Orange County Championships
Orange County Championships is the only all-Orange County cross country meet! Who is the best in the county? Come to this meet to find out! This year marks the 41st year of this exciting event. Perhaps NOWHERE in the USA is a mid-season meet more competitive with many state and even NATIONALLY ranked teams competing. Virtually all of the Top Ten teams , boys and girls, will be eventual STATE meet competitors and many future STATE champion teams will be competing today. Though it is not a League Meet, it is a very prestigious meet that gets lots of positive press for our teams. In last several years girls have been in top ten in the county meet, and this year we are likely to have several first team girl and boy competitors.
Sponsored by Foothill High School, OCC takes place at Irvine Regional Park. Plan to arrive at the park VERY EARLY, as this meet attracts LOTS of teams and spectators, and there is only one entrance to the park! (Arrival at the park thirty minutes early last year allowed us to barely make it to the first race.) Park entrance is $5 a car, and while there is plenty of parking, it is spread all over this 477 acre park! Correct change is required. The meet takes place towards the east side of the park - just follow all the other cars to the right from the entrance.
The boosters provide snacks and water for this meet, and concession stands are available, as well. The requisite commemorative t-shirts will be sold, and, as always, usually sell out. Boys need to bring their warm-ups, and all runners will want to have warm clothing for this meet. Fall is in full swing, and the park is heavily shaded.
The three-mile course has two moderate hills, a good stretch of grass, dirt, which often turns to mud, and some very fast blacktop at the end of the course for added excitement! The top two teams and top 40 individuals for each race will receive medals. In addition, the top seven runners in each grade will receive special "All County" awards. The girls usually compete in the Sweepstakes category, and the rest of the runners run according to their varsity classification according to the "Large School" schedule. Results will be available on this web site, the invitational site, and dyestatcal.
