Surh surges to win in 3,200

SAN MATEO -- The last chapter of the Brad Surh-Ganbileg Bor rivalry was written Monday with Surh maintaining his mastery on the track.

Surh stayed on Bor's shoulder the first seven laps of the eight- lap 3,200 meters at the Peninsula Athletic League finals. Surh moved past Bor at the end of the seventh lap and used his superior speed to extend his lead throughout the eighth lap to win his third consecutive PAL 3,200 championship, in a time of 9 minutes, 36.94 seconds on a windy afternoon at College of San Mateo.

"He got me in cross country," Surh said.

While Carlmont's Surh, who signed a letter-of-intent last week to run collegiately at Cal, has had the upper hand in track, Jefferson's Bor has won the last two PAL cross country championships, defeating Surh handily on each occasion.

But this is spring and Surh's time to shine. He will come back Wednesday in the 800 and

1,600 and attempt to sweep the distance races.

He'll drop the 3,200 at the Central Coast Section meet. He has bests of 4:14.74 in the

1,600 and 1:54.51 in the 800 this season. But after running 4:10 in the mile as a junior, he isn't happy with his performance this season.

"I don't think my mind is where I want it to be," Surh said. "I'm working hard on getting a winning mentality."

Carlmont freshman Jessie Petersen turned in an impressive performance to win the girls 3,200.

Half Moon Bay's Sammy Hamilton led through the first five laps, followed closely by Carlmont senior Mary Rhoades and Peterson. Peterson made her move into the lead toward the end of the fifth lap, and then steadily increased her lead. She won by more than 20 yards, in a time of 11:17.79.

"I felt it was the right time to go," Peterson said. "My second mile was definitely faster than my first."

Peterson has a best of 10:58.74, third-fastest in the CCS.

"I want to beat my PR and get down around 10:50 or 10:45," Peterson said of her goal for the CCS meet.

The 3,200 was the only track final contested Monday. Westmoor's Aaron Feliciano won the boys triple jump at 41 feet, 71/2 inches, and Menlo-Atherton's Ashby Cogan won the girls long jump at 16-3/4. Feliciano and Cogan were both repeat winners from 2007.

Feliciano led a 1-2 finish for Westmoor. Daniel Chhokar took second at 40-11.

"I think they can both go 43 feet, and 43 has a legitimate shot of making the finals at CCS," Westmoor coach Ron DiMaggio said.

Cogan, a sophomore, has a best of 16-6.

"I'd like to surpass my personal best," she said. "I guess I'll have to do that at CCS."

Ten jumpers have gone 17 feet or better, so even with a new best at the CCS trials, Cogan wouldn't be assured of making the finals.

"I'll really like being able to just see the best jumpers," Cogan said.

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