Francis Parker senior and Yale commit becomes first California competitor to earn runner-up honors since Rocha in 2015, achieves best national result by San Diego Section athlete at Balboa Park’s Morley Field since Acosta won title in 2005

By Landon Negri for DyeStat

SAN DIEGO – In the past 15 years, San Diego athletes have promised breakthrough performances at the Eastbay Cross Country Championships, formerly known as the Foot Locker Championships.

You can’t blame them for ambition or exuberance in getting to compete on what is essentially their home course in a national meet, but often, whether it’s the pressure to produce, or just a talented field, they’ve fallen short.

Francis Parker High senior Kenan Pala actually delivered.

RESULTS | John Nepolitan PHOTOS | INTERVIEWS | RACE REPLAYS

Pala, a Yale commit, dazzled the home crowd by pulling the best Eastbay/Foot Locker performance by a San Diego boys athlete in 16 years, finishing as the national runner-up in a time of 15 minutes, 14.8 seconds on the 5-kilometer course at Balboa Park’s Morley Field.

The Eastbay/Foot Locker event hasn’t seen a homegrown winner since 2005, when Oceanside El Camino senior AJ Acosta held off Lompoc Cabrillo senior Michael Coe to win in 15:02.

For his final high school cross country race, which capped a grueling California postseason schedule, Pala made it count.

“I’m very, very fired up,” he said. “I came in wanting to give it my all, and that’s what I did. I knew where I had to make my moves. I knew who my competition was and I did everything I had to do to get the place that I wanted. I felt amazing today.

“Honestly, it couldn’t have gone better.”

Big Bear’s Chad Hall won in 2006, one year after Acosta. A California runner hadn’t won since, and in fact only Arcadia’s Phillip Rocha in 2015 (15:07.9) and Huntington Beach Edison senior Matthew McElroy in 2009 (15:23) had reached as high as second place.

Two years ago, the last time the meet was run, saw California fail to place an athlete in the top 15 for either boys or girls for the first time in meet history.

Pala broke that streak by altering his race strategy from the start.

“I had to take it conservative, that’s unusual for me,” he said. “I like to take it out from the front and then kind of just pull ahead as the race goes on. But I held back today. I stuck with the top guys, and I started picking them off one by one, and just holding on until it was just the three of us, me, Riley (Hough) and Gavin (Sherry).

“And when Riley pulled ahead, I was like, ‘OK, now it’s a fight for second and third, and I’m not going to let Gavin take second from me.”

Riley Hough of Hartland High in Michigan, a Michigan State commit,  won Saturday’s race in 15:11.4, with Pala three seconds back and Gavin Sherry of Conard High in West Hartford, Conn., placing third in 15:17.3.

Pala made Hough at least think about it in the final stretch with a closer-than-expected finish.

“I almost made it a fight for first, three seconds back,” Pala said. “Kudos to Riley, he’s an incredible runner. I’m honored to have come that close to him in a cross country race. I’ve been reading about him all season. It’s a sweet moment for me, for sure.

“He just had another gear for the last 400,” Pala later added.

Still, to be able to be on the cusp of winning at home – the Francis Parker campus is just a little more than 5 miles from Morley Field – was his biggest thrill.

“Protect the home field and represent the city,” Pala said. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I had a lot going for me. That home crowd really makes a difference. I wanted to give them a performance I was proud of and make it worth their while, so I just gave it my absolute all, 100 percent of the way.”

Now, Pala has bright eyes set on the future after the impressive accomplishments of the recent past. Two weeks ago, he won California’s Division 5 championship in the fastest non-Newbury Park time of the day at 14:51, with he and future Yale teammate Alex Mader of Lick-Wilmerding (14:56.3) both running faster than the previous division record of 14:58.5.

During the West Regional qualifying race Dec. 4 at Mt. San Antonio College, Pala placed second behind junior Tyrone Gorze of Crater High in Oregon. Pala prevailed in the rematch Saturday against Gorze, who secured sixth overall in 15:26.4.

“Rest assured, I have a lot of big things planned,” Pala said. “I still haven’t broken 4:20 in the mile or 9:00 in the 3,200, so expect that to be broken right off the bat. Going back to Arcadia and dipping under 8:50 and getting as close to 8:40 as I can.”

For all of his 11 victories this season, including 14:24 to win the Division 3-4-5 sweepstakes race Oct. 23 at the Mt. SAC Invitational and a 14:22.3 effort Nov. 20 to win the San Diego Section Division 5 title at Morley Field, Pala said his lone runner-up finish Saturday was his most complete race, providing plenty of optimism for his track opportunities next year.

“It will be a performance that I’m proud of,” Pala said. “Just wait and see.”