SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Cross Country

Maynes takes fast track to Titans’ No. 1 man

By Phillip Brents

CHULA VISTA, Nov. 14, 2003 -- Eastlake High senior Kyle Maynes got an inkling he could be the team’s No. 1 runner the second week into the season when he finished 46 seconds behind incumbent first man John Stubbs at the eighth annual Mustang-Baron Invitational.

It took two months of hard work but Maynes accomplished that goal at this year’s Metro Conference championship meet at Rohr Park.

At right: Eastlake High's varsity medalists, from left, Sara McKinney, Kyle Maynes, Melanie Desalvo.

In the process, he earned a medal for himself as the 15^th-place finisher in the Mesa League finals.

The top 15 finishers received medals. Stubbs finished 18th in the league race.

"I’d been working really hard in practice. When I told John what I had in mind doing, he said he was mad," said Maynes, flashing a very satisfied smile.

Maynes had made up nearly the full 46-second gap the prior two dual meets in advance of this year’s conference championship meet by finishing six seconds behind Stubbs. Maynes’ perseverance finally paid dividends as he finished six seconds ahead of Stubbs at the league finals.

"I owed it to hard work in practice and motivation. It feels really good. My accomplishments and hard work have been rewarded," said Maynes, who timed 17 minutes, 42 seconds on the 3.1-mile course.

In the combined conference field, Maynes was 16^th while Stubbs was 20^th. Stubbs finished 22nd at last year’s league finals, improving his time this year by one second, while Maynes was 35^th in 18:38 – knocking a whopping 56 seconds off last year’s time.

Bonita Vista senior Ryan Becijos earned Mesa League Runner of the Year honors with his second-place conference time of 16:22; Mar Vista senior Troy Swier won his fourth consecutive South Bay League Runner of the Year award with a course record time of 15:33.

Proving himself as the team’s No. 1 runner is the next step for Maynes as both he and Stubbs prepared to compete in the San Diego Section Division I championship meet Nov. 22 at Balboa Park’s Morley Field.

"I hope so," Maynes said.

The top 10 finishers in both the Metro boys and girls varsity races earned all-league recognition. The Titans finished the season with one all-league runner in sophomore Sara McKinney, who placed ninth in the Mesa League field. Classmate Melanie Desalvo just missed all-league honors in 13^th place to become the third Eastlake varsity runner to come away with a medal in the meet.

McKinney was 13^th overall in the combined conference field with a time of 14:29 for 2.1 miles while Desalvo was 21 second behind in 17^th place overall. Bonita Vista’s Tiffany Caddell earned Mesa League Runner of the Year honors with a winning time of 13:39. Hilltop’s Selena Munoz successfully defended her standing as South Bay League Runner of the Year with a fifth-place finish in the conference field in 14:05.

Overall, the Titans finished the conference finals with seven medalists, including Daniel Flores’ 10^th-place finish in the boys junior varsity race and top 10 finishes in the girls JV race by Tania Andrade (fifth), Maria Crimi (eighth) and Jenianne Bautista (10^th).

The top 10 JV finishers received medals.