SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Cross Country

Midseason report

Titan harriers indeed proving terrific

By Phillip Brents

Posted Oct. 19, 2004

The 2004 high school cross country season expected to be a memorable one for the Eastlake Titans. Halfway through the season, it has been.

The Eastlake girls team defeated perennial Mesa League power Bonita Vista by a 22-33 score on Oct. 8. The victory against the Barons is a first for the Titans program since moving up to the Mesa League from the lower enrollment South Bay League in 2002. Eastlake’s girls team takes a 3-0 league record into its next dual meet Oct. 29 at Discovery Park against likewise undefeated Chula Vista in a showdown for Mesa League supremacy.

The Titans started the season with 15-50 sweeps against Southwest on Oct. 1 before meeting Bonita Vista the following week at Discovery Park. The Barons captured the boys race by a 19-38 score but Eastlake scored its history-making win in the girls race led by freshman Heather Voigt, who timed 15:16 for 2.25 miles.

The Titans swept Montgomery on Oct. 14, winning the boys race 24-35 and capturing the girls race by a 20-42 team score despite failing to place the top individual in each race.

The Titans also raced against Castle Park and San Yisdro in a combined meet alongside Montgomery. Eastlake swept Castle Park and San Ysidro in unofficial scoring, winning both the boys and girls varsity race against Castle Park by 21-34 scores and 15-50 against San Ysidro in both races.

According to Titan coach Joe Stubbs, top runners on the girls team this season have been freshman standout Voigt, sophomore Tania Andrade and freshman Daphnee Dion while Jenny Arriola, Maria Lisa Crimi and Sarah McKinney have improved each week.

Stubbs said the best news the team has received is that last year's track first team all-league miler Melanie DeSalvo is set to return to racing action soon after recovering from a back ailment.

Eastlake’s top five boys runners include Andy Sist, Eric Fujikawa, Alex Oleata, Mike Clark and Jeff Welch. The Titans are 2-1 in league dual meets, with the victories the first scored by the team in three years of Mesa League competition.

“All the training is set to prep them all for league finals here in a few more weeks. What is gratifying is seeing that win or lose, the teams we race now know that running against Eastlake is no longer an automatic win. These kids are competitive, train hard and give it their all. What more could a coach ask for?” Stubbs said.