In ranking local high school boys cross country talent, there are plenty of questions.
Who among the region’s stellar top three racers will reign supreme? Which star in the West County will shine brighter? Will any gifted underclassmen will take a leap?
One thing is crystal clear — the kids are only getting faster.
Find out more about the area’s best high school distance runners below as The Star ranks the top-25 boys cross country runners this season:
1. Derek Luna, Rio Mesa
The senior is The Star’s No. 1-ranked cross country runner for the second year in a row. He had the fastest time of any local runner at the CIF-State meet, finishing eighth in Division 3 in 14 minutes, 59.70 seconds. In the spring,
he shattered a 50-year-old Channel League championship meet record to win the 3,200 meters in 9:10.91.
2. Viggo Bortolin, Foothill Tech
The senior has been the Dragons’ low stick for years. Now, he is their star. Bortolin won the Greg DeNike Big Ditch XC Classic, a 4,000-meter race, in 12:08.7 to open his 2026 season. That was good for third on the all-time list. The Ventura County runner-up placed third at the CIF-SS Division 4 championships in 14:25.2 and was seventh at the state meet in 15:16.5.
3. Sterling White, Oaks Christian
Just a sophomore, the Lions star had one of the greatest freshman seasons in California history on the track and trails last year. He set a freshman class record at the state cross country meet in 15:20.6 to take ninth in the Division 4 race, then became the first freshman in state history to break nine minutes in the 3,200 meters on the track.
4. Arizechukwu Nwosu, Oaks Christian
The senior spent last season shoulder to shoulder with 2025 Ventura County Star Cross Country Runner of the Year Vin Krueger and No. 2-ranked Sterling White. He won the Marmonte League title in 14:58.5 and was 12th at the state meet in 15:22.3.
5. Asher Field, Foothill Tech
Is the key Dragons scorer ready to take a leap? The junior finished a surprise ninth at last year’s CIF-SS Division 4 championships in a personal-best 14:48.5 — third for Foothill Tech. He was 22nd at the state meet in 15:43.2. Staying healthy will be the key factor this fall.
6. Ari Kalan, Oak Park
The junior stepped up when it mattered most for the Eagles last year as a sophomore, finishing as the team’s No. 1 at the state meet in 15:40.2 to place 31st and lead the team to a podium finish. He ran a personal-best 15:18.7 at the CIF-SS Division 3 championships to place 46th.
7. Eli Zasloff, Newbury Park
The senior seems poised for a huge year. His winning time of 14:56.9 at the Moorpark Invitational on Sept. 11 was tied for the third-fastest mark in meet history. He was seventh at last year’s Marmonte League championships and is the third-fastest returner in the league.
8. Sebastian de Vicente, Buena
The senior opened his 2026 campaign with a win at the Mission Oaks Friendship Meet in 16:04.4. Last year, he was eighth at the Channel League finals in 15:29.6 and 28th at the CIF-SS Division 3 championships in 15:04.7. Is a state championship berth in the cards this fall?
9. Malcolm Caughey, Oak Park
After an eighth-place finish at the Ventura County Championships in 15:38, he ran a personal-best time of 15:01.7 at the CIF-SS Division 3 championships to place 27th. The junior was 61st at the state meet in 15:55.6 — a personal best in the 5,000 meters.
10. Camden Taylor, Foothill Tech
The junior raced just six times his junior season, but he made the most of every opportunity. He was fourth at the Ventura County Championships and 58th at state to help the Dragons place third overall. His personal best from last season was 15:00.4 at the Woodbridge Classic.
11. Jensen Clarke, Newbury Park
The junior kicked off his 2026 campaign with a runner-up finish to teammate Eli Zasloff at the Moorpark Invitational in 15:23. His personal best is from last year’s CIF-SS Division 2 championships in 15:07.
12. Zackary Hatch, Moorpark
The senior won the first Coastal Canyon League meet of the 2026 season in 16:25.4, downing a number of top locals. His personal best of 15:25.2 came in the prelims of last year’s Division 3 CIF-SS meet.
13. Ryuto Matsumoto, Agoura
The Chargers have big shoes to fill with the graduation of ace Dorian Bening. This senior looks up to the task. He was third at the Moorpark Invitational on Sept. 11 in 15:31.9 to start the 2026 season. As a junior, he placed 57th at the CIF-SS Division 3 finals and 95th at state.
14. Jesus Martinez, Ventura
The junior is the Cougars’ top returner. His 15:13.3 run at the CIF-SS Division 2 championships last fall was good for 55th and he opened his 2026 campaign with a time of 14:41.8 at the Rosemead Invitational.
15. Carson Duce, Westlake
The junior ran 15:29.9 at CIF-SS Division 2 finals, a personal-best time, to place 76th. An 800-meter specialist on the track, he cracked the two-minute barrier in all seven of his races last spring.
16. Sebastian Lopez, Channel Islands
Last year's Citrus Coast League runner-up, he ran 15:29.7 for 75th place in the prelims of the CIF-SS Division 1 championships. The senior's personal best came last year in a fourth-place finish at the Raider Invitational in 15:27.6.
17. Graham Reynolds, Newbury Park
It was a big junior season for the Panthers runner. After winning the Marmonte League JV title in 16:12.3, he joined the varsity group at CIF-SS Division 2 finals and finished as Newbury Park’s No. 4, running a personal-best 15:18.8.
18. LuisFelipe Ochoa, Rio Mesa
The Spartans have an exciting up-and-comer in their No. 2 spot. As a freshman, he ran 15:23.5 at the CIF-SS Division 2 finals to place 60th and was 16th at the Channel League finals. How much will Ochoa improve in his second season?
19. Jaiden Chan, Oak Park
The junior was a hero for the Eagles last fall, racing to a personal best of 15:23.2 at CIF-SS Division 3 championships to finish 50th and break a tie for second place with West Ranch. At the state meet, he ran 16:29.8 for 114th.
20. Asher Rodman, Foothill Tech
The senior has already raced almost as many times this fall as he did all last season — that’s a good sign for the Dragons. He had a personal-best 15:33.9 over three miles at last year’s Woodbridge Classic and was 12th this fall at the Greg DeNike Big Ditch XC Classic on Sept. 5.
21. Jacob Nuckols, Ventura
The Cougars have lost a star from the Nuckols family when junior Sophie Nuckols opted to pursue soccer, but they might have another in the making. The freshman ran 14:28.6 in his high school debut on the 2.93-mile course at the Rosemead Invitational to place fourth.
22. Fernando Covarrubias, Santa Paula
An exciting debut season for the Cardinals' top runner saw him win the frosh/soph race at both the Raider Invitational and the Dos Pueblos Invitational last fall. He opened his sophomore season with a personal-best 15:45.8 at the PR City Invitational.
23. JJ Lew, Oak Park
As a sophomore last fall, the Eagles youngster won frosh/soph titles at the Ventura County Championships (16:30.1) and Coastal Canyon League finals (17:20.8). As a freshman in 2024, he was a key section and state contributor for Oak Park.
24. Diego Salazar, Channel Islands
The senior placed fourth at the Citrus Coast League championships last fall in 16:45.5. His personal best was on his home course — a 15:43.7 run at the Raider Invitational to finish seventh.
25. Jude Winslow, Newbury Park
The sophomore’s first race of his second high school season was a five-second personal best, running 15:38.7 to place fourth at the Moorpark Invitational. Can he be another low stick for a deep Panthers squad?
Dominic Massimino covers high school 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: The Star ranks the area's top-25 boys cross country runners
