NOTE: Times listed in preview are from the 1995 CIF Championship Meet, unless designated otherwise.

Home courses: All Eastern League teams run home meets at Morley Field. Distances are approximately 3.0 for boys, 2.x for girls.

Patrick Henry
Division: Two.
Coach: Pat Lery. Assisted by Phil Lery.
BOYS: 33 runners.

Returning: Jose Muniz (12) 18:03; Mark Marshall (10) 18:57; Randall Clark (12) 19:50; Allen Lapinsky (12). Lery names Muniz as her probable team leader at the moment. "He ran quite extensively in the off-season, and he has very high expectations for himself," she said. Marshall could be the number two runner, and Clark and Lapinsky should be in the top seven.

New: Mohammed Mussa (9), Beshir Ali (10), Javier Betancourt (9), Michael Hilton (10), J. E. Webster (9), Brian Philbin (9). This young bunch will make an impact. Mussa, Ali and Betancourt all are expected to run in the team's top five. A number of these runners placed well in their grade level races at the Mt. Carmel Invite, so the basic talent is there.

The outlook: It's a rebuilding year, and a year of adjustment to a new coach. But that is not all bad news for the Patriots. A number of the youngsters have already shown that they can compete. If the talent continues to develop, Henry could be competitive.

What's different: Patrick Henry was only this year reconfigured to bring in freshmen to the campus, making it one of the last schools in the county to become a four-year high school. Until now, it was difficult to get freshmen involved in sports, particularly in a sport like cross country. Now, the frosh are on campus and signing up.

GIRLS: 14 runners.

Best runner: Without a doubt, it's Lisa Bengston (10), who is the best new runner on the San Diego scene this year. Where was she last year? At a junior high, and playing club soccer. In her first race, she finished second to Heather Shurtleff at the Wolfpack meet, but beat Courtney Baird. At Mt. Carmel, she handily won her grade-level race (beating Lorena Jimenez), and she ran what probably was the fastest time of the day by a local. Oh, and she did that after playing in an early-morning club soccer game. "She's just a natural talent," Lery said. "I'm glad she's running."

Returning: Chavva Fionda (11) 18:48; Claudia Ornelas (12) 18:54; Sarah Zitsman (10) 20:34; Michele Ambler (12) 21:33; Andrea Rogoff (10) 22:38; Cassie Santos (12); Jessica Webster (12). Lery is counting on this group of veterans to form the pack behind Bengston. Fionda, now nursing injuries, might be the number two, and Ornelas is probably the number three.

New: Cassandra Liss (9), Rachel Goodwin (10), Angie Fitzpatrick (9), Alison Aguirre (9), Ashley King (9). Now that ninth-graders are on campus, a flock of them are turning up on the cross country roster. Only good can come from that. Some of these names will make their way up the depth chart as the season progresses.

The outlook: This could be a turning-point in Patriot girls cross country. Bengston is a terrific young talent, and now the program can boast of a number of frosh/soph talents, which are always a key to good girls programs. It might take a year, but this team could very quickly develop into an Eastern League contender. Bengston is already there.

Returning: Erik Nealson (11) 19:11; Eyasu Weldegiorgis (10). Sample expects this pair to contend for the top spot on the team. Nealson has shown good potential the past two seasons and has put together a good summer of training, while Weldegiorgis is still a developing runner with possibilities.

Also returning: Edgar Torres (10), Chris Adams (12). Torres, according to Sample, has trained well in the off-season. Adams, says Sample, has "decent talent."

New: Tim Dunn (11), Dung Ho (12), Sean DeFreitas (12).

The outlook: It never happens overnight, but Kearny is improving under Sample. Team should be a bit stronger at the top, and more solid in the middle, but their overall numbers are working against them.

GIRLS: 8 runners.

Best runner: Christine Basic (12) 18:05, who is a multi-sport athlete.

Returning: Aumbirh Jones (10) 21:15; Michelle Kurtz (10).

New: Paige Gulck (10), Elizabeth Johnson (10).

The outlook: Improving. Sample at least has a full team on the field, not always the case in the past, and it's a young group, as all but one are sophs.

Mira Mesa
Division: Two.
Coach: Dennis Lottermoser. Assisted by Mark Dvorkin. Phil Grooms acts as trainer.
BOYS: 24 runners.

Returning: Hong Castejon (11) 18:06; Carlito "Pablo" Cantil (12) 18:09; Brandon Dean (12) 18:33; Archie Candelaria (10) 18:52; Thomas Jodoin (10). Castejon ran the 800 in 1:58 during track, an excellent soph time. Tony Harris (12), who ran CIF in 17:18 as a soph in '94, missed last season with injuries, and could return. He's mixing every-other-day running with pool workouts. The top pack right now includes Castejon, Cantil, Dean and Jodoin, all of whom "ran pretty well during the summer," according to Lottermoser. The number one spot will probably be traded off frequently by those runners.

Up from the JV: Aaron Snead (11), B. J. Comins (11), Dan Murphin (10), Matt Patino (10). This group, along with Candelaria, will be counted on to shore up the pack.

The outlook: It's a wide-open league, and Mira Mesa has as good a shot as anybody. The teams are "all tightly packed," said Lottermoser. That top group of four are running together pretty solidly. If Harris can make any kind of contribution (he was the team's number two man behind Larry Henderson as a soph), then this team will be very good. They'll need to keep their pack tight to compete with San Diego and Point Loma. So far, so good.

The training: Assistant coach Mark Dvorkin is getting results "with the kids doing about half the mileage," Lottermoser said. "They do lots of plyometrics, circuit training, a lot of speed work, and about half of the distance work." It's a big change for Lottermoser, who was (and still is) an advocate of high mileage.

GIRLS: 22 runners.

Best runner: Tiffany Fox (10) 17:15. Fox was the team's number three runner as a frosh, right behind the Grooms twins, and she continued to improve in track, taking second in the Eastern League 1600.

Returning: Marissa Stark (10) 17:44; Melinda Gray (12) 19:07; Brittany Dean (10). Stark has been slowed by shin splints. Dean and Gray are running three and four right now.

New: Rashonda Dinkins (11) is new to cross country, but has run track. She's already the team's number two. The team also has a good frosh crop, including Kristian Earhart (9), Erin Briggs (9), and Robin Owen (9). "All three have the potential to do very well," Lottermoser said.

The outlook: It's a new group of kids, but the team has "good potential," Lottermoser said. "This team has the best attitude they've had for a number of years." Give this group the better part of the season and then check them out. This team seems to be the type that will improve dramatically in the last month. That would be soon enough for the Marauders to be in contention.

Morse
Division: One.
Coaches: Tony Griswold, boys; Gary MacDonald, girls.
BOYS: xx runners.

Best runners: Ben Pinson (11); Terry Hanley (11) 19:12; Draper Rivers (12) 20:04; Pascual Benitez (12) 20:08; Juan Carlos Mireles (11) 20:43; James Klepper (10). Pinson ran the 800 meters in 2:00 last spring, might be an effective runner at the longer distance. Some of the others (such as Rivers) are participating to build a conditioning base for Morse's always-powerful track team. Those who saw Ray Carter, the 400-meter blazer, running in the 18:00s last year, will testify that some of the tracksters will be at least respectable.

The outlook: "We have a tough time getting kids into cross country," Griswold acknowledged. That may be so, but the the emphasis for the cross country program at Morse is more about base work for off-season track athletes than anything else. To state it another way, if you want to fairly judge the Morse cross country program, check out the track and field results.

GIRLS: xx runners.

Best runner: Tracy Cruz (11) 17:28. Cruz is a multi-sport athlete, who may divide time between soccer and cross country. She might miss most of the Saturday meets, but she's a talent, with a 2:22 for 800 last spring.

Returning: Marie Manlapaz (11) 17:41; Jessica Nitzel (12),19:31; Kaila Moyer (11) 20:32. Manlapaz is battling tendinitis. Moyer "had a real good summer," and is much improved, running first for the Tigers at Vaquero.

Off-season track: Working on their endurance are Tiger sprinters DeCola Groce (10), Eureka Thompson (10), Starla Henderson (10) and possibly Ryneshia Rankin (12). Lana Garner showed over the course of her career how valuable that background work can be. Garner also ran very effectively on many occasions.

New: Melissa Nguyen (10), Arlene Doria (11).

The outlook: Not many noticed, but the Tigers were third in the league in dual meet results last year, with Garner and Cruz heading up the team. This year's edition could have similar potential, but much depends on how often Cruz, one of the league's best, can race.

Point Loma
Division: Two.
Coaches: Jim McCarthy, boys; Rob Barnett, girls. Assisted by Steve Markland.
BOYS: 32 runners.

Returning: David Hayes (12) 17:32; John Bradshaw (12) 17:48; Mark Savel (12) 18:12; Tom Gibbings (11) 18:18; Tom Antl (10) 18:37. Hayes was last year's team leader in many meets, and ran 4:30 for 1600 in track.

Also, Peter Kleinsasser (12), Matt Ooi (11), Justin Markland (11), Graham Aitkenhead (11), Marty Conterez (12), Naithen Schirmer (12). Kleinsasser, expected to be among the team's leaders last year, missed most of the season with an injury. Schirmer ran as a frosh, but moved, and has now returned. McCarthy's top three right now includes Hayes, Schirmer and Kleinsasser.

New: Jeff McKnight (9).

The off-season: McCarthy, who has his own summer training camp, was happy. "We got everybody to train this summer," he reported.

McCarthy is high on: His junior group, which includes Markland, Gibbings, Ooi and Aitkenhead.

The outlook: If usually boils down to the Pointers and San Diego, but there are more teams in the mix this year. Point Loma seems well stocked and well prepared. Other league coaches talk about their ability to pack it in. "It's a pretty solid bunch," McCarthy said. "I'm pretty excited about the season."

GIRLS: 23 runners.

Best runner: Probably is Lea Hitt (12) 16:31. At the end of last season, Hitt was the most consistent of the Pointers.

Returning: Olivia Tellez (11) 17:11; Elizabeth Gonzalez (11) 17:43; Julie Bradshaw (11) 18:06; Windy Fernandez (10) 18:06; Belinda Olvera (10). Tellez was one of the team's best runners in early season last year; while Olvera was the first finisher in the team's first dual this year. Barnett expects the top spot to rotate among as many as five athletes. "It's real tight," he said. "They might go back and forth."

New: Esther Rojas (11), Elizabeth Symanski (12), Sandra Wetterer (10), Micah Myrmo (9). Rojas came out late, but shows promise; Symanski was held back last year from stress fractures and asthma; Wetterer has come from Francis Parker; Myrmo is an all-around athlete.

The outlook: The balance of the top five is a major plus, although Barnett wouldn't mind if one or two of those girls made a major breakthrough. It usually comes down to Mira Mesa and Point Loma, both in duals and at the championships. If the Pointers can hold together, they should have the edge this year.

San Diego
Division: One.
Coach: Ed Ramos.

BOYS: 17 runners.

Returning: Edgar Jimenez (12) 17:03; Justin Marche (12) 17:04; Ascary Kocina (11) 17:21; Osvaldo Cruz (11) 17:43; Alex Kocina (10). Ramos returns a decent pack from his league champion team, but off-season training is a difficult proposition here, as many of the athletes have work conflicts. One who made a major improvement during track season was Cruz, who ran 4:31 and 9:57, excellent soph times. "He's been really quiet this year," Ramos reported. "It seems like he is more serious." Ramos' team had not had a meet in the early weeks of the season, and it was impossible to tell which of the runners are potential leaders at this point.

New: Juan Chavez (12), Elliott King (11) 19:00. Chavez, according to Ramos, will be "a lot more improved." King came over from Morse, where he was among the better runners on that team.

The outlook: "It's a very small squad," Ramos said. But there is a core of talent and experience, which should put the Cavers in the thick of things in this league. The main loss from last year is Gabe Murillo, but San Diego has their next three runners back, plus Cruz, who came on strong in track. That's probably as much talent as anybody in the league has right at the top of the roster. You won't hear much about this team because they like out-of-town invitationals, and it is Ramos' nature to low-key things.

The meet of the year: In the Eastern League, it could be a three-way meet between the Cavers, Serra and Point Loma at Morley Field late in the season.

GIRLS: 7 runners.

Returning: Amanda Culverson (12) 20:44; Shannon Gantz (12).

New: Nadia Aguilar (12), Christina Escamilla (12), Ashley Konopacky (11), Semret Teffay (11). A number of the girls on the team play soccer and will only be able to attend mid-week meets. Two who are specializing in running (and who Ramos expects to do well) are Aguilar and Teffay.

The outlook: The numbers are small, there is little experience, and the soccer players will miss some of the meets. Still, there is some good talent and some all-around athleticism. In duals, at least, the Cavers will probably be competitive against most of the league.

Serra
Division: Three.
Coaches: Jim Richards, boys; Pat Trotter, girls.
BOYS: 30 runners.

Best runners: Marice Chandler (10) and Marcus Chandler (10), known at Serra and around the county as "the twins." They first showed up in track last year, where Marcus ran 4:30 and 9:41 distances times, and Marice was right behind with a 9:43 for 3200; all of which are excellent frosh times. They are now running cross country for the first time, and off to a good start. Their times at the Vaquero Stampede, for example, were comparable to times Larry Henderson and David McQuitty ran as sophs. Serra has the ability to possibly go one-two on any team in the league, and that makes the Conquistadors a team to be reckoned with.

Returning: Wayne Tyler (12) 18:40; Alvin Rodelas (12) 19:35; Dru Imrie (10) 20:01; Chris McNurlan (12) 21:11; Luis Eternod (11). Tyler also ran the 800 in 2:00.4 during track. With the guaranteed quality up front, the three-spot on down determines how far this team will go. Tyler is a good candidate for the third postion, as "he seems to be more relaxed," Richards said. "He can feed off the twins." Imrie, who has already run a 17:30 at Morley this year, is a much improved soph, who is "just starting to get focused." Richards said, "We have a real solid top four. We just need to find a fifth."

New: Gerry Stevens (9), Chris Smiley (9), Scott Rogers (9). These three frosh, according to Richards, are in the mix for the five-six-seven spots that are vital to Serra's success. Those three will compete with McNurlan, Rodelas and Eternod to fill out the varsity. "It's a matter of who wants it," Richards said. "It's who decides to put in the work, and the guys understand that."

The outlook: If Richards can fill out his hand, Serra will be a pretty good team. The best case scenario has the team as one of the best in the Eastern League, and a strong contender in Division III at CIF. The team has the whole season to develop the bottom of their pack. It will also be fun to watch the twins learn the ropes in their first cross country season.

GIRLS: 25 girls.

Returning: Danielle Magante (10) 17:28; Annie Adams (10) 18:36; Erin Beck (11) 18:59; April Stevens (11) 20:45. Beck is running the best of this group right now, and was the first team finisher at one meet. "She is running excellent," Trotter said. Magante, last year's best runner, is not far back. Adams has been slowed by a fractured arm.

New: Stephanie Hedeline (10), Kjristen Bevins (grade?), Melissa Wiseman (10), Brigitte Berry (11), Maryann Berry (10), Kristen Ogdon (9), Stefanie Spindler (9). Bevins is a transfer from Virginia, who has been the fastest runner for Serra is a few meets so far. Hedeline ran track last year (2:31 for 800 meters), and has also taken her place in the top four. The Berry sisters are hurdlers, who are "real steady, hard workers," according to Trotter. The two frosh, Ogdon and Spindler, could be ready to contribute by the end of the year.

The outlook: Trotter likes his top four: Bevins, Beck, Hedeline and Magante. "We need a fifth," he said. There seems to be a number of viable candidates on the team, but it might take a few weeks. "We should do OK in the Eastern League," Trotter said.