Tyler favored Tyler favored (November 12, 2004)to defend her crown

by Keith Peters

Gunn High senior Tori Tyler successfully defending her Division II title may be the only sure thing for local runners at Saturday's Central Coast Section Cross-Country Championships at Toro Park in Salinas.

Tyler comes into the three-mile race ranked No. 1 in the state and as the course recordholder at 17:16. She is a full second ahead of the second-fastest girls' time run at Toro Park this year.

Tyler, who this week signed a national letter of intent to run at the University of Washington next fall, won last year's CCS title in 18:44. That's when she was still playing club soccer in the fall.

Tyler gave up soccer this year and the results of that move have been remarkable.

"She has progressively gotten better over the years," said Gunn coach Ernie Lee, "but once she concentrated only on running, this is what happened."

Tyler has yet to run any race this season slower than 17:37. That came in her first major competition - the Stanford Invitational - over the longest course (3.1 miles). Her career best of 16:51.3 came on the 2.95-mile Crystal Springs layout and made her the fourth-fastest prep girl in history - and the fastest since 1985 -- on the legendary course in Belmont.

While Tyler is favored, her Gunn teammates are not figured to finish among the top three teams and advance to the state meet. The Gunn boys, however, have an outside shot after North Monterey County and St. Francis battle for Division II honors. The Titans qualified last season and have another solid group led by SCVAL El Camino Division individual champ Garrett Reid.

The Paly boys are expected to trail Gunn, but the Viking girls should be in the hunt for a state meet berth along with Los Gatos, Mitty and Cupertino. Paly sophomore Renata Cummins qualified for the state meet as an individual last season but hopes to bring her teammates along this time. Menlo-Atherton senior Evan Anderson is among the favorites for the boys' Division I title.

In Division V, Castilleja will be running for a fourth-straight CCS title. Senior Ashley Schoettle has led the Gators this season and has a strong supporting cast in junior Tomi Amos, junior Haley Berka, freshman Sonja Swenson, senior Sharlene Hu, sophomore Ellery Dake and sophomore Nani Jensen.

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