The Class of 2025 contained some of the biggest cross country names to ever set foot on the trails and courses of Ventura County. Last year’s senior class included national high school 1,600-meter record-holder and state champion Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura.
Who is next up?
The Star ranks the top 25 girls cross country runners as the 2025 season gets underway:
1. Sophia Perez, Oak Park
The 2024 cross country season was one to remember for Perez. She won the Coastal Canyon League crown in 17 minutes, 22.2 seconds and was third at the Ventura County Championships in 18:28. She placed seventh at CIF-SS Division 3 finals to qualify for state, where she had the best run of any local, placing ninth in 17:46.5 to power the Eagles to a sixth-place finish.
2. Aelo Curtis, Ventura
A longtime Cougars co-star alongside Sadie Engelhardt, Curtis is now in the limelight. Last year, she won the Ventura County Championship last year in 18:09.6, as well as the Channel League title. She placed 15th at the state meet in 18:05.9, helping power Ventura to a fourth-place finish in Division II. Curtis won the Gaucho Invitational in a blazing 17:48.7 to kickstart her 2025 season, then dropped a 16:43.6 to win the Scary Dairy Invitational by more than a minute.
3. Kathleen Lambe, Oak Park
Welcome to high school cross country, Kathleen Lambe. The freshman raced the first three-mile of her career in the seeded section of the Cool Breeze Invitational and placed ninth overall in 17:23.2 to lead the Eagles. On the track, Lambe has already dipped under five minutes in the mile before ever running a high school track race.
4. Áine Pitillo, Oak Park
Another Oak Park freshman who has run just one high school race and has already earned a top-five ranking. Pitillo completed the seeded section of the Cool Breeze Invitational in just 17:27.9 to place 13th overall and second for the Eagles. She or Lambe could easily be at the top of this list by November.
5. Sophia Grant, Newbury Park
The Newbury Park senior began her 2025 cross country campaign with a 25th-place finish in the seeded section of the Cool Breeze Invitational, running 17:55. She was last year’s Marmonte League champion and finished seventh at the CIF-SS Division 2 finals.
6. Sophie Nuckols, Ventura
The sophomore was the second Cougar to have a phenomenal 2025 season opener. Nuckols placed second behind teammate Aelo Curtis at the Gaucho Invite in 18:09.6. Nuckols showed real promise in her freshman campaign, which saw her finish runner-up at the Channel League Championships and 38th at state.
7. Acacia Rojas, Simi Valley
One of this offseason’s biggest risers is Rojas, who has blossomed from a middle-of-the-pack runner for Simi Valley to its undisputed leader. The senior opened this fall with a time of 17:37.7 at the Cool Breeze Invitational — 80 seconds faster than any three-mile race in her career. She was second at last week’s Coastal Canyon League meet.
8. Maggie De la Rionda, Thousand Oaks
The Thousand Oaks senior placed second at both the Ventura County Championships and Coastal Canyon League Championships last season. She had one of the best track seasons of any local athlete last spring, nabbing personal bests of 5:00.05 in the 1,600 meters and 10:42.13 in the 3,200.
9. Delaney Napierala, Oaks Christian
Napierala, a Marmonte League standout, had a strong race at the Division IV state championships last season, where she finished 21st in 18:34.1. The senior was fourth at the Marmonte League Championships and placed 16th at the CIF-SS Division 4 finals. She looks to be ready for a big 2025 season, according to Oaks Christian coach Wes Smith.
10. Jenna Murray, Moorpark
A strong sophomore campaign for Murray saw her place fifth at the Ventura County Championships in 19:05.8 and third at the Coastal Canyon League Championships. Her season was cut short at the CIF-SS finals, where she finished 61st. Her 2025 season began with a win at the first Coastal Canyon League meet of the season in 18:44.6.
11. Tabitha Brown, Oak Park
Brown rounds out what is the best top-four of any local team. As a freshman last season, she was 11th at the Ventura County Championshios in 19:28.6 and finished sixth at the Coastal Canyon League finals in 18:55.6.
12. Caylie Wight, Moorpark
Wight was right on teammate Murray’s shoulder all last season as a sophomore, finishing seventh at the Ventura County Championships in 19:14.1 and fourth in the Coastal Canyon League Championships. She was Moorpark’s No. 1 runner at the CIF-SS finals, placing 25th in 19:14.9.
13. Paola Estrada, Ventura
Coming off of a strong freshman campaign in which Estrada cracked the 18-minute mark at the Woodbridge Classic and finished 10th at the Ventura County Championships in 19:27.7, the sophomore figures to be Ventura’s No. 3 runner this fall.
14. Cecelia Vasquez, Simi Valley
Vasquez opened up her 2025 season in 17:56.9 at the Cool Breeze Invitational — a sign of big improvement for Simi Valley’s No. 2 runner. She was 88th at the CIF-SS Division 3 finals last season in 20:56.4.
15. Rachael (Rae) Castagna, Westlake
Castagna was 13th at last year’s Ventura County Championships and fifth at the Marmonte League Championships in 18:56.7. At her best, Castagna can compete with the best in the area — she ran 17:46.4 at the Woodbridge Classic last year.
16. Reese Tamburro, Agoura
Agoura’s top runner was sixth at both the Ventura County Championships in 19:08 and the Marmonte League Championships last season. She ran 19:18.2 in the CIF-SS Division 3 finals to finish in 27th place.
17. Angelica Espinoza, Simi Valley
Espinoza was steady for the Pioneers last fall, running in the mid-to-low 19 minutes all season. She was ninth at the Ventura County Championships in 19:25 and seventh at the Coastal Canyon League Championships in just over 19 minutes flat.
18. Helena Rieckewald-Schmidt, Newbury Park
Rieckewald-Schmidt threw down a quick time of 18:22.3 at the Woodbridge Classic, then raced in a few league meets but missed the postseason last fall after suffering an injury while at Camarillo. If healthy, the junior transfer can be competitive amongst Ventura County’s top runners.
19. Lily Snyder, Oak Park
Snyder rounded out Oak Park’s varsity squad last season, but had a standout performance at the Ventura County Championships in 19:20.2. A trip to the state meet, where she finished 131st, gave the freshman valuable experience to take into her sophomore season.
20. Madison Boucher, Royal
The junior leader finished in 16th place at the last year’s Ventura County Championships in 19:59.5 and was fifth at the Coastal Canyon League Championships in 18:37.9.
21. Emerson McMeekin, Ventura
The senior looks to be one of the most important scoring runners for the Cougars this season. She was 12th at the Ventura County Championships last fall in 19:31.6, 78th in the CIF-SS Division 2 finals and 132nd at the state meet.
22. Keera Wallace, Foothill Tech
The senior ran away with the Tri-County Athletic Association title last season as a junior in 20:17.6. She was 32nd in the CIF-SS Division 4 finals in 19:56.9.
23. Cambria Brown, Newbury Park
Newbury Park’s No. 2 runner had one of her best races last season at the Marmonte League Championships, where she placed seventh in 19:35.3.
24. Miranda Ibarra, Newbury Park
Ibarra was 11th at the Marmonte League Championships last fall in 19:50 and 70th at the CIF-SS Division 2 finals in 20:21.8.
25. Layla Ward, Thousand Oaks
Thousand Oaks’ No. 2 runner was 18th at last year’s Ventura County Championships in 20:01.5. Her personal best is at last year’s Woodbridge Classic, where she ran 18:50.7.
Dominic Massimino is a staff writer 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: Meet the top 25 local girls cross country runners
Reporting by Dominic Massimino, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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