CROSS-COUNTRY / JOHNIE O INVITATIONAL : Glendale, Moorpark Qualify for State

MOORPARK —  There comes a point in most cross-country races where each runner faces a dilemma.

The mind is telling the body to push harder, but the body feels like it’s already got pedal to metal and can’t possibly go any faster.

Jeff Wilson of host Moorpark College found himself in that predicament at the three-mile mark of Saturday’s Johnie O Invitational.

The former Newbury Park High standout was in fourth place--and within striking distance of third-place Nazario Romero of San Diego Mesa--but the fatigue in his legs won out over the determination in his mind in the final mile. He finished fifth.

“I was looking to make a move,” Wilson said. “I train on that part of the course a lot so I know what to expect, but I just didn’t have much left. I was pretty tired at that point.”

The loss was Wilson’s first in six races this season, but he didn’t seem to mind, especially when he found out Moorpark had finished eighth in the team standings to qualify for next month’s State championships in Fresno.

The top eight teams in the men’s and women’s races automatically advanced to the State meet. The ninth- through 14th-place teams stand a strong chance of qualifying, but their fate will not be determined until the six Southern California conferences hold their finals in the next week and a half.

Riverside, propelled by the 1-2-4-6 finish of Wilhelm Gidabuday, Aberrazak Merchoud, Cosmas Nguku and Cruz Gallegos, won the men’s title with 76 points, followed by Mt. San Antonio (104), Glendale (117), San Diego Mesa (136) and El Camino (138). Moorpark totaled 302.

Glendale, ranked first in the state, defeated Riverside, 45-52, in the Irvine Invitational three weeks ago, but two things tilted the rematch in the Tigers’ favor.

First of all, their fifth runner performed much better and secondly, Glendale’s Jacques Sallberg is still not at full strength after a bout with the flu.

Sallberg was the Vaqueros’ No. 1 runner at Irvine--finishing sixth--but he was the team’s third scorer Saturday, placing 24th.

Glendale didn’t help itself by getting off to a slow start, either.

The Vaqueros got boxed in at the end of the quarter-mile-long straightaway at the start and had to work their way through the pack for the remainder of the race.

“We didn’t get out well,” Coach Eddie Lopez said. “That’s something we need to work on. We can’t afford to get a bad start like that at state.”

In contrast to Glendale, Wilson had a good start.

He was among the leaders until shortly before the one-mile mark, when he dropped a couple of seconds behind Gidabuday, Merchoud, Gallegos and Romero.

“I did not feel comfortable running (the first mile in 4 minutes 37 seconds),” Wilson said. “I’m not used to going out that fast so I backed off a little bit.”

Wilson’s strategy at that point was to stay close to the leaders and make a move later, but as the race progressed, Gidabuday, Merchoud and Romero began to extend their leads.

Gidabuday, the defending state champion in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, blew the race open when he blasted up a steep hill nicknamed “Donner Pass” just before the three-mile mark.

He finished in 19:38 over a course that measured four miles, 70 yards. He was followed by Merchoud (20:05), Romero (20:12), Nguku (20:14) and Wilson (20:20).

Glendale was led by Nacho Delgado (21:12) and Jose Padilla (21:19), who finished 15th and 19th.

Sallberg (24th in 21:22), Eduardo Macias (26th in 21:27) and Jose Arias (33rd in 21:39) rounded out the Vaqueros’ top five runners.

Glendale’s Tanya Janet was the region’s top finisher in the women’s race, placing 13th.

Janet had finished third behind Josephina Sanchez of Ventura and Heidi Tisovic of College of the Canyons in the second Western State Conference meet of the season Oct. 21, but she ran a well-paced race to finish well ahead of those two Saturday.

The Vaquero sophomore timed 20:29 over the course that was 70 yards longer than 5,000 meters, cutting 70 places off last year’s 83rd-place finish.

Sanchez placed 23rd in 20:59 to help Ventura finish seventh in the team standings with 264 points.

San Diego Mesa placed first with 71 points, followed by El Camino (96), Citrus (147), defending State champion Irvine Valley (159) and Mt. SAC (209).

Canyons finished 10th in the team standings with 321 points, followed by Antelope Valley with 331.

Nicole Martin (20:47) and Joanna Potillo (20:57) placed 19th and 22nd for Antelope Valley. Tisovic (21:01) was 25th for Canyons.