The comparisons were unavoidable.

For each invitational or Marmonte League meet that Simi Valley High sophomore Liberty Miller entered this fall, she figuratively ran in the same footsteps that 2006 Ventura County runner of the year and former teammate Anna Sperry took three years earlier.

From Miller's first race to her last, the 2007 Star Girls' Runner of the Year either exceeded or came close to the school class course records set by Sperry, now a freshman at Brigham Young University.

"She set high standards for herself," said Simi Valley coach Roger Evans of Miller.

"Liberty was running under Anna's shadow, but she never displayed it. Through every meet, she never faltered. She took responsibility and understood her role on the team."

Miller bettered the sophomore class record at Simi Valley's first meet and was within four seconds of Sperry's sophomore best at the CIF Division II State Cross Country championships at Fresno's Woodward Park, completing the 5,000-meter course in 18 minutes, 12 seconds for a 12th-place finish.

Miller also won the Ventura County Championships and the Marmonte League title.

"I knew that her fitness was good coming into the season," said Evans. "It remained to be seen whether the championship desire and ability to handle the stress was there. I was impressed to see how much she was able to focus on being a champion."

The titles and standards that she established were nice, but the last weeks of the season were deflating.

"It was sad to go to the state meet without the team," said Miller.

After placing third in the tough Marmonte League, Simi Valley was 11th at the Division II section final.

"The only time I saw a tremendous amount of emotion out of her was when we didn't qualify for state," said Evans. "She broke down and cried. She took it harder than anyone else. Team means so much to her."

Contrary to her collection of high finishes against the best that the state could offer, Miller is still learning the sport's little nuances.

"In many races I'd run in the second pack and catch up," said Miller.

"There were times I would get caught up behind. I need to get out of the box faster and take more risks. I have to keep learning new strategies."

The 2007 season was different than Miller's freshman year in many regards.

"I was so oblivious to some of those big races," she said. "Now that I know their importance, I get more nervous."

She became the understudy to Sperry, one of the state's premier girls' distance runners of the 2006-07 school year.

"Training with someone who was a champion at that level, helped Liberty," said Evans.

Miller learned what was achievable through hard work and mental focus.

"When you get to that type of level that Anna was at," said Evans, "there are so many factors beyond talent. So much comes from one's mental approach."

Comparing the two Simi Valley runners is "unfair to Anna," said Miller.

"Anna has the strongest will of anybody I've ever seen. She knew what she wanted and how to get it. I'm not close to her mentality. We are completely different runners. I still have a lot of time to make my mark as a runner."

One might say that she has already.

All-county girls' first team

Name School Class

Liberty Miller Simi Valley Sophomore

Courtney Lightfoot Oak Park Senior

Melissa Skiba Oak Park Sophomore

Erin Baird Agoura Senior

Jenny Mallen Newbury Park Junior

Catherine Hasbrouck Nordhoff Sophomore

Sarah Pearson La Reina Sophomore

All-county girls' second team

Name School Class

Jenessa Rose St. Bonaventure Senior

Marissa Diehl Oak Park Senior

Stacey Flores Buena Senior

Kaitlyn Sullivan Thousand Oaks Senior

Cristina Garcia Oaks Christian Freshman

Victoria Smith Westlake Senior

Liz Robles Hueneme Junior