El Capitan High School’s boys and girls cross country teams scored a season of plenty last fall by sweeping to Grossmont North League championship titles. The accolades were especially rewarding for a team laden with so many young runners. The Vaqueros are back this season, seemingly stronger than ever, but will still face a strong challenge from rival West Hills for this year’s league banner.

Photo: The El Capitan boys cross country team looks in strong position to defend its Grossmont North League title. Top row, left to right, are Miles Segni, Patrick Green, Kevin Watters and Kyle Phipps. Bottom row: Kyle Phipps, Mike Poffenbarger and Chris Torres.

West Hills, in fact, may be just as strong as El Capitan in terms of returning and incoming talent. The Wolf Pack returns its top five runners from last year’s league finals while the girls team did not lose any impact varsity runners from its top seven league finishers last season.

"We believe that we have a chance at repeating as league champs and perhaps even a chance at the third spot at CIF for a state meet berth," said Garcia in forecasting the fortunes of this year’s boys squad.

El Capitan’s boys team finished 10th at last year’s San Diego Section Division 2 championship meet.

Garcia said the Vaquero girls team is also looking to defend its league title against what he termed "a very strong West Hills team."

In order to do so, El Capitan will be relying on new additions who will develop as the season progresses and possibly make a big impact at the CIF level by season’s end.

"We know what our goals are and we are going to take this season one step at a time," Garcia said in reference to the fortunes of the girls team.

Top returners off last year’s league championship boys team include sophomore Kyle Phipps, the team’s top freshmen finisher (fourth-place at the Grossmont North finals), senior Kevin Watters (an 800-meter CIF finalist during the spring track and field season and 2004 all-league cross country finisher) and senior Rhett Stous, another 2004 all-league cross country runner. Watters and Stous were fifth and sixth, respectively, at last year’s Grossmont North League finals.

Top girls returners include junior Stephanie Cook (2004 all-league cross country, 2005 All-CIF in the 3,200 meters during the track season), senior Mallory Bawkey (2004 all-league, 2004 top 25 placer at the CIF finals), sophomore Christy James (2004 all-league, fourth in the Grossmont Conference, 13th place at the CIF finals and a finalist in the 1,600 meters at the 2005 CIF track championships).

Photo: El Capitan's girls cross country team features a strong core of young but talented runners. Top row, lef to right, are Stephanie Cook, Christy James, Ashley Kaerey and Mallory Bawkey. Bottom row: Ashley Tillery, Katie Martin and Jamie Ferguson.

Senior Ashley Tillery was a finalist in the 800 meters at last spring’s CIF track finals and ranks as the most improved girl runner on the team, according to the coaching staff, while sophomore Jamie Ferguson, finished 11th at last year’s league finals -– one spot off earning place all-league status.

Junior Mike Poffenbarger, the 2004 Grossmont Conference junior varsity league cross country champion, keys the list of impact newcomers on the boys team. He is joined this year by sophomore Chris Torres (a third-place finisher in the JV track 3,200-meter finals), junior Patrick Green (a strong No. 6 runner) and junior Jarred Atkinson (brother of former El Capitan great Cassie Atkinson and regarded as the best No. 7 runner in long time for El Capitan).

Impact girls runners include freshman Katie Martin, who could rank among the best freshmen in a very long time (which would be amazing considering the All-CIF frosh season turned in by James in 2004-05 in cross country and track and sophomore Ashley Kearney (a 400-meter runner from last spring’s track team).

Phipps turned in the top time of 8:15 for 1.65 miles in the boys frosh/soph Division 2 race at this year’s Vaquero Stampede, held Sept. 3 at Lindo Lake park in Lakeside. Torres was fourth in 8:48. Miles Segni was sixth in 9:00.

Poffenbarger (second, 11:12), Watters (fourth, 11:31), Stous (fifth, 11:34) and Patrick Green (sixth, 11:49) dominated the top half of the boys junior/senior 2.15-mile race.

El Capitan swept the top three finishing positions in the girls frosh/soph Division 2 race, with James (9:44), Martin (10:15) and Ferguson (10:25) leading the pack on the 1.65-mile course. The result was the same in the girls junior/senior race as Cook (9:55), Bawkey (10:07) and Tillery (10:16) ran to the top three times.

Granite Hills Josh Sandoval (last year’s Grossmont Conference champion) was third in the boys junior/senior Division 1 race with a time of 10:33.

Valhalla’s Tony Bareno, a returning state qualifier, won the boys junior race race with a time of 10:51 for 2.1 miles at the season-opening Wolf Pack Invitational at West Hills High School on Sept. 2. Monte Vista’s Muluken Beressa was second in 10:56.

West Hills’ Dan Gonia, another returning state qualifier, placed third in the boys senior race with a time of 11:18. He was trailed by a pair of Monte Vista runners: Michael Ramirez (fourth, 11:22) and Patrick Palmiter (fifth, 11:33).

Valhalla’s Brian Randlett finished third in the boys sophomore race in 12:18 while Norsemen teammate Brett Johnson was fifth in 12:40.

Two Helix runners topped the boys freshmen field: Chase Roberts (first, 8:35) and Elijah Sims (second, 8:46). Valhalla’s Ryan Doherty was fourth (8:52) in the 1.6-mile race.

West Hills’ Kristen Peters (9:17) and Johanna Fisherova (9:33) were first and second respectively, in the girls senior race (1.6 miles). The two runners were first and second at last year’s Grossmont North League championship meet. Peters went on to place second at ensuing San Diego Section Division II championships while Fisherova was ninth. The Wolf Pack also notched the fifth and eighth runners in the race to finish with four runners among the top eight placers.