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Sac Joaquin Section
Finals Preview
Two of the nation's best - Ranked among the top ten nationally (L) Rachel
Bryan (Laguna Creek Bill Leung photo) with Caitlin Chock (R - Granite
Bay) listed among the top 25 in the entire nation by Harrier Magazine!!!
Boys
Division I - Grace Davis (Modesto) is among the State's top ten teams,
with twins Oscar and Miguel Uribe leading the squad to the Section's #2
team time in qualifying last week at 81:25. Tom Peterson (Beyer, Modesto)
will try to crank up his individual effort with Oscar Uribe (15:29), Lincoln's
Jeff Lease (15:30), and Peterson (15:34) top times from qualifying. Davis
was second last week, with Lincoln third, with Nevada Union possibly in
the hunt for a three-way tussle for the runner-up spot behind Grace Davis.
Division II - Jesuit (Sacramento) blazed 78:59 in qualifying last week,
the fastest at this level by over four minutes on the team-time clock,
with the squad recently joined by retired DyeStatCal edit copy person
John Wihtol (private joke--boy do we need one I cannot event spell our
staff's names correctly!!!). Anyway, Austin Ramos was 15:11 last week,
with Steve Vargas 15:20 for 1-2 Jesuit, as the Marauders, top ranked statewide,
hope to take the championship trophy home here and in two weeks in Fresno.
Woodcreek, Rocklin, and Granite Bay should battle for second, with Calvin
Glass (Woodcreek) capable of moving up from his seventh in qualifying
last week and Wolhan Ovalle (Vacaville) proven this campaign.
Division III - Some tough squads here, with Oakmont ranked among the top
five statewide, and Roseville a fine Prelims effort last week. Dan Napieralski
(Oakmont) 15:47 led qualifying over teammate Kevin Newton, with Roseville
leader Dan Robertson next. Jasper Peach (Placer, Auburn) could make an
individual move in the Finals, with Shawn Lawrence (Bear River) shining
in Invitationals during the regular season.
Division IV - Riverbank has emerged nicely lately, with a minute margin
over Escalon in the Preliminaries. Scott Balcao (St. Mary's, Stockton)
was a 100 meter winner in the Trials at 15:59, with Hughson's Ernesto
Madrigal next. San Juan and Colfax could join the battle for second this
week.
Division V - Kyle Hess (Jim Elliott HS) led his team to a 23 point win
over the other squad in the Section, Vacaville Christian.
Girls:
Division I - Rachel Bryan (Laguna Creek, Elk Grove) is ranked #8 in the
entire nation by Harrier magazine currently, with the advertisement for
"nice folks can finish first," like most in our sport, tearing
through a super Fall that has her hoping for good racing over the next
month ending in San Diego at the Foot Locker National Finals. Rachel will
race towards "record-land" up front in this event, with a fine
Woodland team, bolstered lately by the re-emergence of star Melissa Garcia
(third for team last week), with the team really only one star away from
National Rankings in the sport. Qualifying went according to the form
charts, with Davis, and Folsom placing 2-3 behind Woodland last week.
The Woodland crew of Megan Cearly, Mariya Townswick, and Melyndee Butterfield
will join the pack in chase of Bryan, with Dallon Williams (Turlock),
Natasha LaBeaud and Lauren Mulkey (Folsom) making this a solid divison!!
Division II - Carefully raced this Fall Caitlin Chock (Granite Bay) had
last week an "on" week on the racing chart, with an impressive
17:19 run that was a comfortable winner over Natalie White (Oak Ridge,
El Dorado Hills). Chock is listed among the top 25 in the entire United
States currently by Harrier magazine, and with a good next month will
establish herself as among the nation's elite group of prep distance stars!!
(another mild-mannered joy to be around who certainly deserves it!). Granite
Bay is ranked among the top handful of teams in the State, with the squad
hoping to join leader Chock this year in a carefully timed, successful
peak here and in a couple of weeks. A fine Vacaville group, led by Cecily
Lemmon, was second last week (48 to GB's 38), with Megan Lewis (Tracy)
the other division individual under 19:00 in qualifying.
Division III - Fun, fun fun!! Sit back here and watch St. Francis (Sacramento)
and Placer (Auburn) go at it!! The very highly ranked squads were 35 (SF)
and 49 (Placer) last week, with assuredly a classic battle to decide who
takes home the championship award this coming weekend. Up-front, Kim Crouch
(Placer) and Sarah Krtil (St. Francis) fittingly should sort out individual
honors as well, with the two leading squads probably having every other
finisher among the top 15-20 to sort out individual and team awards. Del
Oro (Loomis) was third, and State-Ranked Oakmont fourth in qualifying
in what is a very strong division!
Division IV - Upstart Riverbank upset the form charts on the Girls side
also last week, emerging victorious with 44 points over Escalon's 59.
Riverbank gapped at about a minute behind team leader Ashley Strahl, with
Amanda Moreno (Escalon) the division's quickest over Pilar Zaich (St.
Mary's, Stockton).
Division V - Britney Johnson led here Waterford team to a 17 point win
with her individual victory over the other Div 5 Section squad, Jim Elliot.
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