Area Teams to Battle for Cross-Country Titles

Thousand Oaks and Hart.

Agoura and Peninsula.

Those four high school cross-country teams, rich in winning traditions, will battle for the top two prizes in today’s Southern Section championships at Mt. San Antonio College.

Thousand Oaks, the No. 7-ranked team in the nation according to The Harrier magazine, is a slight favorite over fourth-ranked Hart in the boys’ Division I race.

Peninsula, the No. 2-ranked team, and fifth-ranked Agoura are expected to battle for the girls’ Division I title.

The top four teams in each of the four divisional races and the top five individuals not on a qualifying team will advance to next week’s state championships at Woodward Park in Fresno.

The Hart boys’ team and the Agoura girls’ team are two-time defending state Division I champions, and each won the mythical national championship last year, but they have suffered defeats this season. Hart finished fourth in the team sweepstakes race of the Mt. SAC invitational--which Thousand Oaks won--and Agoura finished third in both the Kenny Staub meet at Crescenta Valley Park and at Mt. SAC. Peninsula won both of those meets.

Agoura sophomore Amy Skieresz is expected to win the girls’ Division I race, but the Chargers’ other runners will determine whether they win their sixth consecutive section title.

Seniors Margarito Casillas of Hoover (boys’ Division I), Ryan Wilson of Agoura (boys’ Division II) and Maribella Aparicio of Fillmore (girls’ Division IV) are expected win their races.

Nordhoff is favored to win its second girls’ Division IV title in the last three years.

The meet starts at 8 a.m. with the girls’ Division I race.