KELSEYVILLE >> Lake County has gone a decade without qualifying a cross country runner for the CIF State Championships, but that streak may be about to end.
Andre Williams III of Kelseyville, only a sophomore, could become the youngest Lake County runner ever to reach the state meet. All that separates him is a 3-mile Hayward High School course and a bunch of other runners who have the same goal on Saturday at the North Coast Section Championships.
There are five divisions for both boys and girls and each has its own race for a total of 10 races in all. Clear Lake, Kelseyville, Middletown and Upper Lake compete in Division V while Lower Lake is in Division IV.
Starting times are 8:30 a.m. for Division IV boys, 9 a.m. for Division V boys, 9:30 a.m. for Division IV girls and 10:05 a.m. for Division V girls.
Williams placed a solid 23rd in 16 minutes, 50.4 seconds a year ago at Hayward when Kelseyville competed in Division IV. The Knights have since moved down to Division V. Last month at the 33rd annual Mariner Invitational, held on the exact same course Williams be running Saturday, he finished in 15:45, an improvement of more than a minute.
To reach the state meet at Woodward Park in Fresno on Nov. 26, which takes place two days after Thanksgiving, Williams needs to place among the top five runners who are not members of the top five teams in the point standings. All runners on the top five teams, and Kelseyville is unlikely to crack the top five, automatically advance to Fresno. The fastest five at-large runners also must place in the top 18 to reach the state meet.
“If all of the winning times are relatively the same as they were a year ago, he should be in that five,” Kelseyville coach Jeff Weller said. “I would be surprised if he didn’t make it (to state).”
That’s not to say Williams won’t have plenty of competition at Hayward. Seniors Cooper Teare of St. Joseph Notre Dame (Alameda) and Brian Schulz of El Molino (Forestville) are among the fastest runners in Division V based on their times both this season and last. Teare won the Division V race last season with a blazing time of 14:46.4 while Schulz was the runner-up in Division IV at 15:28. El Molino, like Kelseyville, is now a Division V team.
Williams, the reigning Coastal Mountain Conference boys champion, also will be competing against the likes of Rincon Valley Christian’s Wes Methum, who finished just two seconds behind Williams at the CMC Championships last week at Cache Creek Winery in Clearlake Oaks.
“I expect him to run his fastest 3-mile race ever,” Weller said of Williams. “Top five (overall) would be what I would hope for for him as far as personal satisfaction.”
If Williams can punch his ticket to Fresno, he’ll be the first county runner to do since Lower Lake’s Mike Perez and Middletown’s Julia Malvino both qualified in 2005 in Division IV. Perez made it to state in 2004 and 2005 – his junior and senior years. He finished fourth in 2005 to earn a state medal, which are awarded to the top 10 in each division.
At the Hayward meet on Saturday, section medals are presented to the top seven finishers in every division as well as to members of the top three teams in each division.
“It would be nice if he came home with one,” Weller said of a section medal. “He’s worked hard for it.”
Williams is one of 10 Kelseyville runners making the trip to Hayward.
“I’ll take five of each (boys and girls),” Weller said.
Middletown could take up to 12 runners, according to Middletown coach Sarah Carlisle.
“I’m taking my girls team (seven runners) and I’ve registered five boys although I’m not sure how many will go because of health issues,” Carlisle said.
Carlisle said the goal for her Middletown runners is to simply run their best race of the season.
“I’m hoping they can PR (set a personal-best time) and end their season on a high note,” she said. “We’ll run our best and have a good time.”
Both Middletown varsity teams contended for CMC titles this season, the girls placing second behind Fort Bragg in the final standings.
