SAN DIEGO 7 After she had iced quality competition at the Footlocker National Cross Country Championships Saturday, Jordan Hasay went ice skating.

After her skate, and several hours after she had become only the second freshman Footlocker girls champ in history, she said in a telephone interview, &#8220It still hasn/t sunk in,C that she/s the best in the nation.

That is the spot the 14-year-old Arroyo Grande resident is sitting in today. Hasay, a student at Mission College Prep, caught defending national champion Aislinn Ryan at a mile and half, edged in front at the two-mile mark, then pulled away to win in 17:05. That is the eighth fastest time girls time ever over the 5,000 meter Balboa Park course.

Meanwhile, Cabrillo senior Michael Coe narrowed a 15-yard gap between himself and hometown favorite A.J. Acosta in the last 200 yards of the Nationals boys race but couldn/t quite catch him.

Acosta, a senior at El Camino High School in Oceanside, and Coe were both listed in 15:02 but &#8220he won by about four yards,C Coe said in a telephone interview after the race.

&#8220I had cut his lead to two yards 7 close enough to just about touch him. Then the crowd was going absolutely crazy 7 you know how a crowd goes crazy when someone/s closing on the leader 7 he kind of looked back, and he started to kick.

&#8220I tried to go, but my legs locked up. Otherwise, I might have caught him. But I/m perfectly happy with being second best in the nation. It/s a great way to finish my senior season. I beat a lot of great runners.C

Hasay/s winning margin was an eyebrow-raising 14 seconds. Three-time Nationals runner up Marie Lawrence, a junior from Reno, Nev., finished second in 17:19. Ryan, a senior from Bellhaven, N.Y., was third in 17:34.

Hasay and Coe helped their West squads to team championships. West runners went 1-2-4 in the girls and boys races. Megan O/Reilly, a senior from Colbert, Wash., finished fourth in 17:36 in the girls race. Kenny Klotz, a senior from Beaverton, Ore., placed fourth in 15:13 in the boys race.

A sound strategy paid off for Hasay. &#8220I went out the first mile in 5:20,C she said. Running a 5:20 mile has clicked best for Hasay, and she was sitting seventh at the mile mark with plenty in reserve.

Hasay roared away after pulling into the lead at two miles. Was she confident of victory after gaining the lead?

&#8220No,C she said. &#8220I try not to be too confident until I cross the line,C first.

The national girls 13-14 age group record holder in track and field in the 1,500 (4:28.61) and 3,000 (9:35.12) meters finished a remarkable freshman cross country season Saturday.

The Hasay File this fall includes:

Footlocker National, Footlocker Western Regional, and state championships.

Five course and-or meet records, including four in a row spanning from an all-time freshman girls course record at Mount San Antonio College to the Central Section Meet.

No defeats, though she was a DNF at the Stanford Invitational in October.

Hasay said the Western Regional was a turning point for her. She tied the 5,000 meter Mt. SAC course record of 17:14 there and beat defending champion Lawrence by 24 seconds.

She ran another well-paced race in that one. Hasay was fourth in 5:20 after the first mile, then had plenty of kick at the end. Beating so many fine runners &#8220gave me confidence,C to run against the nation/s elite, she said.

Still, &#8220I was really nervous,C as the Nationals approached. &#8220Luckily, my coach (Mission Prep coach Armando Siquieres) called me the night before and calmed me down.C

Coe said the Nationals course was &#822090 percent grass 7 it was great. The grass was cut really short. I was hoping I wouldn/t be the only one to wear spikes 7 but everybody was wearing spikes.C

On a difficulty scale of 1 to 10, 10 being highest, Hasay gave the Balboa Park course &#8220a seven because I didn/t know it. There were a lot of sharp turns.C

As far as how much she liked the course, &#8220I/d give it a 10,C Hasay said. &#8220I loved the course. There were a lot of hills.C

Including one particularly big one that runners ran twice.

&#8220The course was a figure eight 7 you ran the big hill for the last time with about three quarters of a mile to go.

&#8220A.J. pushed it on the last downhill, and I pushed it to stay in contention. I ran the last quarter mile really fast. People were saying low 50/s,C Coe said. &#8220A.J. ran an outstanding race on his home course 7 and Hasay ran awesome today.C

Coe has already signed to run for Cal after his senior track season.

&#8220I/m already looking forward to the 1,600 finals at the state meet,C said Coe. &#8220People couldn/t believe I was a track guy after this cross country meet. I/m looking forward to showing them I/m a track guy.

&#8220I/m going to low key it for awhile. I/m not running in any track meets this winter.C

Hasay said, &#8220I still like track best, but I/ll see how this season goes.C

As for the immediate future, &#8220I/m going to cut down on my training some and enjoy this.C

Sports writer Kenny Cress can be reached at 739-2237 or by e-mail at kcress@santamariatimes.com

December 11, 2005