Schwartz finishes 7th; McFarland is runner-up at state cross country meet
| Sunday, Nov 30 2008 02:05 AM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 01:56 PM
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Foothill High cross country standout, Chris Schwartz, #343 gets a good start in his state championship race Saturday in Fresno.
Foothill High cross country runner Chris Schwartz reacts after his race Saturday in Fresno during the state cross country championships.
FRESNO -- Even the course announcer was confused as the CIF Division III boys cross country state championship race came to a close Saturday.
"And here comes your leader, Chris Schwartz of Foothill," he bellowed, followed by a pause. "Oh, wait. That's not Schwartz. It's Mac Fleet!"
Fleet stunned Schwartz and the masses at Woodward Park by handing the Foothill senior and defending Division I champion his first loss of the year against California competition. Fleet, a San Diego-University City senior, ran a 15:06.
Schwartz, who led the race after two miles and was even with Fleet until the last few hundred meters, faded to seventh place with a 15:29 in a race that was nearly as fast as Division I.
"It's a bad day," Schwartz said. "It's not what anyone wants at state."
McFarland also failed to cash in on its favorite status in the boys Division IV race. The Cougars were in control of the race after a very fast mile, but a pack of Big Bear Lake-Big Bear runners zipped by shortly after that.
"I did tell my kids to be aggressive," McFarland coach Amador Ayon said. "I guess they got a little over excited. For some reason or another, it's been our Achilles' Heel, that second mile."
Schwartz's problem was more physical. He collapsed shortly after crossing the finish line, and course personnel dragged him to the side of the finish chute. He only needed a few seconds to catch his breath, though he needed a few more to gather himself after the disappointing race.
"By the second mile, I was like, 'OK, he's got it,'" Foothill coach Arron Rietz said. "But I don't know, he said he felt tired. It's just disappointing because he won his junior year.
"That was not what we were looking for."
Schwartz, whose personal best time is less than 15 minutes, said he was tired and hungry before the race -- he said he woke up very early the previous day for Black Friday shopping -- and that the condition became worse in the last mile.
"It was horrible," Schwartz said. "My arms started to be heavy, and on top of that (I was) hungry. I tried to stay with them, but it didn't work out too well."
And he was up against the wrong guy in the end. Fleet is a favorite to win the state's 800-meter title in track in the spring and is one of cross country's most feared finishers.
As for Schwartz, he'll race in the Western Regional Championships next week at Mt. San Antonio College, and, if he qualifies, at the Foot Locker National Championships the following week in San Diego.
"This (finish) kind of takes the pressure off," Schwartz said.
He was in better spirits after his race than McFarland, which was seeking what would have been the state record-breaking 10th state championship in school history.
Instead, McFarland's No. 1 runner, Alfonso Cisneros, didn't finish until four Big Bear runners had clocked in, and the Bears' fifth was a spot ahead of McFarland No. 2 Eddie Garcia.
Big Bear's total of 44 points easily beat second-place McFarland's 98.
"They ran a super race," Ayon said. "That's what I preach to my guys, 'You gotta go. And if they catch you, they're gonna catch you. They'll be a better team if they do that.'"
It was still hard to swallow for a storied school that hasn't won a title since its run of eight in a row ended in 2001.
"When four of them were ahead of me, I was surprised," said Cisneros, who ran 16:20. "You feel slow when they're passing you. It's sad."
Ridgeview's girls team, the Central Section Division III champion, finished 21st at state, led by sophomore Tijerra Lynch's 19:38, good for 58th place. Foothill sophomore Natalie Fernandez ran a 19:51 in the D-II girls race.
Highland's boys were 22nd in Division II, led by Colin Lewis' 16:52. Robby Baker of Ridgeview ran a 16:28 in the boys D-III race.
