Torrey Pines High was as close to a sure thing as there was in the 2008-09 school year.

Of the Falcons' 25 athletic teams, 17 won league championships. Mt. Carmel, which switched from the Palomar League to the smaller Valley League this year, was second with 12 championships, followed by La Costa Canyon with 11, Rancho Bernardo with eight and Westview with seven.

Nine of Torrey Pines' league championship teams finished with an unblemished record in league play.

With an overall league winning percentage of .857, the Falcons topped other North County Conference schools for the best sports program for 2008-09.

"There's never anything to complain about, but what matters the most is the students are getting a good experience," Torrey Pines athletic director Anne Meigs said. "The winning and titles are just a bonus.

"You look at the banners, and you'd think we have a good program. We do, but the mark of a good program is how well do the kids turn out.

"Turning out good kids is what the program is all about. We come down hard on players, and even parents, who don't understand that. We don't want anyone acting like a jerk."

The Falcons also enjoyed success at the county level, winning CIF San Diego Section championships in boys soccer, girls cross country, field hockey, boys and girls tennis, and boys track and field.

Only Cathedral Catholic, with seven CIF titles, fared better than Torrey Pines. La Costa Canyon and Mt. Carmel also captured six CIF crowns, while Bishop's had five and La Jolla and Francis Parker each had four.

Cathedral Catholic is not a member of the North County Conference.

Thanks in part to its new league, Mt. Carmel enjoyed a dramatic increase in overall winning percentage this year, from .379 to .759. Next in order were La Costa Canyon (.692), Westview (.668), Poway (.648) and Rancho Bernardo (.640).

Torrey Pines had the best boys program with an .858 winning percentage, easily beating La Costa Canyon at .726.

Mt. Carmel topped the girls chart with an .864 percentage. Torrey Pines was second at .856, with La Costa Canyon third at .663.

Torrey Pines boys claimed league titles in water polo, cross country, basketball, baseball, tennis, swimming, track and volleyball. The girls won league titles in tennis, cross country, golf, field hockey, soccer, water polo, softball, swimming and track.

Meigs pointed to the softball league title as something of a surprise, since the last one came in 2002.

"Softball jumped up because it had been a while," Meigs said. "That team bonded so well. I believe the saying that girls have to bond to win and boys have to win to bond.

"We were surprised by the 17 titles. I heard a quote from Martina Navratilova once that applies. She said, 'The moment of victory is much too short to enjoy it by itself.'

"There has to be more to it. At Torrey Pines, it absolutely is more than just the moment. It's the journey that makes it special."

Contact staff writer Terry Monahan at 760-739-6648.