2012 All-County girls cross country team

The Register and OCVarsity.com have made their selections for the 2012 All-County girls cross country team, including its picks for athlete of the year and coach of the year.

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Paige Tennison, Newport Habor

Click here to read more about Tennison.

FIRST TEAM

Melissa Eisele

San Clemente, Jr.

Eisele, the leader of one of the county’s top teams, earns All-County honors for the third consecutive season. She was fifth in the rated race at the Woodbridge/Estancia/Costa Mesa Cross Country Classic and 10th in the sweepstakes race at the Orange County Championships, leading San Clemente to a second-place team finish. Eisele was second at the South Coast League finals, guiding the Tritons to their first team title. She finished among the top 10 of all county runners at the CIF-SS Divisional Finals and the CIF State Cross Country Championships, helping San Clemente to top-10 team finishes in both meets.

Amanda Gehrich

Tesoro, Fr.

The freshman was one of the state’s top runners. She set Division 1 freshman meet records at the Laguna Hills Invitational and the Dana Hills Nike Invitational, where she had the fastest time. Gehrich was the county’s top freshman at the Orange County Championships, finishing fourth in the sweepstakes race and leading Tesoro to a sixth-place team finish. Gehrich was instrumental in the Titans’ strong efforts in the postseason. She finished seventh in Division 2 at the CIF-SS Divisional Finals, leading Tesoro to second place. She finished with the fifth-best time among all county runners at the CIF State Cross Country Championships, leading Tesoro to a fourth-place finish and the best overall team score for county teams at the meet.

Olivia Goins

Canyon, Sr.

Goins blossomed into one of the county’s top runners and earned her first All-County team selection. She was second in the Division 2 race at the Laguna Hills Invitational and helped Canyon to the top team score among all county teams at the Clovis Invitational. After helping the Comanches to a third-place team finish in the sweepstakes race at the Orange County Championships, Goins set a course record at the Century League Finals and led Canyon to a team-time course record. She closed the season leading Canyon to top-10 finishes in Division 2 at the CIF-SS Divisional Finals and the CIF State Cross Country Championships, finishing among the top-10 county runners in both meets.

Bethan Knights

Northwood, Jr.

Knights developed into one of the top runners in the state and earned her first All-County selection. She won her Division 3 race at the Laguna Hills Invitational and finished second in the sweepstakes race at the Orange County Championships. Knights won the Division 3 invitational race at the Mt. SAC Invitational, running to the fastest individual time among all county runners. She won her first Pacific Coast League title and finished second in Division 3 at the CIF-SS Divisional finals, leading the Timberwolves to a second-place team finish. Knights also finished second in Division 3 at the CIF State Cross Country Championships, producing the fastest individual time of all county runners.

Kylie Nishisaka

Marina, Sr.

A second-team All-County pick last season, Nishisaka earned her first first-team All-County selection. She won the season-opening Don Bosco Invitational and had the county’s third fastest time at the Woodbridge/Estancia/Costa Mesa Cross Country Invitational. She was third in the sweepstakes race at the Orange County Championships and had the fourth fastest overall time of all county runners at the Mt. SAC Invitational, winning her divisional race. Nishisaka was second at the Sunset League Finals and sixth at the CIF-SS Division 1 Finals. She closed the year by placing seventh in Division 1 at the state meet and was among the top three county runners at both CIF competitions.

Grace Schafer

Capistrano Valley, So.

Schafer was the leader of a Cougars team that had a record-breaking season. She began the season with the second-best time among all sophomores at the Laguna Hills Invitational and had the fourth-best time among all county runners at the Woodbridge/Estancia/Costa Mesa Cross Country Classic, leading Capistrano Valley to the fifth-best overall team time (best among all county teams). Schafer won her age-race at the Dana Hills Nike Invitational and led the Cougars to a fourth-place finish in the sweepstakes race at the Orange County Championships. Schafer led the Capistrano Valley to the state meet for the first time in school history, running to the sixth-fastest time among all county runners. Though slowed by injury at the CIF State Cross Country Championships, she helped the Cougars place seventh in Division 1.

Haley Seward

Edison, Sr.

Seward, a second-team All-County selection last season, earned her first first-team All-County selection this fall despite injuries that limited her during the regular season. She had the county’s sixth fastest time at the Woodbridge/Estancia/Costa Mesa Cross Country Classic and finished in the top 10 in the Division 2 race at the Orange County Championships and the Sunset League Finals. Once healthy in the postseason, Seward elevated her performance. She finished ninth in Division 1 at the CIF-SS Divisional Finals, posting the fourth-best time among all county runners. She finished 12th in Division 1 at the CIF State Cross Country Championships and had the fifth-best overall time among all county runners.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Pattie Fasola, Tesoro

Click here to read more about Fasola.

SECOND TEAM

Paige Canterbury, Dana Hills

Rebecca Deitch, Capistrano Valley

Ashley Elliott, Tesoro

Rianna Goins, Canyon

Alana Jones, Laguna Hills

Emily Scharmann, Tesoro

Gabrielle Yatauro, Edison