Agoura Girls Win Appeal to Again Race in Division I : Cross-country: Chargers return to level at which they finished second in the state the past three years.

The Agoura High girls’ cross-country team will be allowed to return to Division I despite an enrollment that requires it compete in Division II.

Agoura Coach Bill Duley filed an appeal with the California Interscholastic Federation on Sept. 12 after the school’s boys’ and girls’ teams had been moved to Division II under Southern Section realignment that took effect this fall. Duley filed the petition two days before the deadline and only learned of the switch this week when the latest Southern Section rankings were released.

The move does not affect the Agoura boys’ team, which will compete in Division II.

With an enrollment of 1,900, Agoura falls short of the new Division I minimum of 2,021 students. But Duley said that his team prefers tougher competition. Agoura has placed second behind Palos Verdes in the state Division I final the past three years.

“We want to compete against the best teams we can compete against,” he said. “I would rather take third, fourth or fifth in Division I than win an easier division.”

Previously, Division I comprised schools with 1,600 or more students. Palos Verdes had been bumped to Division III because its enrollment sank to 1,333, but the school also will be allowed to compete in Division I after winning an appeal.

The Palos Verdes boys’ team will remain in Division III.

After being ranked No. 1 in their respective divisions, Agoura and Palos Verdes have claimed the top positions in the Division I rankings. Agoura is No. 1 after a one-point win over the Sea Kings in the Woodbridge Invitational on Saturday and Palos Verdes is second.

The Agoura and Palos Verdes girls’ teams also are ranked second and sixth in the nation by The Harrier cross-country magazine.

Because only four Southern Section teams advance to the state Division I final, the addition of Agoura and Palos Verdes might squeeze out other division members, a prospect that angers Buena Coach Steve Blum.

The Bulldogs advanced to the state Division I final last year and are ranked fifth in the current poll.

“Everyone I know in Division I hates it,” Blum said.

Blum had backed the new playoff alignment until the state shifted Agoura and Palos Verdes.

Duley, on the other hand, believes all the top teams should compete together.

“I’m an advocate of the state meet and that the best teams should compete against the best teams,” he said.

“I understand that some people aren’t happy, (but) I’m certainly taking a risk petitioning because if I have a girl (suffer an injury), we may not make the state meet.”