saugus, Flintridge Prep and Lancaster Desert Christian, and the girls’ squads from La Canada and Santa Clara are also expected to contend for division titles.

Saugus, Katella and Rubidoux are expected to battle for the boys’ Division II title. A Saugus victory would give the Centurions their first section championship since twins Daren and Kirk Stonerock led them to wins in 1984 and ’85.

Flintridge Prep, Desert Christian and Crossroads will vie for the Division V championship. Senior Doug Hall of Flintridge Prep is the individual favorite.