YOUR Top 8 Male HS XC Runners in California History:
1. German Fernandez (Riverbank)
I seeded him as a #4 - clearly I was wrong. Course record holder at Woodward Park, national record holder 3200. State meet record holder in 32 and 16. 2-time state champion (2005 as a soph, 2007 as a senior) and 2nd to national champion Chad Hall in 2006. 3rd at 2007 Foot Locker Nationals.
2. Bryan Dameworth (Agoura)
He cruised to the final, but the following behind Fernandez was just too large. 1989 CIF SS 2A Champion and 1987, 1988 and 1989 California State Champion. Bryan still holds the Southern Section mark at Woodward Park at 14:39 and he blazed to a 14:36 at Mt. Sac. A three time Kinney National qualifier, Bryan is the only male ever to qualify for Kinney as a freshman. He finished 19th as a freshman, 4th as a junior and won the National Championship as a senior. Knocked down during Kinney West Regional as a sophomore, preventing him from becoming the only 4-time qualifier.
t3. Eric Hulst (Laguna Beach)
1976 World Junior XC champion in high school. Although he was not undefeated in XC his senior year, having lost to Thom Hunt at Mt. SAC, Hulst later defeated Hunt on an international-style course (with barriers) at USA Juniors (and was also 7th in the US Senior race a week later), then got the biggest honor of all at World Juniors with a 23:54 for an 8k course which included numerous steeplechase barriers, with Hunt in 2nd and Alberto Salazar in 5th. Hulst went on to run 8:44 in the two mile and 28:55 for 10,000 (US #2 all-time) on the track as a high school senior. He passed away in 1992 after a battle with brain cancer.
t3. Louie Quintana (Arroyo Grande)
1990 Kinney National Champion, 3 time National qualifier. 4 time top 10 at state. 1990 D1 State champ, and 2nd to national champ Dameworth in 1989. Also state champ in 1600. Best high school race I ever saw was his 57 on the 3rd lap of the 1990 state 16, trying to break Coley Candaele. #9 All time Woodward Park.
t5. Marc Davis (San Diego)
Kinney National Champion in 1986, 8th in 1985. 14:38 at Woodpark Park for then course record, breaking Eric Reynolds' course record. CIF SDS champ 1986. Still the #2 all time mark for Woodward Park.
t5. Jay Marden (Mission San Jose)
1980 Footlocker National champ, 6th the year before. 14:40 at Woodward Park, course record at the time, North Coast Section record, still #5 all time on the course.
t5. Thom Hunt (Patrick Henry)
Won the World Junior CC title in 1976 and was runner up in 1976. Also held the indoor high school mile record of 4:02 until Alan Webb broke it in 2001.
t5. Eric Reynolds (Camarillo)
3rd in Kinney in 1981 and champ in 1982: Still #3 all time mark at Woodward Park. Former course record holder at Woodward Park. Undefeated as a senior in 1982, setting or approaching course records at most races. His season culminated with a crushing 14-second win in the Kinney national finals with a then-course record of 14:35 on the Orlando course (broken by Ritzenhein's 14:29 in 1999). Ran 8:44 for the 2 mile.
Staff Picks: Top Male HS XC Runners in California History
Jeff George's Picks
- Bryan Dameworth (Agoura)
- Thom Hunt (Patrick Henry)
- Eric Hulst (Laguna Beach)
- Rich Kimball (De La Salle)
- Eric Reynolds (Camarillo)
Albert Caruana's Picks
- Richard Kimball (De La Salle)
- Eric Reynolds (Camarillo)
- German Fernandez (Riverbank)
- Bryan Dameworth (Agoura)
- Jeff Nelson (Burbank)