Teams lose their share of talent

The local cross-country teams competing for the four high schools had

their share of talented runners last season.

However, graduation has hit many of the squads hard, as a group of

talented athletes has moved on. Standouts like Katie Vahoviak, Daniel

Anderson, Gerad Herkey, Jeff Pang and Ryan Christoffersen have become

a memory.

But a new crop of runners is ready and poised to make its mark and

become among the elite in the city.

Graduation of the top runners also means the annual Burbank

All-City titles will be up for grabs. Last season, Burroughs’

Vahoviak was the girls’ champion and Bell-Jeff’s Herkey took the

boys’ title.

The meet will take place at 3 p.m. Sept. 15 at Griffith Park. This

season, only Burbank, Burroughs and Bell-Jeff will take part, as

Providence will be competing in a Liberty League meet the same day.

With the season set to begin Thursday, here is how the teams are

shaping up.

BURROUGHS

Although Vahoviak has moved on -- she is at Long Beach State --

the Indian girls’ team has five of its top seven runners back.

Last season, Burroughs advanced to the CIF Southern Section

Division II final at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut. It was the

first time Burroughs made it to the elite meet. The team also placed

third in the tough Foothill League.

Leading the way will be juniors Michelle Martinez and Lilyana

Morejon and sophomore Sadee Martinez. The Martinezes hope to use the

experience they gained during last year’s trip to the CIF track and

field preliminaries in the 800- and 1600-meters, respectively, to

lead this year’s cross-country squad back to the postseason.

“Lilyana, Michelle and Sadee will be our leaders this year, but

when it comes to achieving team success, which is our ultimate goal,

it will be the responsibility of all six of our girls to make it

happen,” Burroughs Coach John Peebles said.

Senior Brenda Santana, who made an impact by running in place of

an injured Morejon during the middle of last season, returns with an

increased role, while returning sophomore Kerry Hodgins and

first-year senior Audrey Akcasu -- a star swimmer -- will compete for

the final scoring position.

On the boys’ side, with Anderson gone, the Indians will be looking

for a runner to step up and take the lead role for a team that

finished third in league a year ago.

The team will return three of its top seven athletes from last

year.

Seniors Adrian Harrison, Alex Sandoval and Morgan Walker will look

to lead the team using the experience they have gained running at the

varsity level for the past two seasons.

Peebles said Walker looks strong going into his final season and

has claimed the position as the team’s top runner after a strong

summer.

Pushing the returnees for a top spot will be junior James Larsen,

while seniors Benji Baker, Chris Jackson, and Vernon Roque will be

looking to hold off a group of youngsters -- sophomores Bryce Burton,

Juan Mendoza and Chase Western and freshman Dustin Blankenship -- for

the remaining three varsity spots.

“I want our team to be good, so hopefully some friendly team

competition will enable us to find success as a team,” Peebles said.

“I will not be surprised if the top seven changes from week to

week. It will be all about earning your spot.”

BURBANK

After struggling last season in league, the Bulldog girls’ team

failed to make it to the post season, as it did in 2003.

Michelle Horgan returns for her junior year and looks to be

returning to form after an injury-plagued 2004 season. She will be

joined by Nelly Shamirian, the sole senior on the varsity team, and

freshmen Kristina Amela, whom Coach Darin Wolf said should have an

immediate impact.

Juniors Kiran Jolly and Natasha Christoffersen, sophomore Rasa

Reynolds and freshman Agnes Kirakosyan round out the Burbank squad.

“The only thing I can say for sure is that we have the talent to

get there [CIF],” Wolf said.

“This league is tough. All three of the Foothill League teams that

qualified for CIF last year made it to CIF finals, so it will take a

lot of hard work to get there this year.”

The Bulldogs field a young boys’ squad with no senior leadership.

The majority of the team should be composed of sophomores coming off

of an outstanding track season in which two of them broke 4 minutes

50 seconds in the mile.

Aksel Kirakosyan will likely be the No. 1 runner, but Matt Carey

and Gevorg Kazaryan should be right on his heals, along with fellow

sophomores Ryan Williams and Forest Goodbar.

Juniors Wyatt Kessler and Andrew Harris are the veterans on the

team, both with varsity experience. They are joined by junior Aram

Simonian, a Junior National swimmer who might land himself in the top

seven.

“We have a good young group of hard working runners,” said boys’

Coach Trevor Marca, a former Bulldog standout distance runner. “Due

to our lack of upperclassmen, they are being forced to grow up fast,

and in a way, being thrown to the wolves.

“I believe they are up for the challenge, though, and will succeed

in their goal of qualifying for the CIF playoffs.”

Like usual, Canyon is expected to have the top girls’ and boys’

teams in league.

BELLARMINE-JEFFERSON

Herkey and Pang were the big 1-2 punch last season for the Guard

boys’ team, as both advanced to the CIF-State Cross-Country

Championship.

“We not only lost our top two guns, but we lost our No. 3 gun as

well,” said Bell-Jeff Coach Jim Couch about No. 3 runner Chris

Ibrahim, a sophomore, who transferred.

“So, a lot of people might think we aren’t going to be any good,

but we might surprise some people.”

Couch said he expects to be competing against La Salle and

Salesian for the top league spots.

Senior Brian Lira and juniors Jimmy Gonzalez and Josh Lepe could

all contribute.

For the Bell-Jeff girls’ team, it should have a fine double threat

in senior Amber Herkey and sophomore Gabby Gonzalez.

“Amber is a good runner, but Gabby has beaten her a couple of

times,” Couch said.

Sophomores Alana Segura and Joille Hajj, senior Nikki Taylor and

freshman Geo Gonzelez are also expected to come through.

“This is our last season in the Sunshine League, and our girls

want to go out with a league championship,” Couch said.

Next season, Bell-Jeff will go back with many of the old Camino

Real League teams, in a league that might carry a new name.

“I am expecting that La Salle and Marlborough should have pretty

good teams. But we are hoping to be right up there with them,” Couch

said.

PROVIDENCE

Pioneer Coach Michelle Boucher has a nice group of young runners

on the girls’ side.

‘We have four runners who are pretty good and who are all running

close to the same times,” Boucher said.

The athletes are sophomores Natalie Majidi, Audra Lydon and Taylor

Adney and junior Ashley Gurrero.

The Pioneer boys’ team should have a competitive pair in seniors

in Joey Henderson and John Scheerer.