Ready for the limelight

By Sean Ammerman

Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008 | midnight

After years of falling behind the school's successful girls program, Foothill's boys cross country is ready to step into the limelight.

The boys won their first Sunrise Regional title last year — the girls had won the 2005 and 2006 titles — and look to continue the success with one of the deepest teams in the city.

The Falcons' Chris Perrine, Brian Arvizu and Carl Greene finished within 19 seconds of each other at the Las Vegas Invitation on Sept. 13 to finish 23rd, 26th and 32nd, respectively, in the 176-man race.

While the Falcons took sixth in the meet of local and California schools, they were the top Sunrise Region team. They hope the early success will set them up for a second straight regional championship.

"We have our top three guys right next to each other and then not far back is the rest of our guys," Arvizu, a junior, said. "That's how we're going to win it — with this compact group of guys pushing each other."

The tandem of Perrine, Arvizu and Greene have alternated in the Falcons' top three positions all year.

At the Sept. 20 Woodbridge Invitational, a highly competitive Californian meet, Perrine took 29th and Arvizu took 52nd out of 236 competitors in the senior division.

Greene, a sophomore who exclusively ran track last season, was a welcome new addition. His best time has been a mile average of 5 minutes, 31 seconds, which won the freshman and sophomore division at the 2.5-mile Falcon Invitational on Sept. 6.

His time was fast enough that it would have put him in third place with the seniors.

"I wish I would have ran in the senior division, although with that experience it does give you some confidence to know you did the best of your class," Greene said. "I want to be compared to the seniors, not the sophomores and freshmen."

Foothill won its first regional title last season in the school's 9-year history when it edged out Silverado by two points.

For the veteran runners, finally defeating Silverado — which had won the previous regional titles — was a major triumph.

"We're starting our own dynasty," Arvizu said. "We have the talent in the younger runners that by the time my junior class graduates, we'll have a lot of kids to take our places."

With five of last year's top seven returning, Foothill is poised to place itself as the best boys long distance program in the Sunrise Region.

"In the past we have always had a strong girls program," coach Tim Simonis said. "Now were starting to see a reversal and the boys are starting to dominate. The three of them all have the ability to be in the top five at region."

The latest Southern Nevada Coaches Association poll pegged Foothill as third best team in the Las Vegas Valley behind Centennial and Arbor View. The Falcons don't hold much stock in the rankings because the year's biggest races are more than a month away.

"Last year they had us ranked near the bottom every week," Perrine said. "I think that made winning the region, and proving them wrong, even more exciting."

Sean Ammerman can be reached at 990-2661 or [email protected].