* When the nation's top high school runners line up Saturday at the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships in San Diego, the state of Colorado will be well-represented.

Class 5A champion Allie McLaughlin of Air Academy will be the state's only girl in the finals, but Colorado had four boys earn a spot in the top 40 - Class 4A champion Joseph Manilafasha of Denver North, 5A champion Evan Appel of Dakota Ridge, Class 3A champion Joseph DeMoor of Buena Vista and Andrew Berberick of Mullen. Berberick was sixth in 4A.

To qualify, the runners had to place in the top 10 at the Midwest Regionals on Nov. 29 in Kenosha, Wis. For McLaughlin and Manilafasha, the Rocky's All-Colorado runners of the year, that race was a good learning experience.

McLaughlin said her conservative race plan forced her to hold back in the beginning, and after leading a pack near the end of the race, she was passed and had to settle for fourth.

"I don't have a great kick, so a couple of girls caught me at the end because I just didn't have enough momentum," McLaughlin said. "So this week, I just need to run like I know how. I need to run like I did here and go out faster."

Manilafasha was passed in the final 20 meters after leading the entire race, but he said he isn't disappointed with his second- place finish because he still feels like he has a shot for a top-10 spot Saturday.

"Any time you can qualify for the Foot Locker championship, it's something to be pleased about, and I still think that I have a good chance to finish high this weekend," he said.

Appel finished 6 seconds behind Manilafasha for third, just ahead of DeMoor. Berberick was seventh.

"I was completely surprised, and there's a really awesome sense of satisfaction for me after that race," said Berberick, the reigning 4A champion in the 800 meters. "But it's just amazing here in Colorado for talent. And when you have a group of really strong people in your state, it just makes everyone else train harder and work that much harder."