Brandon Bethke

Portraying cross-country as a team sport can be an uphill task when individuals typically steal the show. But campaigners for the idea may have discovered a poster boy in Brandon Bethke of Lake Forest El Toro. Bethke produced the region's best results last season, including a school record at the Irvine Woodbridge Invitational, a course record at the Orange County Championships at Irvine Regional Park and a near course record at the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational in Walnut.

Portraying cross-country as a team sport can be an uphill task when individuals typically steal the show. But campaigners for the idea may have discovered a poster boy in Brandon Bethke of Lake Forest El Toro. Bethke produced the region's best results last season, including a school record at the Irvine Woodbridge Invitational, a course record at the Orange County Championships at Irvine Regional Park and a near course record at the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational in Walnut.

Brandon Bethke does not expect every race day to be like the one Saturday at the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational cross-country meet. For now, the Lake Forest El Toro senior will revel in a breakout performance on the revered course. Bethke continued his strong season with a victorious time of 14 minutes 30 seconds to edge defending champion Mark Matusak of Los Angeles Loyola to win the Division I-II boys' individual sweepstakes race and lead El Toro to the race title.

Brandon Bethke does not expect every race day to be like the one Saturday at the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational cross-country meet. For now, the Lake Forest El Toro senior will revel in a breakout performance on the revered course. Bethke continued his strong season with a victorious time of 14 minutes 30 seconds to edge defending champion Mark Matusak of Los Angeles Loyola to win the Division I-II boys' individual sweepstakes race and lead El Toro to the race title.

GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL * Ashley Engle, Anaheim Esperanza: Had 71 kills in eight matches and was selected tournament MVP after the Aztecs defeated Long Beach Millikan for the Capistrano Valley tournament title. BOYS' WATER POLO * Danny Polyakov, Agoura: The tournament MVP had three goals, two assists and two steals in a 9-6 victory over Thousand Oaks in the Buena tournament final. CROSS-COUNTRY * Fitsum Tesfa, Chino Don Lugo: Won the Division I boys' race at the Stanford Invitational in 15:10.

Los Angeles Dorsey figures to be a favorite over Woodland Hills Taft to win the boys' title at the City Section track and field championships today at Lake Balboa Birmingham. The freshman-sophomore division field events begin at 2 p.m. with the first varsity running event schedule for 5:30. Dorsey is led by senior David Gettis, the defending City and two-time defending State champion in the 400 meters. Gettis will also anchor the Dons' 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams.

CROSS-COUNTRY * Orange County Championships * When: Saturday, 8 a.m. * Where: Irvine Regional Park. * Fast facts: Anaheim Esperanza, the No. 3-ranked girls' team in the Southland by The Times, will try to win its third consecutive title against a field that includes No. 7 Cypress, No. 9 Fountain Valley and No. 10 Irvine Woodbridge.

*--* Rank School (Division) Comment 1 LONG BEACH POLY (SS-Div. I) Jackrabbits won section title and placed second in state championships. 2 DORSEY (City) Finished third in state meet after dominating City championships. 3 ARROYO GRANDE (SS-Div. I) State shotput champion Mark Lewis led superb group of throwers. 4 ROYAL (SS-Div. I) Had dynamic duo in Bryan Rodie and Josh Lubeck. 5 MUIR (SS-Div. III) Marquis Profit was dynamite in both hurdle events. 6 SERRA (SS-Div.

Things didn't go exactly the way David Gettis of Los Angeles Dorsey had hoped they would in the boys' competition of the state track and field championships at Hughes Stadium on Saturday. But the Don junior bounced back from a disastrous start with a pair of superb performances on a hot day.

The Compton Dominguez boys' basketball team might have just passed its stiffest test of the season after holding on for a wild 53-52 victory over Westchester on Saturday in the championship of the Westchester tournament at Westchester. The Dons, ranked No. 4 in the Southland by The Times, overcame an eight-point, fourth-quarter deficit and two late instances in which referees added precious seconds to the clock to defeat the top-ranked Comets. Trailing, 53-52, Westchester had the ball with 8.

In the first step of what could be a heated process involving the formation of new leagues in the Southern Section, administrators from Santa Ana Mater Dei, Anaheim Servite, Santa Margarita and Bellflower St. John Bosco have asked to form a new private schools league in Orange County that could include Orange Lutheran. If the plan were adopted, Los Angeles Loyola and La Puente Bishop Amat, two Division I football schools that compete with Mater Dei, Servite, Santa Margarita and St.