Trogus turns tables at second cluster

By Ramon Scott
Updated: September 29, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP CROSS COUNTRY

TROGUS TURNS TABLES ON NARANJO; WEST HILLS ROLLS

Weaver repeats as individual champion, leads Helix girls to second consecutive cluster victory

EL CAJON — Lucas Trogus changed the order at the top of the Grossmont Conference on Friday.

The West Hills junior defeated Grossmont senior Luis Naranjo in the 2.95-mile boys race at Grossmont Conference Cluster No. 2, then watched four teammates join him among the first 15 finishers as the Wolf Pack captured the team championship at Valhalla High School.

Trogus crossed the finish line in 14 minutes, 37.21 seconds, beating Naranjo by more than 14 seconds. Naranjo, who won the season’s opening conference cluster ahead of Trogus, finished second in 14:51.30.

West Hills added three more runners among the first nine team scorers. Helio Cortez placed third in 15:25.02, Ryan Revak was fourth in 15:29.93 and sophomore Matthew Stinchfield finished ninth overall in 16:02.05. Nicholas Nelson completed the Wolf Pack’s scoring lineup in 15th place.

That depth gave West Hills a meet-low 30 points, comfortably ahead of runner-up Mount Miguel’s 56.

Mount Miguel senior Jose Mariscal placed fifth in 15:30.07, only fourteen-hundredths of a second behind Revak. David Gonzalez finished seventh in 15:43.63 and Marcelino Esquivel was 11th in 16:04.90 for the Matadors.

Helix finished third with 92 points, followed by Grossmont with 100 and El Capitan with 118.

On the girls side, the first conference cluster’s top two finishers retained their positions.

Helix senior Kate Weaver won the 2.6-mile race in 15:10.6, while Highlanders freshman Ryan Mitchell placed second in 15:26.7. Weaver also won the opening cluster of the season, with Mitchell finishing second.

Naomi Zudiker placed ninth in 16:38.2, Zoe Krzywicki finished 16th and Joy Lewis was 18th, helping Helix secure its second consecutive conference team victory with 46 points.

Santana made a strong move into second place with 67 points. Seniors Megan Messick and Janelle Agana led the Sultans by finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. Messick recorded a personal-best 15:55.5, while Agana finished in a personal-best 16:04.7.

Grossmont senior Jane Telliard placed third in 15:48.0 and teammate Raya Dann finished eighth in a personal-best 16:25.3. The Foothillers placed third in the team standings with 88 points.

Mount Miguel finished fourth with 108 points behind Nadia Aguilar’s seventh-place performance and freshman Aracely Sanchez’s 12th-place finish. Steele Canyon rounded out the top five with 122 points.

GROSSMONT CONFERENCE CLUSTER NO. 2
At Valhalla High School
Sept. 25, 2026

BOYS
2.95 miles

Team scores — 1. West Hills 30; 2. Mount Miguel 56; 3. Helix 92; 4. Grossmont 100; 5. El Capitan 118; 6. Granite Hills 122; 7. Steele Canyon 189; 8. Valhalla 204; 9. Monte Vista 276. El Cajon Valley and Santana incomplete.

Top 15 — 1. Lucas Trogus, West Hills, 14:37.21; 2. Luis Naranjo, Grossmont, 14:51.30; 3. Helio Cortez, West Hills, 15:25.02; 4. Ryan Revak, West Hills, 15:29.93; 5. Jose Mariscal, Mount Miguel, 15:30.07; 6. Dylan Chappelle, Santana, 15:40.24; 7. David Gonzalez, Mount Miguel, 15:43.63; 8. Conan Connolly, Helix, 15:48.42; 9. Matthew Stinchfield, West Hills, 16:02.05; 10. Ash Carr, Helix, 16:04.76; 11. Marcelino Esquivel, Mount Miguel, 16:04.90; 12. Nate Madrid, Helix, 16:12.35; 13. Morgan Bobrowski, Grossmont, 16:21.40; 14. Tyce Barker, El Capitan, 16:21.86; 15. Nicholas Nelson, West Hills, 16:22.86.

GIRLS
2.6 miles

Team scores — 1. Helix 46; 2. Santana 67; 3. Grossmont 88; 4. Mount Miguel 108; 5. Steele Canyon 122; 6. Monte Vista 132; 7. El Capitan 146; 8. West Hills 163.

Top 15 — 1. Kate Weaver, Helix, 15:10.6; 2. Ryan Mitchell, Helix, 15:26.7; 3. Jane Telliard, Grossmont, 15:48.0; 4. Megan Messick, Santana, 15:55.5; 5. Janelle Agana, Santana, 16:04.7; 6. Melissa Velazquez Varela, Monte Vista, 16:17.2; 7. Nadia Aguilar, Mount Miguel, 16:23.9; 8. Raya Dann, Grossmont, 16:25.3; 9. Naomi Zudiker, Helix, 16:38.2; 10. Mariella Ferrer, Monte Vista, 16:49.5; 11. Olivia Cookson, Steele Canyon, 16:55.7; 12. Aracely Sanchez, Mount Miguel, 17:00.8; 13. Ariel MacPherson, Santana, 17:12.0; 14. Roxanne Ocampo, Mount Miguel, 17:25.3; 15. Riley McGhen, El Capitan, 17:28.9.