Peninsula Takes Aim at State Title : Cross-country: Panther girls get another shot at ending Agoura’s run of three consecutive championships.

Peninsula Coach Joe Kelly says his girls’ cross-country team is the best in the state. Whether the Panthers can fulfill the claim will be determined Saturday at the state meet in Fresno.

Agoura, the three-time defending state champion, once again looms in Peninsula’s path to the State Division I title.

The Chargers defeated the Panthers for the third consecutive year at the Southern Section divisional finals on Saturday.

However, Agoura’s margin of victory was its smallest--five points--and Peninsula placed its five scoring runners ahead of Agoura’s fifth runner. Kelly said a larger field at the state meet will also favor the Panthers’ chances.

“I think we should be no worse than second, but if we don’t win I will be very disappointed,” Kelly said.

Qualifying for state for the Peninsula girls’ and boys’ teams as one of the top four teams at the Southern Section championships was another thing.

Molly Mehlberg, Peninsula’s No. 1 runner, missed three days of training because of illness and did not decide to run at the section finals until the morning of the race.

But Mehlberg, who placed third in the 1992 state meet, came within two seconds of her best on the three-mile Mt. San Antonio College course, placing fifth in 18 minutes 29 seconds.

Despite a back injury to No. 3 runner Jason Neese, the Peninsula boys managed to qualify as the No. 4 team in a field that included six of the state’s top eight ranked teams. Neese finished as Peninsula’s sixth runner but the Panthers were boosted by the 10th and 16th-place finishes of Hide Sano and Ken Goodrich.

“I was sure both teams would make it to state three weeks ago and then everything fell apart,” Kelly said. “I don’t know if we’ll be in top form, but we’ll be OK Saturday.”

Agoura’s Amy Skieresz is favored for the Division I girls’ individual title. Thousand Oaks should run away with the boys’ Division I team championship.

Brandon Del Campo of Thousand Oaks, Matt Farley of Sacramento Jesuit and Brett Strahan of Newhall Hart will contend for the individual title.

Simone Ferrara of South Torrance and Matt Harris of Mira Costa will also compete in the Division III race. The meet starts at 9 a.m. with the girls’ Division I race.