by Brett Harvey Boys - Girls Boys1.
Billy Nelson, Taft. Nelson is undefeated this season including big wins
at Clovis over Brett Gotcher and at Stanford Division 4. He also won the Morro
Bay Invite by 25 seconds, taking the Early Bird Invite easily and then demolished
the field at Cal Poly winning by over a minute and breaking his own course record.
He has looked unbeatable thus far. 2. Brett Gotcher, Aptos. Gotcher
won the Division 1 at Stanford with the 2nd fastest time of the day. He took runner
up behind Nelson at Clovis and he was California's top finisher against a national
class field at Great American where he was 6th. 3. Yong-Sung Leal,
Arroyo San Lorenzo. Possibly the top California runner before the season is over.
He triumphed with the fastest time of the day at Stanford Division 2. However,
as this was his only race, I can't see giving him the number 1 ranking at this
time. At Stanford he was only 1 second faster than Gotcher's winning time from
Division 1, and Gotcher later lost by 7 seconds to Nelson. 4. Abadir Barre,
Mt. Carmel. Barre won the Bronco Invitational, the Mt. Carmel Invite the Dana
Hills Invite and the division 1-3 at the Cal Poly Invite. His only failure so
far has been to challenge the real big boys at either Stanford or Clovis. However,
he defeated #9 Figueroa at Cal Poly and had a faster time than #6 Hadden at Dana
Hills. 5. Carl Dambrowski, Granada. Like Leal, Dambrowski is lower
in the rankings because he has only run one race, Great Bay, where he finished
3rd overall and was the top Californian. He will more than likely move up when
he takes on the big boys again. 6. Michael Hadden, Woodbridge. Only
a sophomore! Hadden won at Woodbridge and Laguna Hills before winning the sophomore
race at Dana Hills, his time was the 2nd fastest of the day behind only Barre.
In his first race with the top guns he took a very solid 6th at Stanford in Division
2. Also captured the Orange County Division 2 Championship with the fastest time
of the day. 7. Jordan Horn, Alta Loma. Horn has put together in an
impressive season so far in taking wins at the Foothill Invite, Warren Stouffer
Invite the Millikan Invite and the Santa Clarita Invite. He had an off day at
the Central Park race and still finished 5th. Unsung runner has a chance to really
move if he performs well at Mt. Sac this weekend. 8. Mike Poe, Etiwanda.
Beat Horn and everyone else at Central Park invite and also captured the Yucaipa
and Inland Empire Challenge titles. Horn got the nod over Poe based on his excellent
early season races and the fact that it seems he had an off day at Central Park.
Poe has been racing excellently. 9. Hector Figueroa, Corcoran. Points
for consistency here. Figueroa has been a factor in every race this year, finishing
2nd at Clovis in the small division, 4th at the Morro Bay Invite, taking 3rd at
Mt. Whitney before finally capturing his first invite of the year at Golden West.
10. Tim Nelson, Liberty Christian. Hasn't raced much but when he has
he has been very good. Took the Bella Vista Bronco Invite and finished 3rd at
Stanford Division 1. 11. Mark Batres, Don Bosco Tech. Batres won the
small division at Clovis, won Bosco Tech invite and was the no.2 Californian at
Great American in 13th. 12. Luke Llamas, Canyon. Llamas has been very
consistent for his nationally ranked team. He was 3rd behind big names Nelson
and Gotcher at Clovis. He was also 2nd behind teammate Jameson Mora at Seaside.
Was the no.3 Californian at Great American in 17th. 13. Babey Wagnew,
Helix. Finished 2nd at Stanford Division 2, Also won the Baron Invitational. Have
not seen a whole lot about him, but a runner with a lot of room for improvement
in the rankings. 14. Jose Marino, Paso Robles. Was 3rd at Stanford
Division 2 in a photo finish with Baby Wagnew. 15. Casey Burchill,
Buchanan. Won the Whitney Invitational and backed that up with solid finishes
at Stanford Division 1 (8th) and the Clovis Championship Race where he was 6th.
Other Notables: Jordan Kinley, Maria Carillo Gilliat Ghebrey, Logan
Mohammed Trafeh, Duarte Mohammed Qazi, West Torrance Jameson Mora, Canyon
Girls1. Amber Trotter, Ukiah. Trotter has
left no doubt at all that she is the no.1 girl in California and maybe in the
country. She charged to huge wins at the Great Race of the Great Bay and Clovis
as well as winning the Iolani Invite in Hawaii. 2. Shannon Rowbury,
Sacred Heart Cathedral. Finished 11th at the Great Race of Great Bay and was the
top California in 10th at Great American Cross Country Festival. Also captured
the Lowell Invite, the Cowchip Classis, and the Artichoke Invite. 3. Ruth
Graham, Gunn. Only race was a biggie. She won Stanford Division 2, taking
out big names #5 Aldridge and #10 Chock. 4. Liza Pasciuto, Murietta
Valley. As a freshman she qualified for the Footlocker Nationals and she has been
impressive in her only race so far, a 17:56 romp at the Orange County Championships.
5.Jenny Aldridge, Maria Carillo. Was 9th at the Great Race of the Great
Bay, and was the runner up at Stanford Division 2. Won the Viking and Bella Vista
Bronco Invitationals, setting a meet record in the latter. 6. Julie Allen,
Corona Del Mar. Winner at Stanford Division 3 over #5 Timinsky. Also won at Laguna
Hills Invitational and the Orange County Championships. 7. Jenna Timinsky,
San Dieguito Academy. Was 3rd at the Great Race of the Great Bay and finished
runner up to Allen at Stanford Division 3. Captured invitationals at Mt. Carmel
and Saint Augustine. 8. Clara Horowitz, Hilton Head Royce. Won Stanford
Division 5. Also captured the Concord/De La Salle Adidas Invite. 9. Laura
Muller, Woodland. Big winner at Stanford Division 1. Took title at Lagoon
Valley, was runner-up to #2 Rowbury at Cowchip and was 3rd at Bella Vista Bronco
Invite behind #4 Aldridge. 10. Caitlin Chock, Granite Bay. Only a sophomore!!
Chock is coming off a freshman year that saw her record a scorching 10:48.75 for
3200m. She won early at Granite Bay, before finishing as the runner-up to Rowbury
at Lowell and as the 3rd place finisher at Stanford Division 2. 11. Maryann
Pynchon, Edison. Won small school at Clovis, as well as winning big time Woodbridge
Invitational, the Road Runner Classis and the Sunset League Preview. 12. Emily
Vince, Peninsula. 5th at the Great Race of the Great Bay. Won Dana Hills and
Kenny Staub Invitationals. 13. Stephanie Baird, Helix. Won at Baron
and High Desert Invitationals. Finished 5th at Stanford Division 2. 14. Michelle
Gallagher, Sacred Heart Cathedral. Rowbury's young teammate is learning from
the best and she is putting together an excellent season. She was 3rd behind #2
Rowbury and #9 Chock at Lowell, 4th at Cowchip behind Rowbury and #8Muller and
then took a big step to take the runner up spot behind Rowbury at the Artichoke
Invite. 15. Heather Hansen, Madera. Won at Mt. Whitney and then won
and set the meet record at Golden West Invite. Other Notables: Cassie
Ramirez, Highland Casey Nevitt, Aptos Lindsay Owen, Nordhoff Return
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