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

Home courses: All Western League teams use Morley Field as a home course. Distances are approximately 3.0 miles for both boys and girls. Note: Girls may run a shorter distance in non-league meets.

Hoover
Division: Two.
Coach: Patty Hurtt.
BOYS: 9 runners.

Best runner: Behailu Mergia (11), who is new to the sport. He ran track for the Cardinals, and has been showing well in early workouts.

Returning: Mohamed Wasame (11) 19:12; Peter Munyororo (11) 19:13.

New: Besides Mergia (see above), Bralio Diaz (11), and Saisel Bihi (10).

The outlook: Team lost their top four runners, but Hurtt is enjoying working with her young group. "It's rewarding," she said. "We teach them a lot of things besides just running. And we have a lot of fun." Hoover competes in the Harbor League in most, if not all, of the other sports. They would be a good match there in this sport as well.

GIRLS: 7 runners.

Returning: None.

New: Myra Estrada (11), Merlyn Diaz (9), Elizabeth Cortez (9). Estrada ran mid-12s for the 3200 during track, and freshman Diaz has run a 5:45 for 1600 for the FloJo team. Cortez is more of an 800-type, but may adapt. Hurtt is especially excited about Diaz, who is running strong workouts. "She could be a real star," she said.

The outlook: This small group won't terrorize some of the league's powers, but there seems to be a nice core of young talent at the top. Possibly enough to jump start the girls program.

La Jolla
Division: Three.
Coach: Chuck Boyer, boys, and Tom Dorman, girls.

BOYS: 35 runners.

Returning: David Dunbar (11) 17:41; Mark Anderson (12) 18:07; Ray Chacon (11). Dunbar is a serious, year-round runner and racer who is always in shape. Anderson ran the 800 in 1:58 last spring, but is off to a slow start this fall after losing some training time to a knee injury. Boyer expects Dunbar and Anderson to be the team leaders. Chacon is reovering from mono, but is expected to contribute.

Up from the JVs: Boyer is building up his pack mostly by plugging in parts from last year's junior varsity. The best candidates right now are Matt Granger (10), Nathan Lloyd (12), Matt Sarnow (12), and Steven Doane (11), who had excellent off-season preparation. Also in the mix are Tim Petrie (10), and Hayes Hurwitz (10), brother of last year's girls CIF 3200 champ.

New: Jonathan Dunbar (9), younger brother of David. He might have a bit more speed than his older brother, and Boyer thinks he'll make the varsity.

The outlook: For most teams, losing the top five runners to graduation means serious rebuilding. At La Jolla, there always seems to be material on hand, and so it is this year. "I'm very enthused," Boyer said. "We have a very large turnout. There is some new blood on the team." The team is not in top form yet, but few doubt that they will come on later. Boyer said, "We will be good by the end of the season." Expect a typical Viking tightly packed group.

GIRLS: 65 runners.

Best runner: Shannon O'Connor (12) 15:41. She ran the 1600 in 5:10 during track, and was fourth in CIF in cross country. O'Connor worked hard during the summer, and " is in top form," according to Dorman.

Returning: Kara Dose (12) 16:51; Morgan Romine (10) 16:57; Julia Otis (10), Sara Harrison (11), Meaghan Mayer (10). Dorman says that group worked hard all summer, and have formed a lead pack.

Up from JV: Sunny Nordmarken (11), Vanessa Li (11), Nicole Sadler (10). Nobody has a JV program like La Jolla, where the runners come in bunches, waiting to move on up.

New: Marisa Polin (9), Deborah Braun (9). Polin "could be our surprise," according to Dorman. The team has "an unusually large number of freshmen."

The outlook: No team took as big a hit as La Jolla at the top of the roster. The team lost Clodagh Rafferty, Leah Walkey, Michelle O'Connor and Shelby Stanger, which made up four of their top five on a team that was third in Fresno. On the other hand, few teams have so much material waiting to replace them. "We don't have a surplus of talent," Dorman said, "but we have a lot of people that are working hard." There will be some drop-off, but La Jolla will be better than most think. They should contend in the league and at CIF.

Mission Bay
Division: Three.
Coaches: Laurie Roeder, girls, and George Velarde, boys. Velarde is assisted by Ray Padilla and Roger Romero.

BOYS: 12 runners.

Returning: Julio Betancourt (12) 18:10; Omar Zavala (11) 19:52. Both runners worked hard over the summer, according to Velarde. Zavala has "improved a lot. He'll surprise himself this year," he said. Betancourt is "our team leader."

New: Nathan Lopez (9), Miguel Betancourt (9), Dan Nguyen (10), Miguel Elias (9), Eric Richey (9). Of the frosh, Velarde expects Lopez to be a standout. "He is a very talented runner," he said. Velarde has done a good job of scouting out and recuiting talent from PE classes at Mission Bay and at Pacific Beach Middle School.

The outlook: The Bucs lost their top three runners, and all but one of their top six. So, "it's a rebuilding year," Velarde said, "but it's a really good team to build on." The numbers are not huge, but the team only has one senior. Most of the boys teams in the West are in the developmental stage, so if some of the young and new runners can develop quickly, this team could be competitive.

GIRLS: 22 runners.

Best returning runner: Ana Lilia Bustos (12) 16:51. She was 12th in CIF last year, but injured a foot at the end of track season, and missed training for virtually the entire off season. Last year, she started from scratch and ran well, so maybe she can do it again.

Returning: Maria Guzman (11) 17:24; Renata Powell (10) 18:58; Sarah Otjens (10) 19:19; Sylvia Valencia (11) 19:40; Jennifer Wall (12); Amber Conner (12). Best off-season training in that group was done by sophs Otjens and Powell. "I'm pleased with their progress," Roeder said.

The numbers: Are up. "We're starting to grow a team," said Roeder.

New: Amanda Powers (10). With Bustos off to a slow start, Powers might be the strongest runner. This is her first year of cross country, but she is an age-group swimmer with a reputation (she was fourth woman finisher in the recent La Jolla Rough Water Swim, for instance). She defintely has the endurance.

The off-season: Was not the best for the group as a whole. Many of the better runners had summer jobs that interfered with training schedules, and Bustos had that injury that needed to heal.

The outlook: The league is so strong with good girls teams that the Bucs will have a tough time. There are some positives, however. The roster is growing, and there seems to be a core of young talent, particularly in the sophomore ranks.

Our Lady of Peace
Division: Three.
Coach: Dan Keays.
GIRLS: 31 runners.

Best runner: Christine Keays (12), who is back after a year away from the sport. She ran the CIF course in 16:48 as a soph in '94. "She gives the team a lot of stability and leadership," coach Keays (also her father) said. She is also a competitive swimmer, which has kept her in shape.

Returning: Kelli Wilson (10) 17:40; Natalie Watkins (10) 18:03; Laura Meathe (10) 18:09; Gen Nolte (11) 18:41; Kristen Clayton 19:52; Alli Milloy (12). Also back is Jenna Graciano (12), who ran two years ago.

The frosh: Maura Bannon (9), Jasmine Mejares (9), Amanda Schultz (9). Bannon and Mejares are already breaking into the top five, along with Keays, Wilson and Graciano.

The outlook: "We should be stronger this year," coach Keays said. "But our league is so strong, I'm not sure anybody will notice." Also working against OLP is their placement into Division III -- they just missed making the cut for Division IV.

St. Augustine
Division: Four.
Coach: Jerry Downey.

BOYS: 22 runners.

Leading the way: The Saints have two strong runners leading their pack: Adam Greene (11) 16:58; and Brian Sullivan (11) 17:35. They were strong sophs last year, but now, "they're ready," according to Downey. Greene ran the 1600 in 4:28 in track, while Sullivan ran the 3200 in 9:47, both excellent soph times. In the team's first dual, they went one-two on the Chandler twins from Serra.

Returning: Brian Janes (12) 17:39; Greg Rodriguez (12) 19:14; Jerry Samaniego (12) 19:17. Downey expects the three seniors to stabilize his scoring group.

In the mix: Barry Bryant (12); Jayson Phillips (12), who transferred from Calvin Christian; Colin Donnelly (10); Alfonso Espinoza (10); Kevin Correnti (10). Downey expects one or more of these runners to shore up the pack.

The outlook: Saints has moved from being a team of potential to being the logical league favorite. Their top group is very solid, and Greene and Sullivan will continue to develop into very good runners. They also seem the strongest of any CIF Division IV groups. Downey seems to low-key his chances, but that's just his style.

Scripps Ranch
Division: Two.
Coach: Bob Oliver.

BOYS: 36 runners.

Returning: Ronald Anderson (12) 17:36; Ricky Treglio (12) 18:29; Patrick Grimes (10) 18:37; Robert Anderson (11) 20:15. Anderson came on and ran strong throughout the cross country season and also added a 10:06 for 3200 in track. He is the best of the returnees.

New: Oliver has beefed up the front of his pack with the addition of a couple of good runners: Steve Rider (12), and Mike Stokes (11). Rider is a swimmer who also ran track last year. Both are fitting in well on this team, and Oliver expects the pair to push Anderson in the top spot. A couple of others might break into the varsity: Jonathan Hester (9) and Ardy Arianpour (11). Hester, said Oliver, "has a great work ethic. He may be a year away from really taking off." Arianpour has speed, with a 400 in the 51-range, but needs distance experience.

The outlook: All of the other coaches in the league are keeping an eye on Scripps. They know Oliver's reputation, and they know the team won't have two bad years in a row. Oliver said, "The success of the team will depend on how close a pack we can run. We could do OK in the league."

GIRLS: 18 runners.

The leaders: Scripps had the best depth of any county team through four places last year. Three of those runners return, including Emily McFarland (10) 15:16; Kristina Stasko (11) 15:20; and Kelly Grimes (11) 15:34. Those three finished, respectively, second, third and sixth in the CIF Division II race last year. In track, McFarland ran 2:21 and 5:21 times, and Grimes had bests of 5:22 and 11:22. Stasko missed the spring season with a broken foot, but she is also a legitimate track athlete (with a 5:10 as a frosh). Her injury has put her behind McFarland and Grimes at this point, but she is just about at the point where she will begin to make up ground. By season's end, she could be all the way back. As for McFarland and Grimes, they have spent the summer "really working hard," according to Oliver.

Returning: Kim Rogoff (12) 16:47; Angeline Spain (11) 17:17; Shannon Winkel (12) 17:38; Lauren Freiser (12). Freiser is one of the keys to this team. She basically missed most of last year, but now returns healthy and fit. Rogoff, last year's number five, can now key on Freiser during races. "Freiser is very tough mentally," Oliver said. "She'll push Rogoff, and make them both better." Spain, a year younger than those two, is another possibility, although she is more of an 800/1600 type.

New: Lyndsy Hassett (10). She ran track and, "might help us out," Oliver said.

The outlook: "I think we can be as good, if not better, than last year," Oliver said. As good as last year? Remember, Scripps was second in Division II at Fresno, 30 points behind national power Yucaipa. Better than last year? Scary, indeed. But Oliver thinks that his top three, "will only get better," and he's looking for improvement from his other scorers. At this point, the only county team that outranks Scripps is Orange Glen, with their great depth of quality through their top seven. The Scripps girls are a legitimate state power.

University of SD
Division: Four.
Coach: Rob Winters. Assisted by Terry Martin.

BOYS: 20 runners.

Best runner: Dane Bitterlin (11) 17:37. "He had a really good summer," Winters said. "In the last weeks, he really got into it." Bitterlin should develop into one of the best in the league.

Returning: Tim Yee (12) 19:10.

Up from JVs: Jason Smith (10), Christian Malcolm (12).

New: Pat Higby (11), Erik Hanley (10). Higby has a soccer background, and Hanley is the younger brother of Vanessa Hanley.

The outlook: It's a young team, and "not very deep," said Winters. Bitterlin is a good talent, but the talent needs to develop after that. It didn't help matters when Tom Igo, who was right behind Bitterlin last year (and was also a soph), transferred to Orange Glen.

GIRLS: 25 runners.

Best runner: Courtney Baird (10), 15:10, last year's CIF champ in Division III. In track, she ran 5:16 and 11:14, but suffered from a viral condition in mid-season. She seems healthy now, and "put in a lot of miles," over the summer.

Injured: Julie Ott (12), a 5:02 1600-runner. She injured a knee playing soccer over the summer and is considered out for the season. Winters thinks that she'll be able to return for the track season.

Busy: Lori Giacinti (12), who 5:08 and 11:07 track times last spring, considered running cross country but is also involved in soccer and ASB activities. She is not out.

Returning: Ronya Shatila (11) 17:20; Erin Shea (12) 17:30; Susan Gistaro (11) 18:10; Stephanie Fischer (12) 19:06; Kristen Epperson (12). Most of these girls have formed the nucleus of the pack for a few years. Right now, Shatila, Gistaro and Epperson are in the best shape after good off-seasons of preparation.

New: Jackie Ott (10), who is Julie's sister, didn't run cross country last year, but tried track as a frosh and ran 5:25 and 11:55 times. She is currently the number two runner on the team and, "she looks good. She put in over 400 miles over the summer," Winters said.

The outlook: Baird is a very strong number one, and Jackie Ott is a good number two. There's a gap back to the three-to-five runners as of now, and it needs to close up if Uni is to be competitive with the top teams in this league. The Dons are in Division IV in the CIF, however, where the competition does not include teams like Scripps Ranch and La Jolla.

What could have been: A University team with Baird, both Otts, and Giacinti would have been awesome, possibly comparable to Scripps Ranch, and it would have done some very serious damage at the state level in Division IV.

University City
Division: Three.
Coach: Frank Browne.

BOYS: 25 runners.

Returning: Jon Landau (11) 17:44; Jon O'Connor (10) 19:00; Marc Nierman (12) 19:12; Simon Baird (12) 20:02. Landau and O'Connor were near the top of the county in their respective grade levels last year, and are continuing to develop. One or two runners of this group will emerge at some point.

The depth: To be provided by Matt Whaite (10), Jarod Hersh (10), Tony Saipe (9), Charles McKeown (9), Jose Barba (12), and Ivan Nunez (12). Barba and Nunez are returning to the sport after a year's absence. Browne says Whaite has already joined the lead group.

The outlook: Last year's team was very young. This year they're still young, but ready to take a step forward. They are going in the right direction, and could be a factor in the league.

GIRLS: 25 runners.

Returning: Jenny Bergen (11) 16:41; Paige Caldwell (10) 17:46; Leslie Crews (10) 18:02; Cynthia Johnson (12) 18:11; Alyson Fisher (12) 19:32; Veronica Lollis (10) 19:36; Vanessa Oseroff (11); Natalie Douglas (10). Bergen ran 11:55 for 3200 in track, and Lollis and Oseroff seem much improved from last year.

New: Katherine Ziegler (9), Kimberly Saam (11), Jackie Overton (9), Rebecca McKeown (9), Megan Brunn (9). Ziegler has the potential to make a big impact on this team. She won the frosh division at West Hills in her first effort, in good time.

The outlook: Last year's leader, Bergen, now has company at the front, with frosh Ziegler, and sharply improved mates Lollis and Oseroff, among others. "It is a strong front five," Browne said. These girls can run, but can they compete with teams like Scripps and La Jolla? This could be a team to watch; much will depend on the consistency of the mid-pack runners, because the talent at the top of the roster seems genuine.

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