Don’t call it a comeback at Newbury Park High.
Try a resurgence.
The Panthers cross country team is on the rise — a remarkable thing to say about a program that has won seven CIF-Southern Section championships since 2018, clinched four boys state titles in a row from 2018-2022 and counted names like Young, Sahlman and McDonnell among their ranks.
But for the first time since fourth-year head coach Kris Karsten took over from Sean and Tonya Brosnan, the shepherds of that epic run, the Panthers look like they are on the verge of dominating again.
“We have a team that is just completely on board with our philosophy, how we train, how we approach racing,” Karsten said. “It has just been so wonderful to see it actually happening.”
The Newbury Park boys
team is ranked No. 1 and the girls team is No. 3 in the PrepCalTrack CIF-SS Division 2 rankings..
Senior Eli Zasloff boasts the seventh-fastest boys time in the state over three miles (14:07.3) and sophomore Paul Goetze ran within 1.1 seconds of the Panthers’ sophomore class record held by Colin Sahlman, who is now a sponsored professional runner with Nike, in a breakout race at the Woodbridge XC Classic last month.
The feeling of building something new, while standing on the shoulders of past Panthers greats, has this Newbury Park squad energized.
“(We are) bringing back the heritage of Newbury Park, being proud of wearing our jersey out there and representing who we are,” Zasloff said.
Newbury Park edged out Westlake by one point, 36-37, in the girls race at the Marmonte XC Preview. The Panthers put all five scoring runners in the top 10, led by sophomore Zara Konkader and senior Helena Rieckewald-Schmidt.
“They are learning that, if you don’t put limits on yourselves, you can achieve a heck of a lot,” Karsten said of his girls team. “The girls have really adopted this mindset of, ‘Why can’t we do this? Let’s try it.’ ”
Div. 3 is a proving ground
The battle for Ventura County’s top girls team might just run through Division 3 this year.
With changes to enrollments this offseason, Westlake, Oak Park and Moorpark are all in the same division, setting up a showdown between some of the best young talent in the state.
The Warriors, led by a trio of sophomores in twins Anais and Sabina Cruz, alongside Aria Cinelli, dropped down from Division 2 where they battled Ventura and Newbury Park last fall.
“We knew that our numbers were going to put us there, the last couple of years,” Westlake head coach Troy Burns said. “In reality, it actually might be a more difficult challenge.”
Oak Park finished 13th at Woodbridge, just one place behind Westlake. The Eagles are youth-led as well, with sophomores Kathleen Lambe and Áine Pitillo near the front of most races alongside junior Tabitha Brown.
Oaks Christian transfer Christina Smith, a sophomore with a 17:46.9 personal best, will join the Eagles after her sit-out period ends. Don’t forget about Moorpark’s star senior Jenna Murray, who finished just behind Lambe at last year’s Coastal Canyon League championships.
The Cruz twins, Sabina and Anais, at Westlake are looking forward to the challenge.
“Anais and I are really close with some of the Oak Park girls,” Sabina Cruz said. “It is really fun competing against them. In races on the track, they always pushed us.”
Wide-open boys race
Who is the area’s best boys cross country runner this fall?
Who knows.
That’s the beauty of the sport in and around Ventura County this season — parity among a cluster of hyper-talented stars — but a few top racers are making their argument for No. 1.
Rio Mesa senior Derek Luna added his name to the top of the record list on the storied Ventura County Championships course at Lake Casitas on Oct. 2, winning the first Channel League race of the season in 14:45 to set a course record, bettering the mark of 14:48 run by Hueneme’s J.R. Lesher in 2024 and Ventura’s Anthony Fasthorse in 2023.
Senior Viggo Bortolin of Foothill Tech defeated Luna at the Greg DeNike Big Ditch Invitational by nearly 13 seconds earlier this season. Bortolin’s mark was No. 3 all time on the course.
Above the Conejo Grade, Oaks Christian sophomore Sterling White is running faster than anyone. The state freshman record-holder for the 3,200 meters and the owner of the fastest time run by a freshman at the state cross country championships, White has the fifth-fastest time over 5,000 meters (15:00.4) and three miles (14:04) in the state this fall.
Don’t forget about Newbury Park star Zasloff, who was within four seconds of his Marmonte League rival at Woodbridge in 14:07.3.
Might we see all four race the Ventura County Championships this year?
Family business at Ventura
Ventura High lost a pair of program greats this offseason when senior Aelo Curtis graduated and junior Sophie Nuckols, the team’s returning low stick, made the decision to pursue soccer full time.
The Cougars roster didn’t get the memo.
A Curtis and a Nuckols are still racing for Ventura, as freshman Jacob Nuckols and senior Anders Curtis, the younger brothers of Sophie and Aelo, continue the family tradition of fast times in a Cougars singlet.
The pair finished as Ventura’s top two runners at the first Channel League meet of the season, with Nuckols placing fifth in 16:18 and Curtis ninth in 16:24.5.
“The character of Anders and Jake — they are both driven, they both have their own aspirations and goals,” Ventura head coach Aaron Torres said. “They are not afraid to say that they are trying to create their own path and do something big.”
The siblings aren’t the limit to Ventura’s familial ties. Torres’ son, Ezekiel, is the team’s No. 5 runner. The sophomore placed 91st in the Gold Varsity race at Woodbridge in a personal-best 15:43.
Bianca’s breakout
Has there been a bigger breakout star on local trails this season than Oxnard’s Bianca Torres?
The senior speedster set a program record with her time of 17:51 at Woodbridge, finishing as the top West County runner at the prestigious meet.
Since then, she has been piling up wins.
Torres finished first in the varsity large school girls race at the Bellarmine-Sacred Heart Invitational in 19:00.5 and won the first Channel League race of the year at Lake Casitas in 19:02.8, edging out Autumn Richardson of San Marcos.
Can the senior win a Channel League for the Yellowjackets?
Dominic Massimino covers cross country for The Star. He can be reached at dominic.massimino@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcsdominic on Twitter and Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Newbury Park program on a familiar path | Cross Country Notebook
