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None better in Northwest than Ashland junior runner By KEVIN GOFF BEAVERTON -- Forty of the top high school cross country runners from the state of Oregon butted heads with the best from Washington on Sunday at the Nike world headquarters. And when it was all said and done, Southern Oregon competitors provided the difference. Ashland junior Paris Edwards and Klamath Union senior Ian Dobson, fresh off their Class 4A state championships, paced Oregon teams to victory at the Nike Border Cross Country Oregon vs. Washington 4,000-kilometer race. Edwards needed only the first 500 kilometers to warm up before taking the lead for good, finishing first with a time of 14:35. "I tried not to put too much pressure on myself at the start of the race," said Edwards. "I felt very loose and it turned out to be one of my best races." By the 3,000 kilometer mark, Edwards had already gained a 12-second cushion over her nearest competitor, Megan Johnson of Seattle. "It was a shorter race, compared to other races," said Edwards. "There was some very good competition that really pushed me." Only the top 10 finishers from both sides counted in the scoring and the Southern Oregon area had three competitors make the grade. Klamath Union's Liz Lindgren was Oregon's No. 3 finisher and fourth overall with a time of 14:54. Ashland High's Anita Sindelar finished her day 17th overall but ended up 10th for the Oregon side. Her 15:30 effort clinched Oregon's 95-117 girls victory. Dobson, the two-time state champ, outlegged South Eugene's Erik Heinonen by 10 seconds with a time of 12:13. Oregon's boys won by a landslide, 69-163, with the Stanford-bound Dobson leading six Oregonians through the finish chute before the first Washington runner crossed the line. Klamath Union's Jimmy Addison and Jacob Gomez also competed in the event finishing 19th and 21st, respectively. Second-place finisher at the Class 2A state meet, Trevor Coolidge, St. Mary's High, finished 26th. Other southern Oregon boys competing in the event were: Evan Garich, KU; Lauren Jesperson, KU; Nathan Love, Rogue River; Warren Clarida, Rogue River; Patrick McLain, Henley; Jacob White, Grants Pass. Other southern Oregon girls competing were: Sarah Eyman, South Medford; Bobbi Wright, Rogue River; Lauren Fety, Rogue River; Emily Steinert, Grants Pass. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.