Girls Cross-Country / Runners to Watch

* Michelle Basanda, Aliso Niguel, Sr.

* Kendal Billingsley, Mission Viejo, So.

* Laurie Burns, El Modena, Sr.

* Kristin Chadez, Esperanza, Jr.

* Jamie DeNoewer, Costa Mesa, Sr.

* Carrie Foss, Newport Harbor, Jr.

* Melissa Haddy, Dana Hills, So.

* Jessica Howard, University, Jr.

* Melissa Livermore, Irvine, Sr.

* April Lopez, Mission Viejo, Jr.

* Lori Mann, Santa Margarita, So.

* Allyson Marquand, University, Sr.

* Lisa Massoth, Esperanza, Sr.

* Alicia McFall, Newport Harbor, Sr.

* Becky Miske, El Toro, Sr.

* Valerie Morris, Irvine, Jr.

* Liz Morse, Corona del Mar, Jr.

* Amber Steen, Newport Harbor, So.

* Pam Smith, Esperanza, Sr.

* Brooke Thomas, Laguna Hills, Sr.

League Favorites

Century: El Modena; Empire: Cypress; Freeway: Buena Park; Garden Grove: Los Amigos; Golden West: Santa Ana; Olympic: Orange Lutheran; Orange: Brea Olinda; Pacific Coast: University; Sea View: Corona del Mar; South Coast: Dana Hills; Sunset: Esperanza.

Key Dates

Saturday, Woodbridge Invitational, Sunny Hills Invitational; Sept. 26, Dana Hills Invitational, Sonora Invitational; Oct. 10, Central Park Invitational at Fountain Valley; Oct. 17, Orange County Championships; Oct. 24, Mt. San Antonio College Invitational; Nov. 14, Southern Section preliminaries; Nov. 21, Southern Section finals; Nov. 28, State championships at Woodward Park, Fresno.

1997 Final Poll

1. Esperanza; 2. El Modena; 3. Dana Hills; 4. Newport Harbor; 5. Mission Viejo; 6. Corona del Mar; 7. Irvine; 8. Woodbridge; 9. Brea Olinda; 10. El Toro.

Notes

University’s prospects lit up with the return of Allyson Marquand to the team. Marquand, The Times Orange County girls’ cross-country runner of the year in 1995 and 1996, was dismissed from the team last season after a dispute with the University coaches. Marquand has already showed she’s in top form, running 17:16 on Central Park’s 3.1-mile course during a non-scoring meet two weeks ago. . . . On the other end of town, Irvine lost one of its best runners when Erin Zehntner decided to concentrate on swimming this season. Zehntner placed 13th at the state Division I championships two years ago. . . . Capistrano Valley assistant coach Marina Jones is ranked third in the world among distance runners in the 45-49 age group.