The majority of local high school cross country teams are starting to hit their stride as they begin to head deeper into the 2026 fall campaign.
That includes Monte Vista Christian, Pajaro Valley and St. Francis, which continue to improve on a daily basis while competing in the Pacific Coast Athletic League.
Monte Vista Christian
The Mustang boys’ team is a sophomore-heavy squad led by Owen Beckmen, who was the No. 2 runner in 2025 and set every freshman distance record in school history.
Beckmen continued that momentum during the summer. His biggest highlights were finishing a 5K race in 15:50 and placing 77th overall in 31:51 at the 2026 Wharf to Wharf race.
He recently broke the all-time school record in a three-mile race that was previously held by his older brother, Gavin Beckmen (Class of 2026).
Owen Beckmen placed 11th in a record-setting 15:06.7 in the Green Varsity A division race at the 45th Annual Woodbridge Cross Country Classic in Irvine on Sept. 19.
Teammate sophomore Joseph Palacios (15:48.3) placed 31st in a field of 225 runners, followed by sophomore Jesse Campos (16:36.5) in 65th and senior Luciano Guerra (16:46.7) in 74th.
The Mustangs were missing sophomore Jake Tabor, yet they still placed sixth out of 29 teams.
Palacios returns after finishing as MVC’s No. 4 runner in 2025. Providing valuable leadership are Guerra and junior Neal Rada, who enter their fourth and third years, respectively, as varsity runners.
MVC placed sixth as a team in the Gabilan Division race during the PCAL’s first Center Meet of the season at Pinto Lake County Park in Watsonville on Sept. 17.
Hollister won the race with a team score of 32 points, followed by Alisal (45) in second, Salinas (59) in third, North Monterey County (86) in fourth and Carmel (136) in fifth.
MVC head coach Erik Beckmen said both the boys and girls teams started the season right where they needed to be. He’s already seen some outstanding individual performances and great team efforts early in the year.
“I’m extremely proud of this group and the hard work they put in throughout the offseason,” Beckmen said. “That commitment is starting to show, and we’re excited about what lies ahead as we continue to improve throughout the season.”
The Mustang girls’ team is led by junior Anna Conca and senior Finley Castro, who have been the foundation of their program over the past three years.
Castro is a four-year varsity runner, while Anna enters her third. Erik Beckmen said both are tremendous workhorses, exceptional leaders and set the standard for the rest of the team through their work ethic and commitment.
Conca also broke the three-mile school record by winning the Green Varsity A division race in 17:21.2 at the Woodbridge Classic. Castro (18:52.7) placed 11th, followed by sophomore Cara Lorenzen (21:47.4) in 79th, junior Kylie Fitzpatrick (24:15) in 104th and junior Charley Moggia (25:06.2) in 109th.
Another notable runner on the girls team includes senior Maya Moore, who Beckmen said is another incredibly hard-working athlete who has put together an excellent summer of training.
With a total of 10 girls on the roster, this is the largest girls team since Beckmen became the head coach in 2023. He said it’s a significant milestone since having just four girls in his first two seasons and seven in 2025.
The Mustangs placed sixth with a team score of 145 points in the first Mission Division race of the season.
Pacific Grove won the race with a team score of 41, followed by Alvarez (44), North Monterey County (96), Salinas (115), Carmel (120) and Watsonville (165) in seventh.
Beckmen added that the continued growth of the program has been exciting to see, and he believes this girls group has the talent to compete for a berth at the California Interscholastic Federation State Cross Country Championships alongside the boys team.
“Both teams have worked extremely hard to get to this point, but we know the season is still young,” Beckmen said. “Our goal is to continue building, stay healthy and be running our best when it matters most at the end of the season. I’m proud of what this group has accomplished so far and excited to see what they can do together.”
Pajaro Valley
Pajaro Valley has veteran junior William Cruz-Santos leading the way for the boys team that competes in the PCAL’s Santa Lucia Division this season.
Cruz-Santos was the fourth-fastest guy in 2025, just one minute slower than graduate Patrick Lopez.
Grizzly head coach Yafeet Garcia said in an email that Cruz-Santos is excited to compete since they now have a larger group who are around his pace, and they are as passionate as him about training and competing.
Cruz-Santos is joined by sophomores Noah Ortiz and Dominic Fantham, who had a massive breakout during the 2026 track and field season.
“Having Noah and Dominic on the team has led to a friendly rivalry where they are constantly trying to outperform each other at races,” Garcia said.
Ortiz placed third in 18:56.8 in the Santa Lucia Division race at the first PCAL Center Meet of the season at Pinto Lake County Park in Watsonville on Sept. 16.
Teammate freshman Romeo Lopez (19:34.3) took 10th, while Cruz-Santos (20:04.3) placed 18th. Junior Donovan Valoroso (20:09.5) finished 20th, followed by sophomore Julian Hernandez (20:20.4) in 23rd, junior Diego Gonzalez-Cisneros (20:47.8) and Fantham (20:56.6) in 30th.
Lopez was part of a small group of runners that competed at the Baylands Invitational in Sunnyvale on Sept. 4. He placed 17th out of 223 runners in 14:21.3, setting the all-time school record in a 4,000-meter race.
On the girls side, sophomore Amairany Hernandez Delgado also set an all-time school record in a 4,000-meter race. She placed 24th in 18:02.58 in a field of 104 runners at the Baylands Invitational.
Hernandez Delgado recently placed ninth in 22:43.3 in the Cypress Division race at last week’s PCAL Center Meet in Watsonville.
“She’s definitely in contention for being in the top two for our team this year,” Garcia said. “She also has a bright future, which her times have indicated.”
Other top finishers for Pajaro Valley included senior Danna Perez (26:15.6) in 33rd, junior Gisella Martinez (27:52.3) in 43rd and junior Miriam Hernandez (31:52.5) in 53rd.
St. Francis
Sophomore team captains Liam Refugio and Louis Patzoldt are two key returners to watch for the Sharks boys’ team this season.
St. Francis head coach Ramona Young said in an email that Refugio brings tremendous leadership skills, helping keep the team focused and on task.
Patzoldt has put in many miles over the summer, and he’s looking to cash in on that preparation in Santa Lucia Division action this season.
On the girls side, junior Amaya Castillo is a newcomer to keep an eye on in the Cypress Division.
Although she may be a rookie on the team, Young said Castillo has already shown tremendous grit, determination and motivation to succeed.
Castillo placed 17th in 23:59.7 in the Cypress Division race at last week’s PCAL Center Meet in Watsonville.
Young mentioned that Castillo is a multisport athlete who understands how to balance the demands of academics and athletics, and her work ethic should make her an important contributor this season.
“With strong leadership from its returning captains and the emergence of motivated newcomers like Castillo, St. Francis cross country will look to make its mark this season,” Young said.
