One doesn't have to venture far to find some of the state's best track and field athletes.

They're right here in Ventura County.

More than a dozen area athletes either ranked in the top 10 on the state list or on the bubble are among the entries for the Ventura County Championships today at 4 p.m. at Moorpark High.

The meet brings together the county's best large- and small- schools athletes on the same stage for their last major competition before next week's league championships.

Long-awaited matchups could create the atmosphere for outstanding performances and long-remembered bragging rights.

Defending boys' 100-meter champion Chris Owusu of Oaks Christian, who owns the fastest all-conditions time in the state (10.42 seconds), could be tested by rising stars Sean Alfino of Rio Mesa and Moorpark's Maxwell Dyce. Owusu is ranked No. 1 in the state in the 200 (21.30).

Dyce has the county's best long jump mark of the spring (22 feet, 11 inches).

After his performance at the Mount San Antonio College Relays last Saturday, Royal's Phillip Burks moved into fifth place on the state's triple jump list (47-3).

Based off his mark in a Marmonte League meet, Agoura's program record holder Kevin Graf would be eighth in the shot put at 58-2.

Brittany Harper of Calabasas is ranked fifth in the girls' 400. Malibu's Emani Truluck, a three-event winner at last year's county meet, is ranked ninth in the state in the girls' 100 hurdles.

Oaks Christian's Jules Sharpe is tied for third in the boys' high jump at 6-10. Sharpe is one of only seven high jumpers in area history to jump 6-10 or higher.

Making her county meet debut is Rio Mesa freshman Valexia Droughn, who has turned in 100-meter times of 11.95 twice in wind conditions that were barely over the maximum standard.

Among those expected to test Droughn are Newbury Park's Raven Chavanne and La Reina freshman Hanna Winter, who owns the school record.

Julian Carriger of Buena made a breakthrough performance of 49.04 in the boys' 400 recently. That makes him the target of a field that could include defending champion Quentin Greenlaw of Rio Mesa, James Short of St. Bonaventure and Owusu.

State-ranked boys' 800 runner Doug Bettisworth of Oak Park (1:54.41) will be facing Camarillo's Greg Kelly, who turned in a personal-best performance last weekend of 1:54.96.

The girls' 800 could sizzle, too, with La Reina's Tara Blanchard (2:14.72), defending champion Cassie Brooker (2:15.20) of Camarillo and former CIF champion Roseanne Fleming of Oaks Christian.

One of the best early events on the championship program will be the boys' 4x100 relay, featuring 2007 state finalist Rio Mesa (42.24), Oaks Christian (42.62) and St. Bonaventure (42.68).

The field for the girls' 1,600 could have 11 runners with season-best times of under 5:20. Courtney Lightfoot is the county leader with a time of 5:05.02. She set the Oak Park record in the 3,200 last week.

Speaking of fast times in the 1,600, Ventura's Michael Barnes has posted one of the best marks (4:15.84) in the state. Royal's Travis Edwards and Oak Park's James Goldstein have also had quality performances this spring.

Hueneme's Jose Alcantar is the defending county champion in the boys' 3,200. A state cross country runner-up last fall, Alcantar faces the likes of Clayton Graham of Calabasas and Sean Gildea of Thousand Oaks.