Dani, Three Others Qualify for Kinney Championships

Valhalla High School senior Mark Dani led the way Saturday as a record four San Diego County preps qualified for the Kinney Cross Country Championships with their showings at the western regional meet in Fresno.

The top eight finishers in the boys and girls’ races in Fresno qualified for the national championships, scheduled Dec. 14 in Balboa Park. Before this year, one San Diegan had qualified for nationals.

Dani was second in the boys’ division, finishing the 5,000-meter course in 14:55, two seconds behind the winner, Mark Mastalir of Jesuit High in Sacramento.

Marc Davis, a San Diego High junior, finished eighth among the boys at 15:08.

In the girls’ 5,000-meter race, Vista freshman Kira Jorgensen placed sixth, outsprinting the seventh-place runner, University City senior Laura Chapel, at the finish line. Both girls were timed at 17:56. Jorgensen was the only freshman to qualify for nationals from the western region.

Laura Chapman, a senior at Gunderson of San Jose, won the girls’ division in 17:10, finishing more than 100 yards ahead of the field.

Grossmont senior Darcy Arreola placed 12th, at 18:09.

Robbie Lopes, a Monte Vista junior, recorded a 15:27 time to finish 19th in the boys’ division.