Saugus' A.J. YARNALL tops picks for L.A. Daily News 2012 All-Area Boys Cross Country Team

Runner of the Year: A.J. YARNALL, Saugus, Sr.

After a brief stumble late in the race resulted in Yarnall being edged by two-tenths by teammate Rodrigo Ornelas at the Foothill League final, he regained his footing to produce one of the strongest postseasons by any area runner.

Yarnall matched the best finish by a Santa Clarita Valley male runner at the state final, finishing second in the Div. II championship race in a program-record 15 minutes, 9.7 seconds -- second-fastest in Foothill League history - on the 5-kilometer course at Woodward Park to lead the Centurions to a runner-up finish behind Westlake. Dos Pueblos' Bryan Fernandez won the championship in 15:08.3.

Canyon's Dave Hartman (1990) and Luke Llamas (2001) also placed second at the Div. I state final.

Saugus also took second at the Southern Section Div. II final on the Mount San Antonio College rain course, with Yarnall posting the area's fastest time of 14:12 to place fourth.

Yarnall also clocked 14:55 on the traditional 2.94-mile Mount SAC course Oct. 20 to place seventh in the Div. I-II sweepstakes race at the 65th annual Mount SAC Invitational.

Coach of the Year: JOE SNYDER, Westlake

The Warriors have always been known for late-season surges under the direction of Snyder and his staff. Although Westlake hadn't been able to reach the state meet since 2008, the Warriors made the most of their opportunity this season.

After winning its first Southern Section Div. II title Nov. 17, Westlake backed up that performance Nov. 24 at Woodward Park by capturing its first Div. II state championship with an 84-97 victory over the Centurions.

Westlake's best result at the state final before this season was a fifth-place finish in 2004. The Warriors relied on a 29-second separation among their top five runners on the 5-kilometer course at Woodward Park, with Rocky Peterson finishing 17th and Mikey Giguere taking 20th, helping Westlake join Royal and Thousand Oaks among the Marmonte League boys state champions.

Newcomer of the Year: TUCKER WELKER, West Ranch, Fr.

Although Welker didn't qualify to compete at the Southern Section or state championship meets, his times on the Mount SAC and Woodward Park courses were among the best of all ninth-graders in the state.

Welker clocked 16 minutes, 9 seconds at the Clovis Invitational -- No. 4 among all California freshmen this season on the Woodward Park Course -- and produced a mark of 16:03 at the Mount SAC Invitational.

In addition to winning his 3-mile race at the Woodbridge Invitational in 15:56, Welker finished 11th at the Foothill League final in 15:57.4 to lead the Wildcats to a fifth-place finish.

FIRST TEAM

SAHM BAZARGAN, Oak Park, Jr.: The Tri-Valley League and Ventura County champion placed fifth in 14:27 at the Southern Section Div. III final on the 2.93-mile rain course at Mount SAC and earned all-state honors with a seventh-place finish in 15:37.3 at Woodward Park. Bazargan and Patrick Thedinga helped the Eagles place fourth at state.

GABE COLLISON, Crescenta Valley, Jr.: One of the state's most improved runners, Collison was third at the Pacific League final in 15:35.28, placed ninth at the Southern Section Div. I final in 14:18 and took 13th at the state meet in 15:29.5. Collison took second in his Div. I heat the Mount SAC Invitational, clocking 15:12 on the 2.94-mile course.

NOLAN Del VALLE, Golden Valley, Sr.: After helping the Grizzlies capture Div. II section and state championships in 2011, Del Valle was the lone member of that lineup to return to Woodward Park this season, clocking 15:40.4 on the 5-kilometer course to place 15th. He was third at the Foothill League final (15:31.5) and sixth at the section final in 14:16.

MIKEY GIGUERE, Westlake, Jr.: Winning the Marmonte League title in 15:21.56 at Agoura was only the beginning of a great postseason run for Giguere, who took seventh in 14:18 on the Mount SAC rain course and 15:47.4 to place 20th at Woodward Park to help the Warriors capture their first Southern Section and state Div. II titles.

JOEL GONZALEZ, Camarillo, Sr.: The Pacific View League champion at College Park in Oxnard, he covered the 3-mile course in 15:18.14. Gonzalez clocked 15:26 on the 2.94-mile Mount SAC layout, then posted a 14:23 on the rain course at the Southern Section Div. II final to finish 11th, missing a state berth by three seconds.

RODRIGO OMELAS, Saugus, Sr.: After winning the Foothill League title in a narrow win over teammate A.J. Yarnall, Ornelas helped the Centurions place second in Div. II at both the Southern Section and state finals. He clocked 14:32 to place 16th on the rain course at the section meet, then placed 14th in 15:40.1 at the state championship.

ROCKY PETERSON, Westlake, Sr.: Delivered his best races when the Warriors needed them most, finishing second in 15:33.48 at the Marmonte League final, followed by a 12th-place effort in 14:23 on the Southern Section Div. II championship. Peterson's leadership carried Westlake at the Div. II state final, producing a 17th-place finish in 15:46.7.

SECOND TEAM

Jonathan Byrne, Newbury Park, Jr.
Joe Joe Cortez-Adams, Crespi, Sr.
Chris Costa, Westlake, Jr.
Sean O'Bryan, Westlake, Jr.
Josh Sherfey, Hart, Sr.
Patrick Thedinga, Oak Park, Sr.
Brad Wiggs, Quartz Hill, Jr.
Zach Wims, Canyon, Sr.

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

Alpha: Paraclete
Delphic: Crossroads
Desert Mountain: Desert Christian
Foothill: Saugus
Golden: Quartz Hill
Liberty: Oakwood
Marmonte: Westlake
Mission: Loyola
Pacific: Arcadia
Pacific View: Camarillo
Prep: Flintridge Prep
Rio Hondo: South Pasadena
Tri-Valley: Oak Park

TOP 10

1. Westlake
2. Saugus
3. Crescenta Valley
4. Oak Park
5. Golden Valley
6. Hart
7. Burbank
8. Canyon
9. Simi Valley
10. Flintridge Prep

RACE OF THE YEAR

Div. V state championship, Nov. 24

Flintridge Prep was as close to capturing its first state title since 2004 that the Rebels could reach out and touch the plaque. But a final surge from St. Joseph Notre Dame of Alameda resulted in a heartbreaking 86-87 setback for the Rebels. Flintridge Prep, which rebounded from a 15-point defeat to St. Margaret's at the Southern Section Div. V final Nov. 17, took the lead from the outset at Woodward Park and held a projected 10-point lead over St. Joseph Notre Dame with one mile remaining. But despite having Elias Ellison, Aaron Sugimoto and Jack Van Scoter all placing in the top 15, the Rebels took state runner-up honors for the sixth time.