Long may you run

Local squads chase defending section, state and national champions at Newbury Park




LABOR OF LOVE—Agoura High boys’ cross country runners stay socially distant while running laps on Sept. 8 at Chumash Park. The Chargers captured the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 title in 2019. MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers

LABOR OF LOVE—Agoura High boys’ cross country runners stay socially distant while running laps on Sept. 8 at Chumash Park. The Chargers captured the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 title in 2019. MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers

In this new world, cross country simply makes sense.

Seriously, is any other sport better equipped to adapt to social distancing than long-distance running?

Local high school cross country runners continue training diligently during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Newbury Park boasts defending state championship boys’ and girls’ teams. The Panther boys galloped to a national title in Oregon.

Agoura’s boys seized a CIF-Southern Section championship and took third at state.

Oak Park, Oaks Christian, Westlake and Calabasas continue racking up miles for a season slated to start Dec. 26, the day after Christmas. Most coaches anticipate racing in earnest in January.

AGOURA CHARGERS

The Chargers just keep humming.

Agoura’s boys, who secured a Division 3 section title last fall, have been following the coaching staff’s workouts and safety protocols while training six days a week.

Nobody’s caught COVID-19. Nobody’s been injured. The safety measures have been working.

AGOURA CHARGERS

AGOURA CHARGERS

“We really haven’t skipped a beat,” boys’ head coach Colin Pratt said.

Agoura, which returns to the Marmonte League after a two-year sojourn in the Coastal Canyon League, resumed on-campus outdoor workouts on Sept. 1 in small groups of 10.

“That was pretty surreal,” Pratt said.

Ethan Godsey leads the Bolts. The junior, who clocked 1,600 meters in 4 minutes and 33 seconds on the opening day of practice, sets the tone for this group.

Ben Klepper, who was in the lineup for the section championship team, is a returning senior.

“He’s really going after it,” the coach said of Klepper.

Thomas Van Fleet, a varsity alternate during the 2019 postseason, is a junior to watch. Dan Barreto is a talented sophomore.

Teammates call senior Max Kirkhope “Captain Kirk.” Kirkhope and Klepper are co-captains. Sophomores Evan Shrier and Jacob Shain, and freshmen Devin Benning, Tyson Carew and DJ Jacob are promising youngsters.

OAK PARK EAGLES

OAK PARK EAGLES

Georgia McCorkle is a junior star on the girls’ side. She placed 27th at state last year and 12th at section finals. She’s one of the Marmonte’s most talented athletes.

Aminah Merchant, a senior captain, is a returning runner who battled injuries last fall. Merchant is a good leader who motivates her teammates, girls’ head coach Joe Byrd said.

Veronica Perry, a senior, and juniors Kelsey Heffernan and Phoebe Roberts have varsity experience. Payton Godsey is a freshman newcomer to watch.

OAK PARK EAGLES

The Eagles continue to improve a little bit every day.

“As far as the physical part of it, they’re doing a great job with it,” said Steve White, Oak Park’s head coach. “They look like they’re physically progressing quite nicely without overdoing it.”

The Birds are tentatively planning their first fall workout on Sept. 21.

WESTLAKE WARRIORS

WESTLAKE WARRIORS

“We’re going to pick up right where we left off,” White said.

During the offseason, Eagle runners have been logging their runs and times online.

They will slowly increase their distance until race day. If all goes well, the season will begin Jan. 8 at the Cool Breeze Invitational in Pasadena near the Rose Bowl.

Jack Gilbert is a junior with wheels.

“He’s looking really strong,” White said of Gilbert.

Wyatt Tack, a hardworking senior, is a captain who has been steadily improving his craft.

Leo Mazzocco and Rahul Naveen are juniors to watch. Luc Lepin is a talented sophomore.

Hayden Brown and Michael Golden are seniors.

On the girls’ squad, Peyton Blackwell is a dynamic sophomore.

“She’s a really hard worker,” the coach said of Blackwell. “She’s just competitive. She hates to lose. She’s a fearless runner.”

Madison Parrone, a junior captain, is a positive leader on and off the trails.

OAKS CHRISTIAN LIONS

OAKS CHRISTIAN LIONS

Neha Jag, a junior, keeps things light while working hard during training sessions.

Nina Russillo, the sister of Oak Park football quarterback Richard Russillo, hopes to build on her strong rookie campaign. The coach praised the sophomore: “She’s a kid who never says anything negative. She’s just a fantastic person.”

Analise Vidriezca, a junior, and Allyson Youde, a sophomore, will compete for spots in the girls’ lineup. Twin sisters Alexa and Miranda Pinon are intriguing freshmen; White hasn’t seen them dazzle in person, but the older runners tell their coach that the rookies can move.

Cross country is one of the most popular sports at Oak Park. White said he expects 100 athletes to join the program by January.

“As things continue to get better, people are going to realize sports, especially non-contact and outside all the time, is a real positive way to get active while staying safe,” the coach said.

CALABASAS COYOTES

CALABASAS COYOTES

WESTLAKE WARRIORS

Chad Scott, Westlake’s head coach, is not a fan of pod workouts.

The Warriors are allowed to train in groups of 10. In that case, only 30 teens and three coaches could practice at one time.

That doesn’t work for Scott.

It’s not a team practice if the entire team can’t practice together.

“We want to be there for all the kids,” Scott said. “We wouldn’t know which 30 kids to say, ‘You guys and girls can practice with the coaches, and the other 40 of you, you can’t.’”

The Warriors train individually, following their coaches’ virtual guidance.

Owen Kobett leads the boys’ squad.

The senior captain qualified for state in 2019, and he owns the second fastest time in school history for a three-mile race: He completed the Riverside course at the CIF-Southern Section finals in 14 minutes, 56 seconds.

Brothers Adam and David Burroughs, sophomore KC Barber, and juniors James Sutton and Ben Hefner are Warriors to watch. Adam Burroughs is a senior; his brother is a sophomore.

Sydney Covington, a junior, and Ruby Sirota-Foster, a senior, are the top two returners on the girls’ team. The captains helped the Tribe reach the state meet in 2018.

“They have the ability, drive and desire to compete well,” the coach said of Covington and Sirota-Foster.

Kali Traversa, Alyssa Wood and Ava Basile are sophomores with varsity experience.

The Warriors will race in the virtual Woodbridge Invitational from Sept. 12 to 18; each runner will have to find a three-mile stretch in that period and run as fast they can, tracking their results on a GPS device or the Strava app.

“Even though we can’t all be together, we still want them to view this as a team event,” Scott said, who ordered Westlake shirts and sweatshirts. “I wanted to remind them we are Westlake cross country. Even though we can’t be together, we can have the same mindset and mentality.”

OAKS CHRISTIAN LIONS

The Lions are focused on their training.

Despite distractions all around them, they have channeled their energy into running with purpose.

“The varsity kids have been working very hard,” head coach Wes Smith said. “I think they have taken advantage of the uniqueness of not being in school—we’re still in (virtual) school six hours.”

Much of California has shut down, but Oaks Christian is a safe haven, Smith said.

Cross country, football and water polo athletes are practicing. Smith, who’s also Oaks Christian’s lead athletic trainer, has helped make sure sports returned safely to campus.

“Honestly, I think kids are safer going to school here than going to the grocery store,” he said.

The Lions have not had any athletes or coaches contract the coronavirus to date.

“We’re super safe here, and of course, everything’s been outdoors,” the coach said.

Lion runners are gearing up for a big winter.

Luke Ricci, a senior, has logged countless hours and miles to surge to the front of the boys’ pack.

Will Gratke, a junior, and Ishan Dubal, a sophomore, are strong distance runners.

Morgan Malloy, a sophomore transfer from Valencia, boosts the lineup.

Chris Sottile, a junior, and Chris Pellettiere, a freshman, are currently in the mix for the No. 5 spot in the lineup.

Anika Erenborn leads the girls’ squad.

“She’s doing very well,” the coach said of the senior. “She’s rallying the other girls together.”

Sophomores Gianna Sanchez and Sarah Colbrooke have started coming into their own; they’re on the cusp of enjoying breakout seasons.

Grace Geyer, who is one of five freshmen girls, is expected to make an immediate impact on varsity.

“I’m proud of them for working and developing and getting better in such a unique and challenging time,” Smith said of all his runners. “I do believe we’re getting better.”

CALABASAS COYOTES

Andy Ligeti, the Coyotes’ first-year head coach, was hired in July.

A Simi Valley resident, Ligeti has been running for 43 years. The former Calabasas and Agoura resident started the Frazier Mountain High program in 2005, and he’s also assisted at Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks.

“We’ve got some work to do, but I’m excited, I really am,” Ligeti said of the Coyotes.

Ligeti hasn’t met any of his runners in person. Calabasas planned to begin on-campus training Sept. 8.

“The key here is to be safe and to be cautious,” the coach said. “We’re going to put together a competitive team. We have our work cut out.”

Follow Eliav Appelbaum on Twitter @EliavAppelbaum.

RUNNERS TO WATCH

Ethan Godsey, Agoura
Ben Klepper, Agoura
Georgia McCorkle, Agoura
Aminah Merchant, Agoura
Jack Gilbert, Oak Park
Wyatt Tack, Oak Park
Peyton Blackwell, Oak Park
Madison Parrone, Oak Park
Owen Kobett, Westlake
Adam Burroughs, Westlake
Sydney Covington, Westlake
Ruby Sirota-Foster, Westlake
Luke Ricci, Oaks Christian
Ishan Dubal, Oaks Christian
Anika Erenborn, Oaks Christian
Grace Geyer, Oaks Christian