Claudia Lane not concerned about records in return to Seaside

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The text message from Margo Lane to her husband simply said, “OMG!”

“I thought, what happened, did she pull a hamstring? We had no idea what a big deal it was,” Rock Lane said. “We saw the time and we were completely new to the sport, but it seemed pretty strong. But honestly, for Claudia, it was just a race.”

For Claudia Lane, it was one of 14 races last year, but the season-opening performance delivered by the Malibu CA standout in the 3-mile sophomore girls competition at the Seaside Invitational was one of many “OMG!” moments for the eventual Foot Locker national champion.

Lane clocked 16 minutes, 25 seconds – the third-fastest time in meet history – at San Buenaventura State Beach and never slowed down the rest of the season, setting the bar exceptionally high for a potential encore performance Friday in the 4 p.m. junior girls race. But Lane insists her focus early in the season is not on racing against the record books.

“It’s a little pressuring trying to get better times, or the same time at least, but I just have to be smart about it,” she said. “In the end, it just comes down to my love for running and I want to be running my best at the end of the season, so I have to keep that in mind when I’m out there racing and practicing.”

Former Great Oak CA standout Destiny Collins, now at Texas, set the all-time course record as a junior in 2014 by clocking 15:58.3. Palisades CA graduate Marissa Williams, competing at Cal Berkeley, nearly matched Collins in the ensuing race that year by clocking 15:59.8 to set the senior record.

Great Oak returns to defend both its boys and girls team titles, with fellow CIF Southern Section Division I programs Trabuco Hills and Valencia also among 36 schools attending.

Palisades senior Ben Hamer, who won the junior race last year, boasts the fastest returning boys time at 14:52.3. Great Oak’s Gabe Abbes, Ryan Shields and Audrey Dang all return after winning races last year.