XC Hall of Fame

Gary Tuttle (1965) - Buena

As a Bulldog, Gary helped lead Buena to a second-place finish in CIF in 1964 with his 6th place finish. After high school, Gary helped put Ventura on the running map. He was a two-time NCAA D2 champ in steeplechase at Humboldt State, setting the D2 record both times. Gary was a three-time All American in track and a two-time All American in cross-country. From college, he went on to international success. Gary was 7th overall in the 1976 World Cross Country Championships. He won the USA Marathon title twice, the 15K National title once and the 25K National title once. He was 7th in the 1976 Olympic Trials 10,000. That year he was a scant .002 seconds behind the qualifiers. He also qualified for the Olympic Trials in 1972, 1980 and 1984 and was second in the Boston Marathon in 1985. One of the biggest promoters of the running boom in Ventura County, Gary was a long-time starter for high school track and field meets in Ventura County. Gary was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013

Chuck Smead (1969) - Santa Paula

As a senior at Santa Paula High School, Chuck won the 1-A Southern Section Cross Country title at Long Beach State. He also finished 2nd in the very first ever Arcadia Invitational 2-Mile the previous track and field season. After Santa Paula, Chuck moved on to Westmont College and eventually Humboldt State where he ran for Ventura County coaching legend, Jim Hunt. At Westmont, Chuck earned All-American honors in cross country while helping lead the Warriors to a 3rd place finish at nationals. While at Humboldt, Chuck was two-time NCAA Division II champion in the 6-mile run and earned All-American honors in cross-country. He went on to international running success after college with tremendous marathon and trail running success. He finished 2nd in the 1975 Pan American Games Marathon in Mexico City. In 1977, he won the prestigious Sierre-Zinal race in Switzerland, considered to be the pinnacle of mountain racing. Continuing to compete, he won the 60 and over Master’s title at the USA Cross Country Championships in 2012. Chuck was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015

Denise Ball (1982) - Newbury Park

Denise was three-time Ventura County Cross-Country runner of the year and the first three-time Ventura County Cross-Country Champion. She formerly held the Ventura County course record at Moorpark College. Denise finished second in CIF SS cross-country to Polly Plumer of University High, who went on to set the national 1600 mark the next track season. Denise was the first Ventura County female to qualify for the Kinney National Championships. She ran 17:07 at Woodward Park and ran 17:56 at Mt. Sac as a senior. She went on to run for UCLA and in 1988, Denise ran in the Olympic Trials. Denise was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.

Eric Reynolds (1983) - Camarillo

Eric had the perfect senior cross-country season in 1982. He was undefeated and won the Mt Sac Invitational, the Marmonte League, the Ventura County Championships, the CIF SS 4A title, the Western Regionals of Kinney and finished off the season as the first ever Kinney National Champion from Ventura County. He ran 14:39 at Mt. Sac that year and at the time of his graduation, had the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fastest marks ever for the course. Eric was the first three-time Ventura County Champion in Cross Country. He was also 3rd in the Kinney National Championship meet as a junior. He concluded his senior year by being named the first Ventura County Ventura Sports Hall of Fame Boys’ athlete of the year in 1983. Eric went on to UCLA to run for the Bruins. Eric was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.

Christy Farrell (1987) - Thousand Oaks

Christy was the 1985 Ventura County Cross-Country Champion. She finished second, third and fourth at CIF SS over her last three years and led her team to two runner-up plaques and the Thousand Oaks girls’ first ever Ventura County title in 1986. She also qualified for Kinney National Championships in 1984. Ran 17:51 that year at Woodward Park to qualify. Her best Mt. Sac time was 17:51 as a senior. Christy was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Michele Lewis (1987) - Buena

Michele helped lead the Bulldogs to the CIF SS Finals four times. Before there were state championships, the 1984 Buena team ended up 2nd in CIF SS and ranked #2 in the state of California. Michele was 4th in SS in 1984 and 5th in 1986. She ran 18:04 at Mt. Sac and 18:14 at Woodward Park. She was three-time All-Western United States at the Kinney Western Regionals, making the second team twice. After high school, she continued her running and education at Oklahoma State University. There Michele participated in four NCAA Cross-Country Championships meets. As of 2023, she still holds four of the top fifty women’s cross-country marks for the Cowboys. Michele has been the long time Buena High School cross-country and track and field coach and as of her induction is the president of the Ventura County Cross-Country and Track and Field Coaches Association. Michele was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024.

Melissa Sutton (1987) - Newbury Park

Melissa was two-Time Ventura County CC Champion and three-time CIF SS 4A champion. In 1984, as a sophomore, she became the first ever CIF SS girls’ champion from Ventura County. Melissa broke Denise Ball’s Ventura County meet record at Moorpark College in 1986. That year, she broke nine straight course records. She ran a best of 17:30 at Mt Sac and 17:23 at Woodward Park. She was a three-time Kinney National qualifier, finishing a best of sixth in 1985. Melissa went on to compete for UCLA. Melissa was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Mike Williamson (1989) - Thousand Oaks

In the fall of 1988, Mike had a tremendous cross-country season. He won the sweepstake title at Mt. Sac, went on to win the CIF Division 4-A title before finishing second at the second California State meet. He was the first ever CIF SS individual champion for the Lancers. In the post season Mike went to finish 8th in the Kinney Western Regionals at Woodward Park, snagging the last qualifying spot for the Kinney Nationals by a mere one second. At the nationals, he finished 16th overall. After the completion of his high school career, Mike was offered an athletic scholarship to attend the University of New Mexico. Mike was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Bryan Dameworth (1990) - Agoura

Bryan was 1989 CIF SS 2A Champion and 1987, 1988 and 1989 California State Champion in cross-country. Bryan formerly held the Southern Section mark at Woodward Park at 14:39 and he blazed to a 14:36 at Mt. Sac. A three-time Kinney National qualifier, Bryan is the first freshman male to qualify for Kinney. He finished 19th as a freshman, 4th as a junior and won the National Championship as a senior. Bryan went on to run for the Badgers of the University of Wisconsin. Bryan was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.

Deena Drossin (1991) - Agoura

Deena was the four-time Ventura County Champion in cross-country, Deena was also a 3-time CIF SS and 3-time California State Champion in cross-country. She was also a four-time Kinney National qualifier, finishing 6th as a senior. She ran a best of 17:07 at Woodward Park and 17:16 at Mt. Sac and was the former freshman course record holder at Mt. Sac. Deena went on to earn All American honors at University of Arkansas. After college, Deena held American records in the 10000 meters, 5K, 8K and 15K on the road, ½ marathon and the marathon and took home the bronze medal in the marathon from the 2004 Olympic Games. She twice finished second in the World cross-country championships. She was also selected for CIF SS 100th anniversary as one of the 100 best athletes in Southern Section history. Deena was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.

Jeannie Rothman (1991) - Westlake

Jeannie was 1990 CIF SS 2A Champion and 1990 California State Champion for Division 2. She was part of the incredible 1990 group from the Marmonte League where three girls placed in the top six at the Kinney National Championships, with Jeannie finishing 2nd overall to best all of her league rivals. Her bests were 17:25 at Mt Sac and 17:16 for Woodward Park. She was a two-time Kinney national qualifier. Jeannie was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014

Veronica Barajas (1992) - Channel Islands

Veronica, one of the all-time greats for Channel Islands had a tremendous junior season, losing only to Deena Drossin and Jeannie Rothman in official high school competitions. She was second to Deena Drossin at the Mt. Sac Invitational, the CIF SS Finals and the California State Meet. Qualifiing for the Kinney Nationals, Veronica finished in fifth place, one place in front of Deena Drossin. Veronica went on to run for Colorado and Fresno State. Veronica ran 17:44 at both Mt. Sac and Woodward Park. Veronica was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Jeff Wilson (1992) - Newbury Park

Jeff Wilson had a tremendous cross-country career at Newbury Park High School. As a junior, he led his team to the Ventura County championship and was the Ventura County individual champion. He went on to become the first Panther to win a CIF SS Individual title and a California State title. His senior year was even more impressive. He won 11 of 11 high school regular season races that year including the Mt. Sac Individual Sweepstakes, his second Ventura County title along with his second California State title. In the post season, he finished second in the Kinney Western Regionals to earn a trip to the Kinney (now Footlocker) national finals at Balboa Park in San Diego. There, Jeff finished second in 15:18, earning All- American honors. After high school, Jeff competed at both Moorpark College and Brigham Young University. At BYU, he earned a scholarship and was a scorer for the Cougars. At Moorpark, he earned All-State honors in cross-country. Jeff was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015

Maribella Aparicio (1993) - Fillmore

1991 Ventura County Cross-Country champion, the first ever from Fillmore. She also won the first ever Division IV individual state title in cross-country. Maribella was a three-time CIF SS champion and 1991 Division 4 California State Champion. She was also a 1991 Kinney National qualifier, finishing seventh. She ran a best of 17:32 at Mt. Sac and 17:34 at Woodward Park. After high school, Maribella when on to run at BYU, where she was a member of a NCAA Cross-Country championship team and twice earned All-American hours in track and field. She took second in the NCAA 10,000 meters. Maribella was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Ryan Wilson (1993) - Agoura

Ryan was the CIF SS 2AA Champion in both 1991 and 1992, the Ventura County Champion in 1992 and the California Division 2 state champion in 1992. He qualified for Kinney Nationals in 1991. His bests were 14:54 at Mt. Sac and 15:07 at Woodward Park. Ryan went to Arkansas where he was a three-time top 10 finisher in the NCAA Cross Country meet. He also was a three time All-American in the 10K on the track and SEC conference champion in cross country back when Arkansas was THE power in NCAA cross country. He ended up being a 10 time All American in track and cross-country and qualified for the 5000 meters at the Olympic Trials. Ryan was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.

Kay Nekota (1994) - Agoura

Kay was the 1991 CIF SS 1AA cross-country champion. She was also runner-up at the California State Cross-Country meet in 1991 and 1993. While at Agoura, the Chargers were three-time CIF SS cross-country champions and California State Champions in 1991 and 1992. Kay moved on to University of California, Irvine where she earned All-Big West honors twice in cross-country, helping the Anteaters win the Big West championship in 1995. After college Kay went on to be a very successful teacher and coach in the Vacaville Unified School District. As a coach at Vacaville High School, she was a finalist for the National Brooks Inspiring Coach Award. She was also selected as both a Sac Joaquin and California State Model Coach and led her team to a Sac Joaquin championship in cross-country. In 2020, she was selected as the Vacaville Unified School District teacher of the year. Kay was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2024.

Eleazar Hernandez (1995) - Camarillo

Eleazar was the CIF SS 1A Cross-Country champion in 1994. He was 2nd at the 1994 Ventura County Championships, running a very fas t15:06 to finish behind Keith O’Doherty’s 15:04 in one of the closest finishes ever in the Ventura County Championships. Eleazar finished fifth in the Footlocker National Meet in 1994. He ran 14:54 at Mt. Sac and 15:08 at Woodward Park. He went on to run at Moorpark College and University of Hawaii, Hilo and was long time Moorpark College cross-country coach and also coached cross-country at Cal State University, Northridge. Eleazar was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.

Javier Ramirez (1995) - Nordhoff

Javier Ramirez helped turn Nordhoff into one of the elite programs in the state over his four-year career at Nordhoff. As a freshman, he finished 8th in the state and helped lead the Ranger boys’ team to its first ever CIF SS and California State Title. During his career, he helped Nordhoff capture three CIF SS titles and three California State titles. He was two- time CIF SS Champ and finished in the top 10 of the state all four years, finishing 8th as a frosh, 2nd as a sophomore, 3rd as a junior and another 2nd as a senior. He went on to compete for Cal State Northridge all four years. A scholarship athlete for the Matadors, Ramirez earned All-Conference honors at Northridge. After college, Javier returned to Nordhoff as a teacher and coach, heading the cross-country program for several seasons. Javier has also been a principal in the Ojai Unified School District. Javier was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Amy Skieresz (1995) - Agoura

Amy was three-time Ventura County, CIF SS and California State champion in cross-country. She had a best of 17:24 at Mt. Sac and 17:27 at Woodward Park. Amy was also a two- time Footlocker National qualifier, finishing third in 1992. Improving as a collegiate, Amy won seven individual NCAA championships as a runner at University of Arizona and earned 10 All American awards during her career. Amy was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.

Will Bernaldo (1996) - Nordhoff

Will was the 1995 CIF SS 3A Cross-Country champion. He was 6th in the state cross-country meet as a junior and was 3rd as senior. During his career at Nordhoff, he helped the Rangers win their first ever Ventura County Cross-Country title along with two CIF-SS championships and three California State championships. The 1995 team scored just 35 points, which as of 2023 was still the lowest winning score for Division III. That same year Will went on to be a Footlocker National qualifier. In track, Will was CIF SS Division III and Masters Meet 3200-meter champion and finished 2nd in the state in that event. He went on to compete at both Cal State Northridge and UCLA in both cross-country and track and field. He also was the head coach for Nordhoff High School in 2002, the last year the Ranger girls qualified as a team for the California State Meet in cross-country. Will was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024.

Kim Mortensen (1996) - Thousand Oaks

Kim was the 1995 Ventura County champion and the 1994 and 1995 CIF SS 1A Champion. She finished second in the state meet and then won the Kinney National Championship, becoming the only girl in Ventura County history to do so in 1995. Kim ran 17:14 at Mt. Sac and 17:25 at Woodward Park. Her senior year in track and field, she set the national record in the 3200-meters and was the California State champion in the same event. Kim concluded her running career as a UCLA Bruin. Kim was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.

Elaine Canchola (1998) - Nordhoff

Elaine was the 1997 Ventura County Cross Country Champion and the first four-time CIF SS Cross Country champion in history. Sar in big meets, Elaine finished second in the state meet twice and was California State Champion twice. She was also a two-time Footlocker National qualifier. She ran 17:35 at Mt. Sac and 17:33 at Woodward Park and broke Deena Drossin’s freshman course record at Mt. Sac. Elaine went on to run in four NCAA Cross Country finals for UCLA and Wisconsin. Elaine was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.

Josh Spiker (2000) - Ventura

Josh was the 1998 and 1999 Ventura County cross-country champion. He held the course record at Lake Casitas until Anthony Fast Horse of Ventura broke the record in 2023. Josh was the 1998 CIF SS Division I cross-country champion and was fourth at the state meet that year. In addition, in 1998, he was a Footlocker National finalist. Josh won two CIF SS Division I 1600-meter titles and one title in the 3200-meters, helping the Cougars win the 1999 CIF SS Division I track and field title. That same year, he was the California State champion in the 3200-meters. After Ventura, competed at the University of Wisconsin. There, he earned six combined All-American awards in cross-country and track and field and was a three-time Academic All-American. In 2004, as a member of the Wisconsin cross-country team, he helped the Badger team finish second in the Division I NCAA cross-country championships. A fixture in the local running scene, Josh hosts races and is the owner of Mile 26. In 2023, he became the head cross-country coach at Ventura High School. Josh was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024.

Laura Jakosky (2001) - Agoura

Laura was the 1998 Division II CIF SS Cross Country Champion. She also was the 1999 Ventura County Cross-Country Champion. Laura qualified for the California state cross-country championship all 4 years, finishing 6th three different times. Laura ran 17:42 at Mt. Sac. On the track in 2000, Laura was the CIF SS Division II 3200-meter champion and at the State meet finished 5th in the 3200. After Agoura HS, Laura continued her running career at the University of Arkansas. There, she was four-time letter winner for the Razorbacks in each of Cross- Country, Indoor Track, and Outdoor Track; five-time Academic All-American; and scoring runner on two SEC championship teams in cross-country. She qualified for the NCAA championships in cross-country three times and qualified for the NCAA track and field championships in both the 5000 meters and 10000 meters. Laura her post collegiate career at the US National Cross-Country meet in 2008. Laura was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024.

Phillip Reid (2003) – Rio Mesa

Phillip was the 2001 and 2002 Ventura County Champion in cross-country. He was also the Division II CIF SS and California State champion in cross-country. Phillip was a four-time CIF SS track and field champion, twice in the 1600-meters and twice in the 3200-meters. He was also a two-time CIF SS Maters champion in the 1600-meters and the California State champion in the 1600-meters in 2003. He was also the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame high school male athlete of the year. At Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, he was a two-time Division I All-American in cross-country and won four Big Best titles while a Mustang. He has represented the United States internationally in the NACAC Cross-Country championship. He was also a two-time 5000-meter finalist at the USA Track and Field championships and ran in the 2016 Olympic Trials for the marathon. Phillip teachers and coaches cross-country and track and field at Arroyo Grande High School. Phillip was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024.

Katie Gose (2004) – La Reina

Katie was a two-time CIF SS individual runner-up in cross-country and a four-time competitor in the California State Cross-Country meet, placing 9th as a sophomore, 7th as a junior and 3rd as a senior. Katie was named the female cross-country Senior of the Year. In track, Katie advanced to the state championships in the 3200-meters where she placed 8th. That same season, Katie was named the Ventura County Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year by the Ventura County Star. Katie was two-time Ventura County 3200-meter champion and a three-time CIF SS Division IV runner up in the 3200-meters before capturing the title in her senior year. Katie went on to study and compete at Princeton University where she competed for the Tigers in the 2005 NCAA Cross-Country National Championships. Katie was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024.