It may not be the forested trails of Eugene, Ore., but plenty of legends have been made at Mt. San Antonio College -- Southern California's very own cross-country holy land.
And the trails around the Walnut-based community college will once again come alive this weekend when many of the best high school teams in the state compete at the Mt. SAC Cross-Country Invitational. Here's a rundown of some of the teams and runners that should do well, provided they don't run out of steam on poop-out hill:
* Saugus girls' team: Even through Katie Dunn has hit the college trail, that hasn't stopped the Centurions from being among the most dominant teams in the nation. They're a sure thing to take home a third consecutive state Division II title, but can sophomore sensation Kaylin Mahoney and the rest of the Centurions topple the Mt. SAC course record they set last year?
* Jordan Hasay: It's not every day a high school runner competes in the U.S. Olympic trials, but Hasay did. The San Luis Obispo Mission Prep distance ace has pretty much won everything she has competed in at the high school level.
* Alex Dunne: Fresh off her sweepstakes triumph in the Orange County Championships last week, it'll be interesting to see how the San Clemente runner fares against Hasay, Alaskan state champion Leah Francis (Juneau-Douglas) and Footlocker Nationals qualifier Jessica Tonn of Arizona (Phoenix Xavier Prep).
* Dana Hills boys' team: These guys set a course record at the Orange County Championships, and Tyler Valdes & Co. wouldn't mind taking home the Mt. SAC title. Of course, L.A. Loyola and Irvine Woodbridge won't be content with just chasing their shadows for three miles. The Dana Hills girls also could do some serious stopwatch damage.
City section suspensions
At least one player from L.A. University and one from L.A. Westchester will be suspended in the wake of a fracas that broke out on the last play of the teams' Western League football game last Friday at University.
University Coach E.C. Robinson said linebacker Daundre Hines would be suspended for Friday's game against Venice for his role in in the altercation, which occurred near the University sideline.
After reviewing film of the incident, City Section assistant commissioner John Aguirre said a Westchester player also would be suspended. Westchester Coach Adrian Ivory could not be reached to identify the player.
