PATRICK SHELBY/Acorn Newspapers MILE SMILE-Senior Nicole Blood moved to Simi Valley with her family in February from Saratoga Springs, NY, where she had lived for the past eight years. Her arrival at Royal, which already features one of the area's top track teams, has caused quite a buzz. Blood, one of the country's fastest young milers, said her move to Simi was "meant to be." Royal girls' track coach Jay Sramek has taken to calling it "The Blood Factor."

It's his clever terminology for the mental edge held by senior transfer Nicole Blood-considered to be the nation's top prep girls' distance runner-every time she toes the starting line for the Highlanders.

Sramek pointed to Blood's victory in the mile at last weekend's 48th annual Mt. San Antonio College Relays as a perfect example.

"It's what happened at Mt. SAC. No one will go in front of her," Sramek explained. "She went out slow and still no one wanted to pass her. It's a mental thing. It's because there's all this hype about her, everyone knows how great she is, so they get her in a race and it's like, 'Okay, I'm racing for second.'"

Though it was her first open race of the track season, Blood, who just recently returned from the World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, finished in 4 minutes, 50.18 seconds, the fourth fastest girls' time in the state this year.

While CIF prelims are still three weeks away, it appears the freckled-face 17-year-old may just live up to all those expectations that followed her 2,500 miles from Saratoga Springs, NY, to Simi Valley.

In news that sent shockwaves through the California distance running scene, Blood enrolled at Royal this February-already one month into the track season-after her family moved to Simi because Blood's father started a new job there. It was one relocation that generated plenty of attention.

"I started getting all these emails from coaches saying 'Hey, what's going on? This is such big news. This is the biggest thing since Marion Jones came to Thousands Oaks,'" Sramek said. "There's no question her coming here has been a really big deal."

But behind all the hype, behind the reputation, behind the top-national mile time among high school girls (4 minutes, 46.82 seconds), lies just another dedicated high school athlete looking to make the most of her senior season.

With all she does on the individual outdoor and indoor track circuit, Blood, who is bound for the University of Oregon this fall, didn't need to run on a high school track team this year. She wanted to.

"I really missed that feeling of running for a team, of being part of a relay," said Blood, who did not run for Saratoga Springs High School her junior year because of a falling out with the coaching staff. "I so wanted to get a baton back in my hand."

It's this attitude that struck the coaching staff at Royal the first day Blood arrived for practice.

Not knowing what to expect, Sramek said he was obviously concerned over how coachable this nationally acclaimed distance runner would actually be.

"You don't know what's going on up there. Are they a pain in the butt? Do they think they know everything already? Do they only do what they want to do?" Sramek said. "Nicole was completely the opposite. She does whatever we ask of her. As soon as I met her and even now I can't imagine it working out any better than it has."

Blood said she enjoyed the same kind of revelation.

"When I got here I didn't know what to expect either, but things just totally clicked and I fit in nicely, like it was all meant to be," Blood said. "The girls on the team made the transition much easier for me. They were just awesome."

In addition to running the mile (her favorite event) and two-mile, Blood will run a number of relays for the Highlanders as well. At the recent Arcadia Invitational, Blood helped Royal's talented distance medley relay team to the fourth fastest time in the country, an accomplishment that has perked their interest in competing at nationals once the high school season is completed.

"We definitely have a shot, if we want to go there," Blood said. "It's awesome. I don't think the other girls ever had an opportunity to do that."

But for now her focus is on the remainder of the high school season, and especially the mile. Despite her national reputation, Blood has yet to prove she is even the best miler in the state.

She'll have to overtake Corona del Mar's Annie St. Geme and Mission Prep's Jordan Hasay to do that. Geme has the best time in the state thus far, recording a 4:43.13. Hasay's fastest mile came in at 4:45.0.

With times like these, the showdown at state finals-a classic East Coast vs. West Coast battle-is set to be one for the ages.

"The fact that these girls are running really fast right now, you can see she's just chomping at the bit," Sramek said. "She really wants to compete against them and I'm looking forward to watching her compete."

The newcomer said she can't wait.

"I'm really anxious," said Blood, who started running varsity in the seventh grade. "I'm a competitive person, and the more competition, the better the race for me."

Setting her goals high, Blood said she would love to run a sub4:40 mile before the season is out-a time that would assure her

a championship if done at the state finals. The fastest time in the country right now is a 4 minutes, 36 seconds, ran by Sarah Bowman of Virginia. Blood actually has the fastest time in the nation in the two-mile, perhaps her best event, with a 9:29.44.

"I may even be better in the two-mile, but the mile is my favorite. It just seems so much more exciting and fast-paced," she said. "The mile really represents what I love so much about running."

With many miles still ahead of her, Blood, who said she'd love to be a professional runner one day, gives much of the credit to her parents, Jill and Jerry Buff, who are (almost) always there to see her run. Call it her own Blood Factor.

"My family has always been behind me, supporting me 100 percent," she said. "My parents only missed one meet, and that's because my mom had my brother. I always have someone at every race. I'm lucky to have that kind of support."