High School Girls’ Cross-Country Preview : Third Time Could Prove the Charm for Agoura

After two years of torment from Palos Verdes High, a state Division I title might be in the cards for the Agoura High girls’ cross-country team.

The Chargers finished second to Palos Verdes in the state Division I championships the past two years, but apart from that meet, Agoura has been unbeatable. The Chargers have won the past two Frontier League titles and last year claimed their second consecutive Southern Section 2-A championship.

But while Palos Verdes graduated its Nos. 1, 3 and 7 runners from last year, Agoura welcomes back six of its top seven.

Coach Bill Duley reasons that Agoura will be stronger this year. This is the only returning team to post a time of less than 100 minutes on the Mt. San Antonio College course, site of the Southern Section championships.

“I think we’re going to be stronger just through age and experience,” Duley said.

Agoura has ample depth this year; at least nine solid runners are competing for the seven varsity positions. Still, the team’s strength will be the powerful 1-2 punch provided by juniors Deena Drossin and Tiffany York.

Drossin, who won the state Division I individual title as a freshman, placed third last year after sitting out the first half of the season because of stretched arches in both feet. She would like to reclaim her state title this fall, but that is not her ultimate goal.

“I would love that,” she said. “But I’m really working hard with my team right now to get us to win the state title.”

York will have to play a major role if that is to happen. She placed 16th in last year’s state championships.

“If you have one good runner, most teams can match it,” Duley said. “The fact that we have two good, strong runners will help us out a lot. We can put a lot of points between our top two runners and other teams’ top two runners.”

Senior Cheyenne Zontelli will compete with sophomore Laura Hayward for the No. 3 position, according to Duley. Hayward, in her first year of cross-country, timed 12:26 for two miles in the spring.

Michelle Schultz and Skye Colclough, both juniors, are expected to compete for the No. 5 position on the underclassman-dominated team. Junior Stacy Kristan, 15th in the 2-A final last year, will sit out at least one meet this fall because of a sprained ankle.

OTHER TEAMS TO WATCH

Hart: The Indians, fifth by a point in last year’s Southern Section 3-A championships, have won the past six Foothill League titles and are the favorites to win their seventh. Sophomore Anjanette Dionne and junior Laura Hunter are expected to contend for the No. 1 position, along with senior Amy Thurston. Dionne was seventh (19:44) in the 3-A final at Mt. SAC last year and Hunter placed 23rd (20:41).

Channel Islands: Six runners return from last year’s Marmonte League championship team that finished 12th in the Southern Section 4-A final.

Sophomore Judy Hollers, 17th in the 4-A final last year, will not be the Raiders’ top runner at the start of the season because she trained infrequently during the summer. Senior Bonique Rodriguez and junior Yung Chong will compete for the No. 1 position while Hollers works herself back into shape.

Juniors Blanca Ahumada and Stephanie Gonzales and sophomore Valerie Aceves will compete for the Nos. 4 through 6 positions.

Camarillo: Six runners return from last year’s Marmonte League runner-up, so the Scorpions should challenge Channel Islands for their first league title. Junior Katie Meyer, 19th in the 4-A final, and senior Amy Crawford lead the team. Senior Santi Goetzinger, Camarillo’s No. 4 runner last year, is the team’s most improved runner, according to Coach Charlie Carranza. Junior Madalaine Acosta, and sophomores Debbie Leonard and Jenna Roundtree round out the top five.

Chaminade: Runners-up in last year’s 1-A championships, the Eagles might have challenged for the title in ’89 but Katie Crespo, their No. 2 runner last year, has joined the volleyball team. In addition, junior Katie Maher has not recovered from a back injury and will miss the season.

Senior Colleen McDonough returns as Chaminade’s No. 1 runner but will be challenged by freshman Liz Poudska. Seniors Carri Christopherson and Mari Reeve run in the Nos. 3 and 4 positions.

L.A. Baptist: The Knights, eighth in the state Division III championships last year, welcome back six runners and have a good shot at their first Southern Section 1-A title. L. A. Baptist placed second in the Alpha League and third in the 1-A behind Maranatha and Chaminade.

Senior Gina Johnson (17th in the 1-A final) and sophomore Sarah Weitzel (21st) will contend for the No. 1 position along with junior Kirsten Berger (24th) and sophomore Carolina Castellanos. Senior Sonia McMahon will compete with juniors Marijane Unter and Julie Cory for the No. 5 position.

OTHER INDIVIDUALS TO WATCH

Simi Valley’s Lori Church, 37th in the Marmonte League championships last year, made tremendous improvement during the track season. She was third in the 4-A 1,600 and posted personal bests of 2:21.19 and 5:10.89 in the 800 and 1,600.

Jeanine Rothman of Westlake is another Marmonte League runner who blossomed between the cross-country and track seasons. Rothman placed 23rd in the league cross-country championships, but in track she won the league title in the 3,200 and placed fifth (11:21.33) in the 4-A finals in May.

Newbury Park’s Beth Mercier placed fourth in last year’s league championships and could challenge Meyer, Church and Rothman for the league title. In the spring, she ran an 11:35.99 in the 3,200.

Birmingham sophomore Heather Ballard, 76th in the state Division I championships, is the No. 3 returnee in the City Section after placing seventh last year. Ballard timed 2:26.02 in the 800 in the spring.