The envelope, please...
Track Magazine's version of the
1996 cross country season awards:

Team of the year (boys): Poway

Runners-up:
Mt. Carmel

Holtville
West Hills
Rancho Bernardo

Team of the year (girls): Fallbrook

Runners-up:
Santana
Valhalla
Orange Glen
Scripps Ranch

Runner of the year (boys):
Mike Baskin, Mt. Carmel (junior)

Runners-up:
Miguel Ramirez, Holtville (junior)
Marcus Chandler, Serra (soph)
Jason Finch, Granite Hills (soph)
Dustin Diaz, West Hills (junior)
Reed Steel, Carlsbad (junior)
Nick Hamlin, Madison (senior)
Steve Daynes, El Capitan (senior)
Steve Rider, Scripps Ranch (senior)

Runner of the year (girls):
Jaymie Harper, Santana (senior)

Runners-up:
Emily McFarland, Scripps Ranch (soph)
Tricia Mattson, Fallbrook (senior)
Kendra Goffredo, Orange Glen (junior)
Julie Manson, Rancho Bernardo (frosh)
Andrea Clemons, Valhalla (junior)
Lisa Bengtson, Patrick Henry (soph)
Heather Shurtleff, West Hills (soph)
Sophia Hawker, Grossmont (senior)

Coach of the year (boys):
Gerardo Lara, Holtville

Runners-up:
Dan Schaitel
Dennis McClanahan
Pat Connolly
Don Jones
Jerry Downey
Bob Oliver
Iam Cumming

Coach of the year (girls):
Dave Harper, Santana

Runners-up:
Marty Hauck (and staff)
Randy Montesanto
Mike Cummings
Bob Oliver

Larry Pear
Rob Winters

Most underrated runner:
Kelly Grimes, Scripps Ranch

Also very underrated:
Kim Pace, Santana; Kim Croswell and Kristen Brown, both Fallbrook; Nicole Rodriguez, Granite Hills

Team that deserved a better ending (boys):
Rancho Bernardo

Also:
Mar Vista
Clairemont
El Capitan
Valhalla
Torrey Pines

Team that deserved a better ending (girls):
West Hills

Also:
Escondido
La Jolla
Torrey Pines

Trend of the year:
Emergence and fast maturation of young, talented boy runners, and teams dominated by them.

Trend for next year:
See above, and the return and further improvement of same. There will be some serious boys team contenders from the section in almost every division at the state meet next year, including Mt. Carmel and Poway (I), West Hills (II), St. Augustine (IV) and Holtville (V).

Wish we could have seen more of (or, a healthier version of):
Shannon O'Connor, La Jolla
Julie Ott, University of San Diego
Heather Shurtleff, West Hills
Lisa Bengtson, Patrick Henry
Katie Cottrell, Orange Glen
Maria Cervantes, Eastlake
Meghann Phillips, Bonita Vista
Kristina Stasko, Scripps Ranch
Sean Nugent, Valhalla
James Adams, Ramona
Steve Daynes, El Capitan

People we didn't see at all:
Jessica Pound, Poway (not out)
Julia Roysdon, Valhalla (soccer)
Nicole Caster, Granite Hills (soccer)
Lori Giacinti, University of San Diego (not out)
Ann Koscki, Poway (moved to Rocklin, CA)
Matt Konold, Grossmont (football)

Race I'm most looking forward to seeing next year
(if divisions are the same):

CIF Division II, individual girls: Contenders could include Emily McFarland, Kelly Grimes, Kristina Stasko, Heather Shurtleff, Lisa Bengtson, Lanele Cox, Andrea Clemons, Carri Leto and ?