SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Cross Country

MV's Swier moves up to third at state finals

By Phillip Brents
Posted Dec. 3,2003

For the third consecutive year, Mar Vista High’s Troy Swier carried the torch for the Metro Conference at the state cross country championships. He wished he could have held it higher his senior year.

Ranked second among Division II runners, Swier was left battling untimely illness that contributed to his third-place finish among 189 runners in last Saturday’s race at Woodward Park in Fresno.

Swier had placed sixth last year.

The Mariner standout timed 15:20 on the 5K course to place behind race-winner Mark Matusak of Loyola (15:08) and runner-up Jose Melena of Antelope Valley (15:12). Matusak entered the race ranked first in the division; Melena, also a junior, was ranked eighth.

A three-time state qualifier and only one of three runners in San Diego Section history to win three consecutive CIF titles, Swier can take pride in battling through adversity to place as high as he did after starting out slow and having difficulty breathing when the front runners finally made their move. He led the pack for a brief part of the race.

Swier was among three conference individual qualifiers.

Bonita Vista senior Ryan Becijos, a two-time state qualifier and 2003 Mesa League Runner of the Year, finished 55th (out of 203 finishers) in the Division I boys race in 16:23. He placed eighth among section runners after finishing 12th at the San Diego Section finals the week before.

Howard, who placed second among South Bay League runners this season, finished 11th at the Division IV section championships to earn a state qualifying berth. She placed 137th among 189 competitors in Fresno.

Otay Ranch, the lone conference team qualifier, finished 21st among the 23 Division IV boys teams despite fielding just freshman and sophomore classes. Ernesto Valdez (17:31) led the Mustangs with a 82nd-place finish (out of 191 runners). He was third among section qualifiers in the race and finished among the top 10 sophomores in the state in the division.

Following Valdez on the course were teammates Matt Danielson (91st, 17:38), Ricky Pimentel (148th, 18:26), Ryan Matias (151st, 18:28), Ivan Dallet (181st, 19:58), Matt Westcott (182nd, 19:58) and Andre Negron (184th, 20:13).