Pasadena Star-News Online College: Mt. SAC thrown a curve Course improvements call into question the validity of new marks October 18, 2001 By Richard Gonzalez Staff Writer October, 2000: Glendale Hoover High's Anita Siraki stuns the national prep cross country community when she breaks the Mt. San Antonio College course record by a stunning 17 seconds. November, 2000: Big Bear High's Ryan Hall runs the Mt. SAC course in 14:28, slicing four seconds off Jeff Nelson's 22-year-old boys course record. November, 2000: Don Lugo High's Erick Maldonado smashes the sophomore boys course record as five of the six fastest 10th-grade course times in history are achieved. All told, a whopping 39 revisions are made to the all-time grade lists. Oddly enough, these standout runners have enjoyed ample success before and since, but not quite to the degree achieved recently along the revered 2.95-mile Mt. SAC course. Well, maybe it's because the course had been shortened to 2.91 miles. Mt. SAC cross country women's coach Doug Todd has confirmed in three separate interviews since last November that the course has indeed been shortened, an end result of safety concerns, course upgrades and environmental effects. "We struggled not to make the changes, because the Mt. SAC course and the meet are so steeped in history," said Todd, who oversees this weekend's conclusion of the 54th annual Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational, the nation's largest. "Some changes were unavoidable, but it doesn't make accepting the changes any easier." The most notable change was reconfiguring a portion of the "Valley Loop" as a safety matter. With the number of entrants swelling to match the meet's growth in popularity, maneuvering along the original course's sharp, jutting turn less than a minute into the race created logistical problems. Mt. SAC staff changed it to a sweeping and easier to navigate path, which Todd estimates cut about five seconds off each loop or 10 seconds per runner off the double loop. If his estimate is accurate, that translates to roughly a 50-second team-time (five runners) improvement over "pre-renovation" years. Additionally, heavy rains a few years ago caused erosion along some patches of the course. Throw in the beautification steps imposed in recent years a wider running path, planting of shade-producing trees along the route, and considerable landscaping to improve footing and the once-imposing course becomes a more inviting one. "We try to respect history and tradition, yet safety becomes a factor too ... a much more important factor," said Mt. SAC men's coach Mike Goff, who is the one entrusted with the upkeep of the course. "If course historians have a problem with it, I understand," Goff added. "At the same time, if we can improve the course to maximum conditions for runners, that's great, too. Bottom line, the best teams and runners will still win." The only drawback now is that the ever-popular time comparisons by generations of runners might lack integrity, since the course has changed. It used to be when one California runner would meet another, the first question was: "What's your best time at Mt. SAC?" Regardless, the course still offers a tough test to challengers. "Well, Mt. SAC's been too hot, too dusty, too slow, too crowded, too hard," said Goff, echoing some critics over the years. "And now... they say it's too fast. That's a new one."
LetsRun.com wrote:
Here is an article on the race:
http://www.prepcaltrack.com/2014/10/25/time-warp-tamagnos-brilliance-shines-in-claiming-course-record/