10th annual Mustang Invitational

Defending CIF champion Monarchs reload rather than rebuid

By Phillip Brents

Posted Sept. 12, 2005

After losing four of its top seven runners last year to graduation, the defending San Diego Section Division II champion Monte Vista Monarchs boys cross country team might consider itself in a rebuilding mode for 2005. It appears that opponents, however, will have nothing of the sort to look forward to this season: the Monarchs are back and apparently just as strong as ever.

"Our goals are to challenge for team league and CIF titles," said coach Bob Muschek, whose squad has won the last three Grossmont South League championships and has made trips to the state championship meet the last two years, placing 10th in 2005 and 18th in 2004.

Top returners include seniors Michael Ramirez and Patrick Palmiter, both all-league runners in 2004. Palmiter placed eighth at last year’s Division II finals to earn First Team All-San Diego Section honors. Ramirez was 13th to earn Second Team All-San Diego Section honors.

Palmiter and Ramirez finished as the team’s top two runners at last year’s Division II section championship meet. Lost to graduation were the team’s third through sixth finishers: David Frehafer, Robbie McGrorty, Michael Wallace and Justin Bruce. Monte Vista’s top five scorers at the Division II finals finished with a 43-second spread.

They turned in a phenomenal 19-second spread at the state championship meet.

Junior Andrew Owens, who finished as the team’s seventh man at last year’s CIF section finals, joins Palmiter and Ramirez as a varsity returner.

With such a talent drain, one might think it would be time to downsize goals but the Monarchs have been impacted in a big way by newcomers Muluken Beressa and Juan Lepe, both juniors, and sophomore Darius Nocon. Beressa was a recruit from the spring track and field season while Lepe was the runner-up at last year’s Grossmont Conference junior varsity finals. Nocon was a top 20 finisher at last year’s conference JV finals.

Braced by its newcomers, Monte Vista has stepped off the 2005 season in impressive fashion. Beressa finished second in the boys junior race at the season-opening Wolf Pack Invitational Sept. 2 at West Hills High School while Ramirez and Palmiter were fourth and fifth, respectively, in the boys senior race.

The team’s potential was squarely put on display a week later at the 10^th Mustang Invitational at Rohr Park in Chula Vista as the Monarchs -- running without Ramirez in the lineup -- won the division team title.

"We weren’t expecting to do this great without him," Palmiter said, his voice etched with obvious amazement as well as satisfaction in recounting the Sept. 9 race.

Beressa finished second in the 3.1-mile race to Granite Hills senior Josh Sandoval, the reigning Grossmont Conference champion. Sandoval, who qualified as an individual for last year’s state championships, timed 16:08 in posting the fastest boys time of the day, followed by Beressa in 16:19 (second fastest on the day). Palmiter finished sixth in 17:08, followed by Lepe (17:19) in 13^th place, Nocon (17:50) in 29^th place and Owens (17:55) in 34^th place. The team’s sixth and seventh runners in the race were Connor Breen and Luis Escabosa. The Monarchs’ top five finishers (with a 47-second spread) all earned medals in the race.

As for Sandoval, the Granite Hills runner looks to dominate the course this season after placing fourth at last year’s Division I section race with the fifth fastest time among all 520 boys runners (all five divisions combined). Sandoval was the fourth fastest junior last year and the fourth fastest underclassman to compete. He finished 32^nd in his division at the state finals.

His goals appear firmly set for this season. "I want to make it to state. I want to try to go undefeated in league and win league again. I expected to make it to state last year but it was still a surprise when it came. I didn’t know about how exciting it was going to feel to be there. I didn’t have my best race (at the state meet) but it was fun," Sandoval said.

He could have company in Fresno this season. Alex Guaderrama finished fifth at the Mustang Invitational in 16:57, followed on the course by teammate Jake Schneider, who finished 45^th out of the 88 runners in the race.

Sandoval, for one, feels his team will challenge for this season’s Grossmont South League title. "I think we have a great chance a league," he said.

East County runners overall turned in impressive performances at this year’s Mustang Invitational that showcased more than 900 varsity and junior varsity runners.

Steele Canyon finished fourth in the girls Blue Division varsity team standings — just four points from earning a trophy. Megan Meyer (14:02) and Bethany Rangel (14:12) were sixth and seventh among individuals.

Granite Hills’ girls team was also pushing for a top three trophy finish, placing fifth just three points behind the Cougars. Among individuals, the Eagles were paced by Ashli Sandoval (ninth, 14:27), Gabby Black (12^th, 14:40) and Eric Gove (14^th, 14:44).

In the boys Blue Division varsity race, Steele Canyon finished 29 points ahead of Granite Hills to secure a sixth-place team finish. Overall, four of the top six individual finishes went to East County runners: Granite Hills’ Sandoval (first) and Guaderrama (fifth) and Monte Vista’s Beressa (second) and Palmiter (sixth). Kyle Fox (17:20) finished 14^th in the race as Steele Canyon’s top individual while Nolan Williams (21st, 17:28), Anup Patel (26^th, 17:49) and Adrian Sherrode (35^th, 17:55) also managed top 35place-finishes.

Monte Vista’s Heather Mayer led Monte Vista’s girls team with a 13^th place finish in the Silver Division varsity race (14:01 for 2.2 miles).

In the boys Silver Division varsity race, Mountain Empire seniors Jon Durflinger and Christopher Reed finished 12^th and 13^th to help the Redhawks to a 10^th place team finish.

Helix — led by Chase Roberts’ third-place individual finish — placed third in the boys Blue Division junior varsity race team standings.

Granite Hills – buoyed by Taryn Francel’s second-place individual finish -- placed fourth in the girls Blue Division JV team standings

El Capitan’s Christy James captured top honors in the Division II girls varsity race at this year’s meet, held Sept. 10 at Kit Carson Park in Escondido. James timed 11:46 on the two-mile course. Mallory Bawkey finished fourth in the race with a 12:09 time while the Vaqueros made it four finishers among the top eight placers with Stephanie Cook’s seventh-place finish in 12:18 and Katie Martin’s eighth-place finish in 12:23.

Kyle Phipps finished third in the boys Division II varsity race with a time of 10:14 for 2.0 miles. Mike Poffenbarger (10:35) was ninth in the race while Kevin Watters (10:38) was 12^th.

Also for El Capitan, Miles Segni won the Division II boys junior varsity/freshman raced while Amanda Holley placed second in the girls Division II junior varsity race.

Valhalla’s Michelle Dalton was 10^th in the girls Division II varsity race. In the boys Division II varsity race, Grossmont’s top finisher was Barrett Tilley (16^th, 10:52) while Anthony DeBarrows (18^th, 10:54) paced Santana.