Race # 5 Division I Boys 9:05 A

Race # 5�� Division I Boys�� 9:05 A.M.

�� The Southern Section has long been recognized as the most talented section in California, with the vast concentration of that talent traditionally occurring in the Division I ranks. No less than 8 of the state�s top 10 programs at this enrollment level hail from the Southern Section. This year�s collection of Division I teams, however, is evolving to be the deepest in history! Two of the sixteen finalist squads have been ranked among the top fifteen lineups in the country at one point or another this season, with most programs having already enjoyed a litany of team-time school records at various invitationals across the state this fall. If weather conditions cooperate this morning, look for a major re-writing of the all-time course lists!

�� Headlining the ultra-deep cast of Division I squads is two-time defending state Division I champion Royal High of Simi Valley, ranked third in the nation by The Harrier Magazine and seeking its third consecutive CIF-SS crown. Although Coach Ryan Luce�s team is as strong as ever when healthy, the Highlanders arrive here without a key scorer who is nursing injury (Danny Benson, who is expected to return in time for the state meet). Senior Michael Cybulski, who is unbeaten over the last seven weeks of the season and is the reigning two-time state 3200-meter champion in track, is the celebrated leader of the Royal attack, with the UCLA-bound talent seeking his first sectional individual title in cross-country this weekend. Among the others key contributors joining Cybulski in the team title bid are fellow seniors and all-state honorees Hudson Andrews and Jun Reichl, two veterans who�ve been key performers for a team that has advanced to the prestigious Nike Team Nationals postseason extravaganza each of the last two years. Royal is unbeaten against California teams this season, registering major wins at the Woodbridge, Stanford and Mt. SAC invitationals. Its only loss thus far was of the interstate variety at Stanford to Washington�s Ferris HS, considered the top team in the country.�

�� The biggest threat against Royal�s three-peat bid comes from a pair of Sea View League powers in Trabuco Hills and El Toro, a pair of squads all too familiar with each other in executing some great rivalries in recent seasons. Trabuco Hills, ranked 13^th in the nation, emerged as the champion of the state�s best league (which boasted four teams ranked among the top ten in their respective state divisions this fall) to coincide with a string of powerful performances all season long.� The Mustangs were second to Royal at both Woodbridge and Mt. SAC, winners at the big Orange County Championships and also crossed state lines to win the team title at the prestigious Bob Firman Invitational in Idaho. Siblings J.T. and Riley Sullivan lead Trabuco Hills, which is seeking its first section title in school history. J.T., a senior, has been among the most improved runners on the West Coast this season, and will seek to be among a very short list of Orange County runners to ever dip under 14:50 on the Mt. SAC course. Riley and fellow junior Scott Blair occasionally intertwine at the 2-3 positions, with that lead group considered among the top teammate trios in the entire nation! The big story with the Mustangs this season has been the emergence of its # 4 scorer, Scott Mosier, whose development has raised the Mustangs from a very good Southland power to a true national force in 2006. El Toro has built a nice reputation for well-timed postseason performance peaks in recent years, with the depth of the Chargers making them a very dangerous crew on any day where all of its runners are in sync. El Toro had one of those such days at the Stanford Invitational, where it placed fourth to a trio of national-class superpowers while defeating a pair of nationally ranked programs. Although the Charger lineup interchanges often, its top frontrunners are usually proven veteran seniors Chris McDonald and Anthony Masci.

�� Valencia of Placentia, which defeated El Toro at the Orange County Championships, is a very dangerous squad that traditionally peaks as well as any unit from behind the orange curtain, with Josh Linen and Talal Khan affording the group some excellent leadership. Arcadia, which has been ultra-steady this fall after a stunning state meet breakthrough (where it finished third) in 2005, has senior Andrew Pilavjian and sophomore Renaud Poizat leading a program in the definite rise in recent years. Upland, which is paced by dazzling individual talent Ryan Gamboa (an accomplished soccer player as well), is another dangerous group in the race, with the season Highlanders seeking to replicate the fine effort it showed en route to winning the Inland Empire Challenge last month. Albert Davila and Travis Fernandes are additional key contributors to Upland�s race-day arsenal. La Sierra, led by the phenomenal Knight Twins, and an ultra-deep and tightly packed Dana Hills attack paced by senior Jeremy Canterbury, are leading candidates to secure that seventh and final state meet berth to Fresno.

CIF-State Division I Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division I Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division I Individual Rankings

Royal (SS)�� 1. Royal, Simi Valley�� 1. Michael Cybulski, Sr., Royal
Trabuco Hills (SS)�� 2. Trabuco Hills, Mission Viejo�� 2. J.T. Sullivan, Sr., Trabuco Hills
Davis (SJS)�� 3. El Toro, Lake Forest�� 3. Spencer Knight, Sr., La Sierra
Madera (CE)�� 4. Arcadia�� 4. Luis Guevara, Sr., El Rancho
El Toro (SS)�� 5. Upland�� 5. Dylan Knight, Sr., La Sierra
Arcadia (SS)�� 6. Valencia, Placentia�� 6. Riley Sullivan, Jr., Trabuco Hills
Upland (SS)�� 7. Dana Hills, Dana Point�� 7. Hudson Andrews, Sr., Royal
Valencia (SS)�� 8. La Sierra, Riverside�� 8. Ryan Gamboa, Sr., Upland
Dana Hills (SS)�� 9. Vista Murrieta, Murrieta�� 9. Chris McDonald, Sr., El Toro
La Sierra (SS) �� 10. El Rancho, Pico Rivera�� 10. Andrew Pilavjian, Sr., Arcadia

Preview and rankings by Rich Gonzalez � Editor, DyeStatCal.com

Race # 9�� Division II Boys�� 10:15 A.M.

��

Nothing quite captures drama in sports like that of a classic heavyweight prizefight, pitting two pugilists going toe to toe from one end of the ring to the other, slugging it out until one man is standing. Welcome to cross-country�s annual equivalent: The Southern Section Division II Final. There is simply no division over the past decade that has repeatedly elicited the type of exciting and nail-bitingly close battles that are found here. This year, the nerve-racking fun continues�

�� Pre-race favorite St. John Bosco of Bellflower has been on a tear during the latter half of the season, including the top team-time showing among today�s D2 teams at last month�s Mt. SAC Invitational (80:25) and its recent title-winning march through the rugged Trinity League. The Braves are led by one of the Golden State�s hidden gems in senior ace Victor Bonilla, who toured these hills in a lifetime-best 15:11 last month and cruised through a fine 15:23 heat-winning effort here last weekend. While Bonilla rates as the heart of the SJB lineup, freshman phenom Carlos Martinez has been a big find for the team this fall � well, maybe a little find. Among the shorter runners in the race today, the talented 9^th-grader teams with seniors Justin Martinez and Tim Barreto in arming Coach Tim McIntosh�s squad with the firepower required to secure the title.

�� Brea Olinda, which has steadily improved throughout the course of the season and also crossed state lines to win the popular Three-Course Challenge invitational in Oregon, is a very dangerous and motivated group. The Wildcats came up just short of advancing to the section finals with a very young crew a year ago, with much of that same cast maturing into a championship-level unit this fall. Erich Yanoschik and Jared Roush led last weekend�s qualifying effort for the squad. Loyola, which always seems to find an extra gear and clutch performances come championship time, is very strong once again. The Cubs are led by vastly improved junior James Kostelnik, the class winner at the early-season Long Beach Invitational and the recent Mission League champion. Loyola�s real advantage becomes apparent soon after Kostelnik passes through, as a very tightly packed lineup is usually close in tow to its frontrunner. Veterans Julian LaFarge and Patrick French along with new contributor Andres Diaz arm the Cubs with the tools needed to pull off an upset.

�� Ayala, which was ranked atop the division at one time during the year, is also within striking distance of the top spot (as are bout a half dozen other teams � we told you it was close!) with Henri Floris and Spencer Doolittle providing the leadership for the Bulldogs, who just missed running down eventual Sierra league champion Chino Hills in a nice battle. This division also feature two �teams of the future� as Apple Valley and Foothill are two very fine squads dominated by non-seniors.��

The quest for individual honors took on a new twist last weekend when it was learned that title favorite Kent Morikawa (signed to UCLA) of Torrance had injured his hip before prelims and has noticeably hobbling around the warm-up area for much of the day. Morikawa went on to start conservatively in his prelim heat before making major moves on the last two hills to move into the lead and post a narrow win. St. John Bosco�s Bonilla and Hueneme�s Jose Alcantar are two outstanding harriers who will do battle, with each quite capable of drawing close to Morikawa and perhaps pulling an upset should the Torrance High star have lingering injury problems.

�Incidentally, one additional clash to keep an eye on involves three very talented freshmen going at it. St. John Bosco�s aforementioned Martinez, Edison�s Matt McElroy and Apple Valley�s Daniel Rosales are the Southland�s three top freshmen, with each dipping under 16 minutes this fall on the Mt. SAC course.

��

CIF-State Division II Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division II Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division II Indiv. Rankings

Jesuit (SJS)�� 1. St. John Bosco�� 1. Kent Morikawa, Sr., Torrance
Oak Ridge (SJS)�� 2. Brea Olinda �� 2. Victor Bonilla, Sr., St. John Bosco
Woodcreek (SJS)�� 3. Loyola� �� 3. Jose Alcantar, Jr., Hueneme
Los Gatos (CCS)�� 4. Ayala�� 4. Henri Floris, Sr., Ayala
Clovis (CE)�� 5. Torrance�� 5. Luis Dorantes, Jr., Whittier
St. John Bosco (SS)�� 6. Apple Valley� �� 6. James Kostelnik, Jr., Loyola
Brea Olinda (SS)�� 7. Foothill�� 7. Roman Pascual, Sr., Century
Loyola (SS)�� 8. Mira Costa�� 8. Will Yochum, Sr., Dos Pueblos
Petaluma (NCS)�� 9. Woodbridge�� 9. Ryan Williams, Jr., Burbank
Ayala (SS) �� 10. West Torrance�� 10. Cody Schmidt, So., Redondo

Preview and rankings by Rich Gonzalez � Editor, DyeStatCal.com

Race # 7�� Division III Boys�� 9:45 A.M.

�� �They�re baaaaaaaaack.��

Just about every year, the chat rooms and message boards are full of analytical neophytes quick to cast Barstow as either over-rated or unproven. Every year, the Aztecs then take to the courses defy the skeptics and find their way onto the championship podium.� For 2006, the defending state champions are hitting their stride just in time.� Barstow�s runners even stunned their own coach in recording a division-best 80:09 team time during last weekend�s qualifying as veteran Aztecs Carlos Perez and Anthony Solis sparked the effort.

But before anyone considers already awarding that winner�s plaque over to Barstow, be warned that Palos Verdes has enjoyed a dream season so far in continually knocking off higher-ranked teams, punctuated by big-meet wins at both Stanford and Mt. SAC. PV also has the individual title favorite in senior Fawad Khan, who recorded a seasonal-best 15:30 in qualifying action last weekend. Another key performer for Coach Jeff Atkinson�s crew is senior Andrew Ratley, a real blue-collar type team leader whose improvements in recent seasons are fitting for his efforts.

If there are darkhorse teams in the picture, those would probably be a pair of Trinity League powers in Santa Margarita and Orange Lutheran. SM is led by seniors Mark Hirschboeck, Kary Yergler and Ryan Martin, with 11^th-grade 800m track specialist Jon Telles also on board. Lutheran, which gave the Eagles a scare in a close battle for second place in league, are led by juniors Cameron Everhart, Sam Delgado and Matt Kuykendall.

�� Keep your eye also on fine squads from Cabrillo and San Luis Obispo, two programs known for showing well when the chips are down. As previously mentioned, Palos Verdes� Khan is favored for the individual crown, but fine collegiate prospect Alan Lloyd of Burroughs in Ridgecrest and Barstow�s front-running tandem are serious threats as well.

�

CIF-State Division III Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division III Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division III Indiv. Rankings

1. �� Barstow (SS)�� 1. Barstow�� 1. Fawad Khan, Sr., Palos Verdes

2. �� Palos Verdes (SS)�� 2. Palos Verdes �� 2. Alan Lloyd, Sr., Burroughs-R.

3 Acalanes (NCS)�� 3. Santa Margarita�� 3. Carlos Perez, Sr., Barstow

4 Maria Carrillo (NCS)�� 4. Orange Lutheran�� 4. Phillip Brown, Jr., Laguna Hills

5 Del Campo (SJS)�� 5. Laguna Hills�� 5. Anthony Solis, Jr., Barstow

6 Del Oro (SJS)�� 6. Cabrillo� �� 6. Oscar Torres, Jr., Cabrillo

7 Santa Margarita (SS)�� 7. Corona del Mar�� 7. Jeremy Riley, Jr., San Luis Obispo

8 Orange Lutheran (SS)�� 8. Oak Park�� 8. Will Zentmyer, Jr., La Canada

9 Laguna Hills (SS)�� 9. St. Francis�� 9. Andrew Ratley, Sr., Palos Verdes

10 Campolindo (NCS)�� 10. San Luis Obispo�� 10. Isaac Chavez, Soph., Barstow

Preview and rankings by Rich Gonzalez � Editor, DyeStatCal.com

Race # 1�� Division IV Boys�� 7:45 A.M.

�� Alright teams, you can start coming out of hiding now. Unlike most other divisions, where the main championship combatants often face off multiple times during the year, Division IV teams almost seemingly avoid facing each other at full strength. Whether it be a form of gamesmanship or sheer coincidence, it�s not until the final weeks of the season that top teams show their cards.

�� This much is known: Big Bear holds the ace in the deck. With very talented senior Chad Hall leading, the Bears are a slight favorite to win the team championship, although even that is merely a bit of an educated guess as Coach Mickey Hall�s team has often rested out key runners at various invitationals this fall. Hall, who stunned the sport�s most astute observers with a jaw-breaking 14:00 clocking along the flat 3-mile course at Woodbridge in mid-September, also won the featured Mt. SAC Invitational SuperSweepstakes race last month with a fine 14:35 clocking that topped the weekend! Alberto Solis, as All-CIF performer a year ago, is another key performer for the Bears.

�� Morro Bay, which is always toughest come championship time under highly successful mentor coach Cary Nerelli, pulled a stunner with an excellent Los Padres League win over Division III power Cabrillo two weeks back. The Pirates ar led by Ethan Richardson, Ryan Jelstrom, and Addison Cugini. Laguna Beach, which dazzled with a fine team breakthrough at the state meet a year ago, is another loaded lineup to watch. Although Coach Dave Brobeck has already indicated he won�t run his full �A� squad until state, the Artists boast quite a lineup, headed by senior Jeremy Eaton.

�� Perennial powers such as Oaks Christian (led by fine sophomore Charlie Petrie), Maranatha (paced by junior Andrew Yen), and Harvard-Westlake (headed up by excellent junior Chris Okano, third in the tough Mission League) also grace the entry list.

�� Although Hall is the overwhelming favorite to win the race, Nordhoff senior Branson Shirck is one of the finer under-the-radar talents around. Enjoying a breakthrough track season last spring after getting a late start in the sport, Shirck has carried his success over to the hills, including last weekend�s heat-winning effort in 15:55.

CIF-State Division IV Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division IV Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division IV Indiv. Rankings

McFarland (CE)�� 1. Big Bear �� 1. Chad Hall, Sr., Big Bear
St. Mary�s (NCS)�� 2. Morro Bay �� 2. Brandon Shirck, Sr., Nordhoff
Big Bear (SS)�� 3. Laguna Beach �� 3. Julio Ortega, Sr., St. Joseph-SM
Riverbank (SJS)�� 4. Oaks Christian�� 4. Sam Hawkes, Sr., St. Joseph-SM
Morro Bay (SS)�� 5. Maranatha �� 5. Adam Cunningham, Sr., Milken
Laguna Beach (SS)�� 6. Harvard-Westlake�� 6. Alberto Solis, Jr., Big Bear
Avenal (CE)�� 7. Nordhoff�� 7. Jeremy Eaton, Sr., Laguna Beach
Oaks Christian (SS)�� 8. Notre Dame-SO�� 8. Charles Maginnis, Sr., Notre Dame
Palma (CCS)�� 9. St. Joseph-SM�� 9. Chris Okano, Jr., Harvard-Westl.
�West Valley (NO)�� 10. Crespi�� 10. Garret Cowan, So., Templeton

Preview and rankings by Rich Gonzalez � Editor, DyeStatCal.com

Race # 2�� Division V Boys� ��8:05 A.M.

��

If you�re looking for the biggest team favorite in any of the ten divisional races today, you�ve found it right here. Woodcrest Christian of Riverside seeks yet another CIF-SS crown and is favored to do so today by a large of roughly three or so minutes on the team-time charts. The Royals beat runner-up Flintridge Prep by nearly 2 � minutes at last month�s Mt. SAC Invitational, with the Kody Peterson-led crew now seeking to crank it up another notch during the next two championship weekends. Woodcrest Christian made it look easy in last weekend�s qualifying round, having six runners split into two groups� and seemingly jogging their way to an easy 47-point margin of victory in its heat. Peterson and Jake Jeanson are the team�s veteran performers, even though Jeanson is only a sophomore. The battle for the runner-up team position figures to involve a number of squads very familiar with each other. Flintridge Prep, Chadwick and Webb are all members of the Prep League, where it was FP that won the team crown. All three of those squads � in addition to former Prep League member Brentwood � have been ranked among the division�s top 10 teams in the state this year.

Sage Hill of Newport Beach has made nice inroads in the sport in recent years and is in good position to earn one of the seven state-meet berths up for grabs here, with junior Connor Rose leading the team�s attack. One interesting note regarding qualifying teams involved Pasadena Poly (also of the Prep League) which appeared to arrive late to check-in at last weekend�s prelims and actually started the race several seconds behind the field� yet manage to run down those teams anyway in eventually finishing third in its race! Nice poise for the Panthers during a stressful situation!

Woodcrest Christian senior Kody Peterson is the favorite to capture individual honors, with the four-year letterman being involved in many big races over the years and obviously within his element when the big challenges arrive. He figures to get that stiff challenge today from Oakwood�s Aric Van Halen, who looked sensational along the hills in last weekend�s qualifying to post the best time among Division V runners (15:46). Van Halen, who was prepped for today�s battle during fine league clashes with Milken�s Adam Cunningham (among others), is also leading his team in its bid for a state berth.

Cole Pavlovich of St. Margaret�s and Dino Vagenas of The Webb School in Claremont are other top individuals seeking to vie for the top spots.��

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CIF-State Division V Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division V Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division V Indiv. Rankings

Woodcrest Chr. (SS)�� 1. Woodcrest Christian�� 1. Kody Peterson, Sr., Woodcrest Ch
Mt. Shasta (NO)�� 2. Flintridge Prep�� 2. Aric Van Halen, Jr., Oakwood
College Prep (NCS)�� 3. Brentwood �� 3. Connor Rose, Jr., Sage Hill
Flintridge Prep (SS)�� 4. Chadwick�� 4. Jake Jeanson, So., Woodcrest Chr
Brentwood (SS)�� 5. Webb�� 5. Cole Pavlovich, Sr., St. Margaret�s
Chadwick (SS)�� 6. Sage Hill� �� 6. Dino Vagenas, Sr., Webb
Webb (SS)�� 7. Cate�� 7. David Branch, Sr., Woodcrest Chr
University (NCS)�� 8. Pasadena Poly�� 8. Sean McElroy, Jr., Sage Hill
Sage Hill (SS)�� 9. Holy Martyrs�� 9. Paul Weitekamp, So., Flintridge P
Cate (SS) �� 10. St. Margaret�s�� 10. Casey Grindon, So., Brentwood

Preview and rankings by Rich Gonzalez � Editor, DyeStatCal.com

Race # 5�� Division I Girls�� 10:05 A.M.

��

A titanic clash is going to take place here, with nationally ranked Saugus being challenged by the Fountain Valley juggernaut as well as an ultra-dangerous Crescenta Valley crew. Saugus is led by one of the premier talents in our sport in UCLA-bound senior Shannon Murakami, as well as super sophomore Katie Dunne. The Centurions were big winners at the Woodbridge Invitational and also triumphed at Mt. SAC during in-state wars and also traveled to Oregon, where it won the competitive Nike/Jim Danner Invitational. Fountain Valley, a program drawing much attention due to its high-mileage training regimen in recent years, has asserted its dominance over nearly all competitors of late but is seeking the shore up the remaining gap between them and Saugus, with only two weeks to go. The Barons are led by one of the nation�s future mega-stars in junior Elizabeth Coe, who posted a 17:19 qualifying effort (best time of the day) at last weekend�s sectional prelims.

Crescenta Valley is paced by a super quintet, keyed by Claire Collison and Rachel Lange. The Falcons, landslide winners in the Pacific League are enjoying their best season in school history, with CV now aiming to land a spot on the podium this weekend! The competition is awfully tight with the rest of the combatants, with little room for error. Dana Hills, which was ranked seventh in the state, learned that the hard way last weekend in failing to qualify. Royal, which boasts an outstanding underclass crew, and traditionally strong Murrieta Valley are other key teams to watch.

Individually, this race should be a barnburner up front as Murakami, Coe, Serrano�s Kauren Tarver and Glendora�s Christy Adamyk all boast national-class credentials. Both Tarver and Adamyk have previously competed at the FootLocker Cross-Country National Championships, but they�re considered slight underdogs in this power-packed collection of super runners!

�

CIF-State Division I Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division I Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division I Indiv. Rankings

Saugus (SS)�� 1. Saugus�� 1. Shannon Murakami, Sr., Saugus
Torrey Pines (SDS)�� 2. Fountain Valley�� 2. Elizabeth Coe, Jr., Fntn. Valley
Buchanan (CE)�� 3. Crescenta Valley�� 3. Kauren Tarver, Jr., Serrano
Fountain Valley (SS)�� 4. Dana Hills�� 4. Christy Adamyk, Sr., Glendora
Crescenta Valley (SS)�� 5. Trabuco Hills�� 5. Caitlin Fitzgerald, Sr., Highland
Davis (SJS)�� 6. Royal� �� 6. Brooke Russell, Sr., Hart
Murrieta Valley (SS)�� 7. Warren�� 7. Ashley Evans, So., Corona
Royal (SS)�� 8. Murrieta Valley�� 8. Alex Dunne, So., San Clemente
Trabuco Hills (SS)�� 9. Corona�� 9. Megan Meyer, So., Tesoro
El Rancho (SS) �� 10. Esperanza�� 10. Carissa Bowman, Jr., King

Preview and rankings by Rich Gonzalez � Editor, DyeStatCal.com

Race # 6�� Division II Girls�� 9:25 A.M.

�� Perhaps the most thrilling girls race of the race figures to unfold here, where the top four teams in the CIF-SS rankings have continually interchanged on the course this fall, lending credence to the �anyone can win on any given day� adage used so often in sports. Ayala might be the hottest of the group, but only by a slight margin. The Bulldogs are fresh off two consecutive team-time school records on this very same Mt. SAC course (including its 93:36 sizzler last week) and considered Mt. SAC their �home� layout. Grace Gonzales, Briana Cahn, and Elizabeth Soria are a potent lead attack for Ayala, the runaway Sierra League champions. Brea Olinda, which continues its tradition of running excellence despite an off-season coaching change, has sparkled all season long when at full strength, with front-running junior Vanessa Hancock and fellow 11^th grader Kortnee Burton leading the Wildcats on meet day.

�� Sunset League foes Edison and Newport Harbor are also in the mix here, primed to tangle yet again as the stakes only get bigger. Newport Harbor defeated Edison earlier in the day, only to have the Chargers turn their tables at their league final in a power-packed and close race that also involved Division I powers Fountain Valley and Esperanza. Edison is led by the super sophomore Hillary Hayes, with outstanding milers Courtney Kostrikin and Meghan Foley (the latter being a fine transfer addition from the state of Maryland) also providing excellent scoring support. Newport Harbor is a fairly tight-knit pack, with Melissa Mead, Taylor Bryson, Sophia Ditty and Desiree Alexander among those finishing within a 45-second cushion last weekend.� Woodbridge, which boasts a sensational peaking tradition at this time of year, is not to be counted out!

�� Individually, this race will be a real treat. Reigning 1600m state champ Christine Babcock of Woodbridge has to be considered the favorite, but La Mirada junior gem Stephanie Felix shows no signs of curtailing her frenetic improvement rate while Simi Valley�s Anna Sperry is a sensational and proven big-meet performer.

��

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CIF-State Division II Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division II Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division II Indiv. Rankings

Carondelet (NCS)�� 1. Ayala�� 1. Christine Babcock, Jr., Woodbr.
Ayala (SS)�� 2. Brea Olinda �� 2. Stephanie Felix, Jr., La Mirada
Los Gatos (CCS)�� 3. Edison� �� 3. Anna Sperry, Sr., Simi Valley
Brea Olinda (SS)�� 4. Newport Harbor�� 4. Janina Emery, Jr., University
Edison (SS)�� 5. Woodbridge�� 5. Hillary Hayes, So., Edison
Newport Harbor (SS)�� 6. Foothill� �� 6. Kevyn Murphy, So., Mira Costa
Woodbridge (SS)�� 7. Mira Costa�� 7. Vanessa Hancock, Jr., Brea Olinda
Ponderosa (SJS)�� 8. San Marcos�� 8. Shadeh Tabatabai, So., Mira Costa
St. Francis (SJS)�� 9. South Hills�� 9. Loryn Bedell, So., Paso Robles
Oak Ridge (SJS) �� 10. Northwood�� 10. Sandrine Urias, Fr., La Serna

Preview and rankings by Rich Gonzalez � Editor, DyeStatCal.com

Race # 10�� Division III Girls�� 10:45 A.M.

�� Corona del Mar has been the premier program in the state � all division combined � in recent seasons, with Coach Bill Sumner�s Sea Kings showing absolutely no signs of slowing down this fall. CdM, which set the team-time course record here last year, went 1-2-3 individually in last weekend�s prelims heat and clocked a stunning 91:08 as a team while scoring just 20 points! The Sea Kings are big favorites to net another crown today, with senior Sarah Cummings and junior Shelby Buckley being the venerable bookends for a lineup spilling over with talent and excellent racing acumen. Also likely to interchange in the CdM postseason scoring mix this month are Allison Damon, Nichole Slykhous, Hilary May, Christie St. Geme and Alison Gushue.

The primary challenger to the Sea Kings is Oak Park, which peaked magnificently down the stretch in 2005 to give CdM a scare while running among the fastest team times in course history! Although Oak Park has top returnee Courtney Lightfoot sidelined by injury (and Coach Kevin Smith tells us she will not compete again until track season), the talent pool remains quite deep, with junior Marissa Diehl and frosh Melissa Skiba among the leaders for this year�s attack. Irvine, which has represented itself well against larger-sized schools in tough Orange County-area action this fall, is led by super senior Katherine Nielsen and appears to be almost a lock for one of those seven berths to state. On paper, both Yucca Valley and Orange Lutheran field tough rosters and are expected to come on well down the stretch. Individually, the Corona del Mar contingent will be well visible up front, along with Irvine�s Nielsen, and superb frontrunner Rocio Pelayo of Bolsa Grande.

CIF-State Division III Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division III Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division III Indiv. Rankings

Corona del Mar (SS)�� 1. Corona del Mar�� 1. Sarah Cummings, Sr., Corona dM
Oak Park (SS)�� 2. Oak Park�� 2. Shelby Buckley, Jr., Corona dM
Maria Carrillo (NCS)�� 3. Irvine �� 3. Katherine Nielsen, Sr., Irvine
Irvine (SS)�� 4. Yucca Valley�� 4. Allison Damon, Jr., Corona dM
Placer (SJS)�� 5. Orange Lutheran�� 5. Rocio Pelayo, Sr., Bolsa Grande
Del Oro (SJS)�� 6. Rosary� �� 6. Alison Gushue, Jr., Corona dM
Yucca Valley (SS)�� 7. Laguna Hills�� 7. Jessica Meyer, So., Laguna Hills
La Jolla (SDS)�� 8. Rim of the World�� 8. Marissa Diehl, Jr., Oak Park
Valley Center (SDS)�� 9. Bolsa Grande�� 9. Melissa Skiba, Fr., Oak Park
Campolindo (NCS)�� 10. La Canada�� 10. Katarina Ratkowiak, So., Y.V.

Preview and rankings by Rich Gonzalez � Editor, DyeStatCal.com

Race # 3�� Division IV Girls�� 8:25 A.M.

��

�� The surprise of the division that year has been all-girls private school Marlborough High. They�ve been a surprise not so much because of their top ranking, but more the fact they�ve been running so fast (comparable to the better larger-enrollment schools) in recent weeks, punctuated by a stellar clocking of 91:10 in its league final at Griffith Park�s 2.9-mile layout. By contrast, the team ran six minutes slower on the same course while winning its division at the Bell-Jeff Invitational in late September. The crew is led by senior track/cross-country star Kate Grace and sensational frosh newcomer Danielle Van de Sande; the former was the Sunshine League individual champion and the latter won the team�s qualifying race last weekend.

Maranatha, no stranger to success in the month of November and with plenty of postseason hardware to prove it, is a very dangerous challenger here with veteran top performer Rachel Gill and sophomore teammate Roxanne Cook leading their efforts this fall. La Reina of Thousand Oaks, which is led by Sarah Pearson, also looks solid for one of the division�s seven state meet berths. Most of the leading qualifying teams into today�s finals enjoy excellent postseason pedigrees in the sport � Morro Bay, Laguna Beach, Flintridge Sacred Heart, etc � and are odds on favorites to extend their season another week.

La Reina�s Sarah Pearson, the quickly improving Danielle Van de Sande and clutch performer Kate Grace from Marlborough, and Liza Truax from Santa Ynez figure to battle for individual honors.

CIF-State Division IV Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division IV Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division IV Indiv. Rankings

Marlborough (SS)�� 1. Marlborough�� 1. Sarah Pearson, Fr., La Reina
Carmel (CCS)�� 2. Maranatha�� 2. Van de Sande, Fr., Marlborough
Maranatha (SS)�� 3. La Reina�� 3. Liza Truax, Sr., Santa Ynez
Bret Harte (SJS)�� 4. Paraclete�� 4. Cath. Hasbrouck, Fr., Nordhoff
La Reina (SS)�� 5. Morro Bay�� 5. Kate Grace, Sr., Marlborough
Harbor (CCS)�� 6. Laguna Beach �� 6. Roseanne Fleming, Jr., Oaks Chr.
Colfax (SJS)�� 7. Flintridge-SH�� 7. Alex Crawley, Sr., Laguna Beach
Valley Chr.-SJ (CCS)�� 8. Big Bear�� 8. Margaret Sitker, Sr., La Salle
Paraclete (SS)�� 9. Desert Chr.-Lan�� 9. Rachel Gill, Sr., Maranatha
West Valley� (NO)�� 10. Fillmore�� 10. Roxanne Cook, So., Maranatha

Preview and rankings by Rich Gonzalez � Editor, DyeStatCal.com

Race # 4�� Division V Girls�� 8:45 A.M.

�� Assuming the Woodcrest Christian boys can avoid disaster as the heavy favorites in their Division V affair, it will be up to the Woodcrest Christian girls to do their share in securing a sweep of� the team titles. The Royals are favored here too, thanks in large part to an excellent freshmen class that includes twins Breean and Amber Collier and Lauren Aycock. At both the Mt. SAC Invitational and in their CIF-SS prelims heat, the Collier sisters were content to run together. Should the two be at the front today � a very likely possibility � it will be interesting to see that scenario for first place unfold.

Chadwick, which lost to Flintridge Prep in the Prep League Finals a few weeks back, returned the favor while winning their prelims heat last weekend in a race where both teams would undoubtedly qualify. One interesting side note here is that first-year Flintridge Prep Coach Kristin Cohoon (who competed for Stanford, where she recently graduated from) actually attended rival Chadwick, where she was coached by current Dolphins mentor George Ramos. It must be fun (and maybe a little playfully nerve-racking come championship time) to see one of your own out there coaching a rival program!

�� Sage Hill was quietly moved up the ranks in its first few years of existence as a school and now finds itself as a strong contender for a state meet berth, along with perennial small schools power St. Margaret�s out of south Orange County. As previously hinted, Woodcrest Christian�s Collier Twins figure to be at the front of the race (they sure looked well within themselves during last weekend�s swift qualifying run), while Chadwick�s Kelly Owen figures to be their prime challenger.

CIF-State Division V Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division V Team Rankings�� CIF-SS Division V Indiv. Rankings

Mt. Shasta (NO)�� 1. Woodcrest Christian�� 1. Breean Collier, Fr., Woodcrest Chr
Woodcrest Chr. (SS)�� 2. Chadwick�� 2. Amber Collier, Fr., Woodcrest Chr
Chadwick (SS)�� 3. Flintridge Prep�� 3. Kelly Owen, So., Chadwick
Flintridge Prep (SS)�� 4. Sage Hill�� 4. Lauren Aycock, Fr., Woodcrest Ch
Sage Hill (SS)�� 5. St. Margaret�s�� 5. Cait Williamson, So., Sage Hill
Mission College Prep (CE) 6. Linfield Christian�� 6. Aiy. Bobrownicki, So., Sage Hill
Crystal Spr Upl. (NCS)�� 7. Ontario Christian�� 7. Jessica MacFarlane, Sr., Chadwick
Castilleja (CCS)�� 8. Bell-Jeff�� 8. Elia Kern, Sr., Chadwick
St. Margaret�s (SS)�� 9. Aquinas�� 9. Molly Litherland, So., Calvary Ch
Linfield Christian (SS)�� 10. Pasadena Poly�� 10. Kathryn Iwata, Jr., Flintridge Prep

Preview and rankings by Rich Gonzalez � Editor, DyeStatCal.com