It may be slight, but Traycie Kephart admits there's a chance.

The Glendale College women's cross-country team has dominated the Western State Conference for the past six years, winning three state championships in that span.

But, behind sophomore Megan McNalley and freshman Karla Vernola, the Moorpark College coach is hoping the Raiders can take a step towards dethroning the dynasty at today's WSC Preview meet at Kenneth Hahn Park in Los Angeles

"It's a pretty small chance," Kephart said. "If you look at the numbers. Everyone would have to run with 'A' game.

"But it's possible if everyone reaches their potential, but it's going to be a big team effort.
That's our goal here to eventually beat them."

Glendale edged Moorpark in the SoCal preview meet Sept. 15 in Costa Mesa and are currently ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in Southern California.

Health will be a big factor for the Raiders when the WSC Championships arrive Oct. 23 in Santa Barbara. Sophomore Rachel Naumann will rest an injury today.

Ventura, powered by sophomore Danika Galvan and freshman Sabrina Sewell, hopes to compete with Santa Barbara City for third.

"Moorpark and Glendale are going to battle," Ventura coach Tony Veney said. "Santa Barbara is really tough. They beat us by a little bit last week, so that's going to be the deal for us."

Oxnard qualified for SoCals last season as an at-large selection.

"This year, I believe our women are going to earn their way there," Oxnard coach Geno Sharp said. "If we can put together a race, collectively, I think we can finish fourth or fifth."

The Condors have added freshman Vannessa Martinez, a Rio Mesa High product, to last year's top runner, sophomore Cristal Gutierrez.

Hahn Park is a fast course that features a 600-meter climb to separate the teams.

"It looks like it will be good weather and it's a challenging course, so it'll be an interesting meet," Sharp said. "It'll be competitive."

Returning four scorers from the team that finished sixth in the state a year ago, the Moorpark College women's cross country team may have had designs on breaking up Glendale College's six-year Western State Conference run and competing for the state title.

"I like (competing with Glendale) because it always gives us that goal, that team up there to chase," said coach Traycie Kephart. "I know that year that we do beat them our team is going to be a top contender for state."

But, despite losing sophomore Nicole Rietveld for the season to a leg injury, the Raiders enter championship season strong.

"The potential was there with (Rietveld) in top condition, but our team is still pretty strong," said Kephart. "It's a good team and it's still going to be good next year, too."

Moorpark prepared for Tuesday's Western State Conference championships in San Luis Obispo over the weekend by finished fourth in the Mount San Antonio Invitational, trailing only Glendale, Mount SAC and Pima (Az.).

Moorpark has been led by sophomore Andrea Barrera, a Fillmore High product who finished 11th in the state a year ago.

"She's a smart athlete," said Kephart. "She takes really good care of herself and she gets better as the season goes on."

A pair of freshman, Simi Valley High product Megan McNally and Newbury Park High product Clarissa Wentworth, have shown the potential to run alongside Barrera.

"Megan is a bulldog, she gets out there and she fights," said Kephart, who remembered McNally racing out ahead on the Santa Barbara sand at the WSC Preview meet. "She went out there aggressively. That's her mentality."

Freshman Emily Kelly has surprisingly given a veteran Moorpark team three freshmen among its Top 4.

"It's what you hope for," said Kephart. "You always want to bring in some freshman up there with your top returners. That keeps your program strong each year."

Sophomores Alexis Pichardo (Moorpark) and Ashley Hamilton (Simi Valley) round out a balanced and deep team, which expects to compete with host Cuesta for second place in the conference finals Tuesday.

Individual champion Charlie Petrie of the Moorpark College men's cross-country team was named WSC men's Runner of the Year. The Oak Christian School product won the WSC individual championship.

Moorpark College coach Traycie Kephart was named WSC Coach of the Year after guiding the Raiders to a second-place finish in the WSC Championships.

The All-Western State Conference men's cross country first team included Petrie and Justin Booth-Ortega and Cody Kempema of Ventura.

The second team included Isaac Gomez of Moorpark and Ed Ramos and Esequiel Martinez of Ventura.

The All-Western State Conference women's cross country first team included Moorpark's Nicole Rietveld, Oxnard's Zulie Jimenez and Ventura's Carissa Arce.

The second team included Andrea Barrera, Alexis Pichardo, Ashley Hamilton and Torrie Marschik of Moorpark and Jessica Serrano of Oxnard.

Click the jump for the full team.

Home wasn't quite a direction for Charlie Petrie.

The Oaks Christian product admits to being confused when he returned home after one semester at Boise State University.

"I wasn't sure where my life is going," said Petrie.

But after a standout season with the Moorpark College cross-country team, Petrie has regained his momentum.

After winning the Western State Conference individual title and finishing fifth last week at the Southern California finals, the Calabasas native is aiming for a Top 5 finish at the California Community College championships Saturday in Fresno.

"He has so much talent and he's just one of those guys that needs to find the motivation," said Moorpark coach Traycie Kephart. "But he's really put it in overdrive and has become more of a positive team leader, as well."

Petrie will return to the Woodward Park course, hoping to better his sixth-place finish from the Division IV state meet in 2008.

"It's kind of like old times," said Petrie. "It's familiar to me."

Five is the magic number for the Moorpark College cross-country teams Saturday, when, on top of Charlie Petrie's Top 5 individual aspirations, the five runners who have carried the Moorpark women's team will also be working towards a Top 5 finish.

"We've been blessed this season," said coach Traycie Kephart. "We've had five women pretty much this whole season. The fact that they've been able to stay so healthy and keep improving has amazed me."

The Raiders finished fifth at SoCals behind a 12th-place finish (19:40) by freshman Nicole Rietvelt, followed by Andrea Barrera (34th, 20:23), Alexis Pichardo (45th, 20:39), Ashley Hamiltion (53rd, 20:55) and Torrie Marschik (66th, 21:05).

The rolling hills and natural surfaces of Woodward Park provide a measuring stick to the runners, considering the course is also the venue of the state high school championships.

"Most of our athletes have run it before in high school," said Kephart, "so it's really neat to see how they improve... It's a big honor to run in Fresno."

After a season of fair weather, the runners may be in store for a challenge in their final race.

"We've had a really nice season in regards to weather and it's supposed to be cold and rainy on Saturday," said Kephart, "so it's interesting to see how they'll compete."

Ventura freshman Carissa Arce was named the VC Student-Athlete of the Week. The cross-country runner from Oxnard High won the four-team Bakersfield Invitational Friday, finishing the 5k course in 21:12.

Arce finished 21 seconds ahead of the runner-up, Natalie Malone of Canyons, and led the Pirates to a second-place finish, its best of the season thus far.

Oxnard College will host its first cross-country meet since 1986 this afternoon as the Western State Conference Preview meet comes to the seaside.

"I'm getting calls from the coaches," said Oxnard coach Gino Sharp. "They say they're excited to see what Oxnard looks like."

The women's race will begin at 3:30 p.m. with the men's race to follow at 4:15 p.m. Both races will begin and end in the school's track stadium.

Glendale, which has dominated the WSC by winning the last two men's titles and last five women's titles, looks like the favorite again.

"Glendale looks ever strong and they've already demonstrated that in several meets," said Sharp.

The Moorpark women, led by Simi Valley High product Nicole Rietveld, has perhaps been the best of the six local programs in the early stages.

The Raiders finished eighth in the Orange Coast Classic last weekend, with Oxnard and Ventura following at 12th and 13th, respectively.

"It's always a tough go whenever these three schools go at it," said Ventura coach Tony Veney.

Oxnard's top runners have been Channel Islands High products Pepe Hernandez and Zulie Jimenez. Cody Kempema (Buena) and Carissa Arce (Oxnard) have set the pace for the Ventura men and women, respectively.

Ventura College has hired Tony Veney as the head coach of its men's track and field team, the school announced Wednesday.

Already serving as the head coach of the men's cross country team, Veney is a former head coach at Portland State (2001-03) and assistant coach at UCLA (2003-09) and Oregon (1998-2001).

At UCLA, he coached 15 NCAA Division I indoor and outdoor All-Americans and six Pac-10 champions.

"We were ecstatic to add a teacher of Tony's caliber to our staff," said Ventura athletic director Will Cowen.

Veney is a USA Track and Field level I-II-III instructor and holds a Master of Coaching Certificate. He has also coached in the Paralympic Games, the Goodwill Games, the junior and senior Pan American Games

Both the men's and women's cross country teams for both Oxnard College and Ventura College finished in the Top 14 at this afternoon's Southern California championships at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut.

The finishes qualified all four teams for the California Community College championships Nov. 21 in Fresno.

VC men were eighth. VC women were 12th.

OC men were 12th and OC women were 14th.

MC women finished 20th.

Ventura College's Tefany Gonzalez won her first cross country meet last week at the Bakersfield Invitational.

The sophomore from Fillmore High led most of the way in gliding to victory in 19:34 on the flat, sandy course.

"Tefany pretty much led it from the first half-mile," said Ventura coach Nancy Fredrickson. "It's a good win for her."

Gabriel Solis and Miguel Reyes finished third (21.27) and fifth (21:35) on the men's side. Both the Ventura men and women finished second in the team standings.

Gonzalez and the Pirates opened WSC competition Friday at the WSC Preview Meet in Woodland Hills.

"Everyone is chasing Glendale," said Fredrickson, "but second through sixth is up in the air."

Cynthia Navarro finished third (18:46) in leading the Oxnard College women's cross country to a fifth-place finish Saturday at the Orange Coast Classic in Costa Mesa. Liz Robles finished 13th (19:44).

Tefany Gonzalez placed ninth (19:22) for Ventura.

Gabriel Soliz and Miguel Reyes were 35th (21:40) and 37th (21:46) as the Ventura College men's cross country team finished 10th.

Oxnard followed in 11th behind Isidore Herrera, who finished 21st (21:24).