1) *Jacqueline Turner (Orange Lutheran, Orange-SS) – Southern Section Champ cruised to her win a week back, with some good experience behind her the last two years in the sport. She was seventeenth here last year. 18:17 at the Mt. SAC facility last week.

photo by Margaret Gallagher

2) ***Jen Bergman (Valley Christian, San Jose-CCS) young star had a monster win in the CCS Meet and looks ready to roll into the championship weekend in fine style. 18:21 at Mt. SAC in October. Next Valley Christian great did not wait long to arrive!

photo by Joe Hartman

3) *Maritza Garcia (Riverbank-SJ) Sac Joaquin Section winner with a fine season behind her! At the Stanford Invite she was Division IV individual runner-up to defending state champ Amanda Moreno (Escalon), who she handled by 45 seconds in her section meet.

photo by Joe Hartman (White to left)

4) –Yasmine White (Arcata-NCS) – Section titlest a week back, she was third at Stanford in this division, and finished fourth at this level last November. Great all-around athlete.

photo by Joe Hartman

5) **Taylor Johnson ( San Lorenzo Valley, Felton-CCS) – leader of fine SLV squad, Taylor was fifth last year here as a frosh star, and recently was second to Bergman in the CCS Meet. She was sixth at the Stanford Invite Div IV and won the level Sweeps race at Mt. SAC, racing 18:18 there. Cracked 5:00 for a 1600 on the track a week back, so the speed is there!

Photo by Joe Hartman

6) –Amanda Moreno (Escalon-SJ) Defending Champ and a great big-meet competitor! Was second in the State Track meet over 3200 at 10:35.86. Mentioned some knee difficulties at the start of the year and was a far back second to Garcia at the Sac Joaquin Finals. If she’s at all healthy look for her to place much higher.

photo by Joe Hartman

7) ***Michelle Johnson (West Valley, Cottonwood-NO) Super Northern Section finals run for the first year star, Michelle was eight in the Stanford Invite Div IV level.

Aly Millett and Abby Herhold
photo by Half Moon Bay Review

8) –Aly Millett ( Half Moon Bay) One of the leaders of a super team, Aly is coming off a fine third in the tough CCS Div V Finals run. She raced an excellent 18:24 at Mt. SAC for second in the Div IV Sweeps race behind Johnson.

9) **Jane Kerner (Orange Lutheran, Orange-SS) Another of the leaders of the super Orange Lutheran team, Jane was second to teammate Turner at the SS affair, with what looks like a carefully timed peak with championship goals in mind this weekend.

10) *Abby Herhold (Half Moon Bay-CCS) Another of the super Half Moon Bay crew, Abby was fourth in the CCS title race, and was eighth along the way in the Mt. SAC Div IV Sweeps at 18:54.

1) *Chad Hall (Big Bear-SS) Second last year here, Chad obviously has as a goal this year racing to the title. Dominating his Section by close to a minute in the Finals run, he looks very sharp with his team peaking alongside him in stunning style for a big win! In late September he was the Stanford Invite winner Div IV at 16:09.

photo by Rich Gonzalez

2) *Erick Garcia (Parlier-CE) Section 3200 champ last spring with a 9:22 clocking as a soph after a fifth in the Fall State CC Meet, Erick has put together a fine 2005 fall campaign. In Hall’s absence he was the Mt. SAC Invite Div IV Sweeps champ at 15:25.

Joe Hartman photo

3) **German Fernandez (Riverbank-SJ) amazing start to his prep running career, German was close to 4:20 in the 1600 as a freshman, then has dazzled with a series of super performances this Fall. Here will be his big test against some older established stars. It will be a challenge we look forward to watching.

photo by Craig Potter

4) *Mark Ceraldi (Piedmont-NCS) - A big NCS champion a week back, the 4:17 1600 runner from track should be ready for quite a bit higher place than the seventh he was here last year.

McFarland 2005 Section Champs
photo from proracegroup.com - Ernest Velarde and Bill Cockerhan

5) -Octavio Ruiz (McFarland-CE) Section runner-up to Garcia, Octavio will lead the highly ranked McFarland squad hoping to continue the tradition established by great Coach Jim White. He was runner-up in the Mt. SAC Div IV Team Sweeps event at 15:50 from October.

6) *Julio Ortega (St. Josephs, Santa Maria-SS) Steadily improved over the season, Julio was the runner-up to Hall in the Section race (16:06), and was a race winner in October at the Mt. SAC affair.

photo by Margaret Gallagher

7) *Wes Buntman (Monte Vista Christian, Watsonville-CCS) Gee, lots of underclass people here! CCS champion by a hundred meters after laying low most of the season as far as Invitationals, Wes hopes to better by a ways the eighteenth he was here last year.

photo by Joe Hartman

8) -Max Mullender (Laguna Beach-SS) Third in the Southern Section Finals, Max was ninth in this contest last year and will be running hard for his defending champion squad hoping for another spot on the awards stand.

9) *Adam Cunningham (Milken Community, Los Angeles-SS) After a race win at the Mt. SAC meet in 16:19, Adam continued to develop, and was fourth in the Southern Section Div IV Championship run behind some good folks.

photo by Craig Potter

10) -Ricky Griffith (Piedmont-NCS) Another star from one of those smaller schools in the NCS that generate a handful each fall. Ricky was second in the section for the team champion Highlanders. Inside the top twenty last year Ricky will hopefully lead his squad to the award stand with a "front of the pack" finish.