RUNNER OF THE YEAR

Heyden Wooff, Camarillo, Jr.

Heyden Wooff entered the season intent on breaking several Camarillo school records.

By the time he's done next year, Wooff might be rewriting the area record books as well.

Wooff's first invitational win came at the Woodbridge Classic in 14:08, the No. 2 time in meet history. He went on to repeat as Pacific View League and Ventura County champion.

Wooff was second in the Divs. I-II sweepstakes race at Mt. SAC in 14:48, then lowered his mark to 14:35 to break Eric Reynolds' school record (14:39) at the Southern Section Div. II final.

A sore back resulted in a fifth-place finish for Wooff at the Div. II state meet (15:12) and a 13 th-place effort at the Foot Locker Western Regionals (15:57).

FIRST TEAM

SEAN DAVIDSON (Royal, Sr.)

The unsung hero of the Highlanders' dominant regular-season run, which included sweepstakes victories at the Woodbridge, Clovis and Mt.SAC invitationals. After placing third at the Marmonte League final, Davidson took 11 th (15:17) at the Southern Section Div. I final and placed 10 th (15:29) at the Div. I state meet, contributing to the Highlanders' runner-up finishes in both races behind Dana Hills. He capped the season by placing 59 th (15:59) — Royal's No. 2 runner — at Nike Cross Nationals in Oregon.

TRAVIS EDWARDS (Royal, Sr.)

Edwards was the star in the area's most talented lineup, helping

the Highlanders place 15 th at Nike Cross Nationals in Oregon, where he finished 43 rd on the 5,000-meter course in 15:50. Edwards' finest effort came Nov. 5 at the Marmonte League final, winning the title in 14:57 at Agoura High. The four-year varsity athlete followed that performance by taking third Nov. 21 at the Southern Section Div. I final (14:57) and sixth at the Nov. 28 state meet (15:18).

 

KEVIN JOERGER (Thousand Oaks, Sr.)

After the Lancers captured a Southern Section Div. II title last season, it was a rebuilding year this season for Thousand Oaks, but that didn't affect Joerger's performance. Following a runner-up effort (15:13) behind Royal's Travis Edwards at the Marmonte League final, Joerger was ninth (15:23) at the Southern Section Div. II final, 17 th (15:36) at the state championship and 22 nd (16:05) at the Foot Locker Western Regionals. Joerger also won his Div. II race (15:19) at the Mt. SAC Invitational.

THOMAS McGUAN (Canyon, Sr.)

After running in the shadow of Golden Valley's Seth Totten during Foothill League competition, McGuan shined during the postseason, helping the Cowboys place fifth at the Div. II state meet, ahead of rival Saugus. McGuan's sixth-place effort (15:19) at the Southern Section Div. II final contributed to Canyon taking sixth behind the fourth-place Centurions. But the Cowboys rebounded the following week at Woodward Park, led by McGuan, who finished 18 th on the 5,000-meter course (15:37).

ANTHONY MONROY (Burroughs, Soph.)

Few runners could keep up with Arcadia junior Ammar Moussa, but the fearless Monroy did his best to challenge the Div. I state champion during Pacific League competition. Monroy, who won his Div. I race (15:26) at the Mt. SAC Invitational, took second to Moussa at the league final at Griffith Park, before finishing third in his Div.I heat at the Southern Section prelims in a personal-best 15:13 at Mt. SAC. Monroy went on to place 21 st at the Div. I final.

JAVERT SOLORZANO (Granada Hills, Sr.)

Along with San Pedro's Pablo Rosales and Birmingham's Mizreal Mendez, Solorzano contributed to an exceptional year for City Section runners. Solorzano won his Div. I race (15:28) at the Mt. SAC Invitational, then captured the West Valley League title Nov. 8 at Pierce College in 15:14. He finished second in a personal-best 15:04 behind Rosales at the City Section final Nov. 21 at Pierce, then took eighth (15:24) at the Div. I state meet at Woodward Park. Solorzano also won his Div. I race at Mt. SAC (15:28).

SETH TOTTEN (Golden Valley, Sr.)

Motivated by a narrow defeat to Saugus' Brandon Jauregui at last year's Foothill League final, Totten dominated the state's deepest league, capturing the title in 14:46 at Central Park. Totten's second-place finish (15:07) was the catalyst for Golden Valley to win the Div. III sweepstakes at the Mt. SAC Invitational. He followed with a fifth-place effort (15:11) at the Southern Section Div. III final to help the Grizzlies place third, then delivered a seventh-place result (15:24) at the state meet for Golden Valley, which improved from 11 th last year to third. Totten concluded with a 17 th-place finish at the Foot Locker Western Regionals (16:00).

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

MIZREAL MENDEZ (Birmingham, Jr.)

The Mt. Whitney of Visalia transfer led the Patriots to a runner-up finish at the section final and an 11 th-place result at the Div. I state meet. Mendez took second to Granada Hills' Javert Solorzano at the West Valley League championship meet, then finished third at the City final (15:08) behind San Pedro's Pablo Rosales (14:31) and Solorzano (15:04). Mendez clocked 15:32.9 at the Div. I state meet to place 13 th at Woodward Park.

COACH OF THE YEAR

LEO HERNANDEZ (Monroe)

The Vikings have dominated the Valley Mission League for more than a decade, but repeating as City Section champion appeared to be a daunting task because of injuries and illness. Through the adversity, Hernandez remained optimistic that Monroe could pull it together by the City final and the Vikings responded Nov. 21 with another title. Monroe had five runners in the top 20 to defeat both Birmingham and Granada Hills by 17 points.

SECOND TEAM

Sean Grumney, Newbury Park, Jr.

Paul Jesson, Royal, Sr.

Jorge Mendez, Monroe, Sr.

Steven Melena, Eastside, Sr.

Alec Nelson, Saugus, Sr.

Sam Peckham, Hart, Soph.

Robert Pion, Saugus, Jr.

Korey Yoakum, Royal, Sr.

HONORABLE MENTION

David Abergel, Harvard-Westlake, Jr.; Dylan Alexander, Birmingham, Jr.; Konrad Antoniuk, Hart, Sr.; Danny Carrillo, Golden Valley, Soph.; Will Conway, Notre Dame, Jr.; Nolan Del Valle, Golden Valley, Fr.; Sam DeMello, Westlake, Sr.; Greg Dotson, Burbank, Sr.; Falco DiGiallonardo, Valencia, Jr.; Jahi Gains, Birmingham, Jr.; James Goldstein, Oak Park, Sr.; Timmy Gonzales, Canyon, Jr.; Bryan Guijarro, Knight, Soph.; A.J. Hebert, Saugus, Jr.; Kevin Heintz, Flintridge Prep, Sr.; Talmage Jones, Newbury Park, Sr.; Chris Low, Canyon, Sr.; Richard Lucas, Notre Dame, Jr.; Kristian Martinez, Golden Valley, Soph.; Jonathan Miller, Westlake, Jr.; Sumit Misra, Granada Hills, Sr.; Michel Noris, Canyon, Sr.; Kevin On, Harvard-Westlake, Jr.; Kyle Palazzolo, St. Francis, Jr.; Fabian Parra, Monroe, Sr.; Erik Pinuelas, Camarillo, Jr.; Aayush Shah, La Canada, Sr.; Logan Smith, Saugus, Jr.; Michael Vorgitch, Simi Valley, Jr.

TOP TEN RANKINGS

1. Royal 

2. Golden Valley 

3. Saugus 

4. Canyon 

5. Birmingham 

6. Monroe

7. Westlake

8. Newbury Park

9. Burroughs

10. Camarillo

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

Alpha: Paraclete

Rio Hondo: La Canada

Desert Mtn.: Desert Chr.

Pacific: Arcadia

East Valley: Poly

Pacific View: Camarillo

Foothill: Saugus

Santa Fe: Salesian

Golden: Quartz Hill

Tri-Valley: Oak Park

Liberty: Oakwood

Valley: Fulton Prep

Marmonte: Royal

Valley Mission: Monroe

Mission: Loyola

W. Valley: Granada Hills

RACE OF THE YEAR

Southern Section Div. II final (Nov. 21)

Camarillo's Heyden Wooff and Loyola's Elias Gedyon waited the entire season to go head to head on the 2.91-mile course at Mt. SAC, and once the juniors did, they delivered a race for the ages. Wooff took the lead with less than 400 meters remaining, before Gedyon's late surge won the race in 14:31, with Wooff clocking a school-record 14:35 — breaking Eric Reynolds' 1982 mark of 14:39 — and posting the No. 2 time in area history at Mt. SAC, trailing only Burbank's Jeff Nelson, who ran 14:32 in 1978.