CIF-STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
MEET PREVIEW

    
Photos by Joe Hartman
Riverbank's German Fernandez, Mission Prep's Jordan Hasay and Trabuco Hills'
Riley Sullvan are among the notable names set for the big CIF finale at Woodward Park!

By Rich Gonzalez – Editor, DyeStatCal.com
            (November 24, 2007) – Powered by a record-setting Saugus High School squad leading a parade of the best depth in Golden State history and a pair of individuals – Jordan Hasay and Christine Babcock – considered among the all-time greats,  today’s annual CIF-State Cross-Country Championships at Woodward Park is sure to go down in the annals of distance running as among the most memorable days in history. On the boys’ side, phenomenal Riverbank senior German Fernandez will seek to break the longstanding course record while Dana Hills and host school Buchanan help comprise a monster team clash in Division I boys. Elsewhere, slightly favored Loyola and heavily favored Barstow will aim to set all-time team time course records in Division II  and III, respectively.
            Here’s a quick look at how the divisional battles are expected to play out:

DIVISION I GIRLS
            They were unstoppable last year and are – if you can believe it – way better this year. Despite this being the strongest year for girls team running in Golden State history, Saugus continues to dominate all challengers. Now, only the record books remain. The most recent all-time standard to take a beating was last weekend, when the Centurions belted out a once unfathomable 88:22 team time to lower their own eye-popping recent record by yet another 32 seconds! Senior leader Katie Dunn and frosh mega-find Kaylin Mahoney were joined by Anne Randall as Top 10 finishers in the major division at the CIF-SS Finals, where Saugus won by an amazing 86 points against while facing the deepest field in Southern Section history! The interesting battle should be for second place, where Torrey Pines has overcome a midseason setback at Stanford to develop itself into a national-class set of runners this fall as well.  Megan Morgan, Erin Gillingham and Allie Billmeyer have been rock solid of late for the san Diego Section champions. Esperanza (led by Teeny Adams), Fountain Valley (paced by all-stater Lizzy Coe), Trabuco Hills (with Kristin Arkin up front) and Dana Hills (Alaina Alvarez as its top runner at the SS Finals) have all repeatedly interchanged in the state rankings this fall, with Esperanza fresh off its best race of the year and the other three teams separated by a mere four points at the SS Finals. Carlmont, hoping to have everyone healthy this weekend after recent injury woes, is a fiercely dangerous darkhorse. Serrano’s Kauren Tarver, who won a fourth consecutive CIF-SS individual crown  this past weekend, Crescenta Valley’s Claire Collison and Chaparral’s Sierra Vega are joined by Davis’ Laurynne Chetelat as the leading combatants for top individual honors.  

DIVISION II GIRLS
            The talent-stocked girls squad from Carondelet and speed-burning talent Christine Babcock of Woodbridge share the spotlight here, with the former considered among the top 10 teams in America and ladder considered among the top handful of runners on the map as well! Carondelet has been solid this year, with their lone losses coming to Dividion I powers Saugus and Torrey Pines at the Mt. SAC Invitational last month, Otherwise, domination has been in order. With runaway NCS title winner Nicole Hood setting a frenetic pace, Carondelet is the clear favorite over a red-hot group of Southern Section entries. Newport Harbor emerged from the course-charred rubble to win the SS affair, four points better than revitalized Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach as the top four squads were separated by just 21 points. But the Sac-Joaquin Section has been a hotbed of team talent as well in 2007, especially at this level. With an elevator-like changing of rankings positions on the local scene, Ponderosa currently occupies the top floor of the SJS pecking order, with Woodcreek, St. Francis and non–qualifying Oak Ridge also very tough this fall. Deborah Maier eanred the individual championship at the SJS  Finals, while Nicole Mendoza and Courne Crosta led St. Francis and Woodcreek, respectively. Woodbridge’s Babcock destroyed the field while equaling the Southern Section course record at Mt. SAC, snaking through the venerable layout in an amazing 16:38. Her coach has indicated she has decided not to run FootLocker, so this weekend will be the final cross-country race of her high school career before she sets her sights on track season and a bid to make the make the U.S. Olympic team at 1500 meters! Casa Grande’s Jacque Taylor is another leading talent to watch here, with the NCS star placing fifth here last year as a freshman.

DIVISION III GIRLS
            All of the traditional powers have checked in yet again for their annual clash, with multi-time defending champion Corona del Mar of Newport Beach (SS) reclaiming the top spot in the state poll after a narrow four-point decision over Orange Lutheran in their SS showdown last weekend. The Seas Kings of CdM employ a great 1-2-3 punch with Shelby Buckley, Allison Damon and Laura Bilder getting the scoring going. Lutheran has been spot on down the stretch, with Staci Foster, Taylor Dutch and Ava Kent each placing in the top 10 at the rugged SS Finals. Oak Park remains a very dangerous threat however, with the Eagles (led by Courtney Lightfoot) also employing strong front-running and aiming to shore up its scoring time gap. Talented NCS rivals Campolindo and Maria Carrillo hope to keep battling and pushing each other right past the top competition, with Campolindo downing the Pumas in another classic NCS Finals showdown between the two perennial superpowers. Sophomore Lauren Curtin won the NCS D3 individual crown by one second over Campolindo frosh star Grace Orders. Corona del mar’s Buckley, with 4:46 mile speed and plenty of quality aerobic base at her disposal, is the one to beat in the battle for top individual honors.  St. Ignatius’ Katy Daly is part of a great pack of frontrunners from that school.

DIVISION IV GIRLS
            The hottest team in the division is easily St. Mary’s of Berkeley, with the red-and-black-clad unit storming away from state-ranked San Rafael to win the NCS title by nearly four minutes! Taylor Lawson, Alex Choy and Margot Sullivan lead the #1-ranked team in the state at this level. Maranatha was the decisive winner at the SS championships, with the late-rising Minutemen having no frontrunners but gapping all scorers within a minute to preserve the title. Bret Harte (Altaville-SJS) has caught fire in postseason and will join Oaks Christian (SS) and a phalanx of other Southern Section entries aiming to keep the team favorites honest. The amazing individual talent to watch here with be the toned race warrior with the powerful stride and trademark sunglasses as Healdsburg’s Sarah Sumpter has been downright spectacular this fall. Although still not on everyone’s national radar, she should be by now. A by-product or training weeks in the 80-to-100-mile-a-week range, Sumpter just drops the competition on the hills and will be tough to keep pace with today. San Jose Valley Christian’s Jennifer Bergman is another elite talent and very capable of keeping Sumpter within sight!

DIVISION V GIRLS
            With the trademark tongue wagging and the smooth gallop, “Air Jordan” will be out on the course! The 2005 FootLocker national champion and two-time California state champion, Hasay is setting her sights on a three-peat today before remapping her training schedule for a bid to make qualify for the World Junior Championships in March. She should be without peer in this race after picking up ever more confidence and success on the international track circuit last summer. The only time she’ll be flat-footed today is after the race, when throngs of fans are expected to once again line up for an autograph from the popular teen. Marin Academy’s Alessandra Roger (the Stanford Invitational winner) is another super talent as she, San Diego Calvary Chapel’s Elizabeth Apgar and Sage Hill’s Cait Williamson likely will be heading up the chase pack on Hasay. Woodcrest Christian is favored to sweep the Division V team titles in both genders, with twins Amber and Breean Collier set to lead their scoring surge. Mt Shasta has occasionally come in from the far reaches of the state to reveal their talent, with leaders Natalie Sojka and Maggie Strong heading up the squad.

DIVISION I BOYS
            This major division has been full of suspense throughout the year, with a number of squads within reach of unbeaten Murrieta Valley of the Southern Section. David McCutcheon has enjoyed a breakthrough senior year campaign, sparking the Nighthawks to wins at the big Woodbridge and Mt. SAC affairs, with each competition bringing together several hundred schools. But the high-flying Nighthawks were finally caught  last week, with Southwestern League rival Vista Murrieta (SS), late-charging Dana Hills (SS) and now healthy Buchanan (CE) shining very brightly in the championship picture. Dana Hills has been the biggest upward mover of late, shaking off the effects of a sluggish September start to post quality wins at the Orange County Championships and a stunning 39-point triumph at last weekend’s SS Finals. Twins Tyler and Ryan Valdes have been pacing the quick-rising Dolphins, who ran the second-fastest team time ever (77:01) on the Mt. SAC course last weekend! Buchanan has been gaining plenty of quality experience this fall after having their underclass-dominated lineup reveal signs of such promise in 2006. Healthy for the first time this year, the Bears established a Central Section course record at Woodward Park (79:23) while winning the team crown nine days ago. Jonathan Sanchez and Heath Reedy have been the consistent frontrunners for Buchanan. Vista Murrieta has stepped up from being ‘just’ powerful to now being among the elite, especially after putting a scare into previous #1 Murrieta Valley during a two-point loss in league action and being within 10 points at the featured race at the Mt. SAC Invitational. Senior David McDonald and Chase Welch and junior Noe Ramirez have been key catalysts to the program’s success.  Crescenta Valley shocked all with a sensation fourth-place finish (six points out of second) at the SS final, with Zack Torres, Eric Kleinsasser and Brett Matejka forming among the best front-running trios on the West Coast! Three other teams to keep an eye on here are Trabuco Hills (SS), Rancho Buena Vista (SDS) and Skyline (OAK). Trabuco Hills has a great chance to pull the upset, especially with co front-runner Scott Blair returning to the lineup last week but ordered to run conservative on the downhill segments after a recent bone fracture in the ankle area. Coach Liam Clemons assures he will be ready to go along with fellow ace Riley Sullivan (who holds a state best 14:48 clocking at Mt. SAC this fall); if the two are on pace and all others do their job, the Mustangs project to have a podium finish. RBV has been flashing domination in the deep southern end of the state and performed admirably when crossing section boundaries this fall. Jared Threw and Thomas Estrada have been key performers, with the group emerging as the top Golden State team at the talent-stocked Stanford Invitational. Skyline will be gunning for the top state finish in section history, aiming to improve on the 15th-place finish by Oakland HS earlier two years ago. Skyline is paced by Andrew Sylvester and twins Ryan and Sean Purcell. Individual battles up front should play out between Trabuco Hills’ Riley Sullivan and Sultana’s Brett Walters, with the duo finishing in that same 1-2 order each of the last two weekends in SS action. Both seniors were out of the limelight this year until recently; Sullivan was returning from a foot injury while Walters traditionally keeps a low profile until championship time. Junior Chris Schwartz of Foothill (CE) in Bakersfieldis among the favorites after posting the best time of the year (15:21) on the Woodward Park course but his erratic racing style often has contrasting effects, sometimes intimidating the competition an it other times causing him to dive into oxygen debt. With a smart racing plan, he could enjoy yet another momentous breakthrough!

DIVISION II BOYS
            Loyola of Los Angeles is fresh off setting a Southern Section Division II team time record at Mt. SAC a week ago, but that’s only good enough to earn the slight favorite’s role here today, with local champions Woodcreek of Roseville (SJS) and Petaluma (NCS) also glistening brightly on the statewide radar screen. Loyola set out on a blistering pace at season’s outset, racking up team time course record at four consecutive meets to eventually earn the #5 ranking in the entire nation by The Harrier magazine. The Cubs came up just short while racing against Division I powers at the Mt. SAC Invitational in mid-October before returning there to run a sizzling 77:30 all-time Division II best last weekend. Senior lead star James Kostelnik (also 9:11 for 3200m in track) and frosh phenom Elias Gedyon (age-group national record holder at 800m and 1500m last summer) lead a very deep crew seeking to match the heroics of the great Loyola team of 2002 considered among the best in state history. Woodcreek has as good a claim as any to boasting the best lead triumvirate in the state with Garrett Seawell, Cameron Mitchell and Chris Romo leading a group moving into the all-time Woodward Park team-time list after a sensational blowout win at the mid-season Roughrider Invitational.  The Timberwolves have also been improving at their depth positions, hoping to shore down the gap against top-ranked Loyola. Petaluma came into the season with high hopes and started very strongly with Sterling and Devin Lockert sparking the crew to big victories. Although the two aforementioned squads have garnered most of the divisional headlines, the “P-Pack” then unleashed another strong effort to win the NCS crown a week ago and has a very experienced lineup hoping to improve greatly upon its showing of a year ago. Del Campo senior James Tracy is a gem who should be respected come championship time. An excellent racer with an experienced championship-level coach, Tracy is arguably the most fit and most race savvy from the group and will pose plenty of problems for all. Woodcreek’s Seawell, surprising SS winner Emmanuel Ngula of Vista del Lago, Redondo junior Cody “Code Red” Schmidt, and the Loyola duo of Kostelnik and Gedyon should also appear in that lead pack.

DIVISION III BOYS
            Barring a massive upset, the division should be re-named “Division Barstow.” The defending champions are back stronger than ever in 2007 – and nearly everyone returns again in 2008! The Aztecs breezed past the competition at the SS Finals, ripping a divisional record 77:08 team time that also ranks third fastest in state history regardless of division. Legendary coach Jim Duarte has mentored the group along masterfully yet again, with lone senior Anthony Solis earning the divisional title last weekend (15:01) with star junior Isaac Chavez also crossing along in the same time for second.  With six runners safely under 16 minutes on the very hilly 2.91-mile Mt. SAC course, look for Barstow to threaten inclusion into the Woodward Park record books this weekend. Oak Park ran among the fastest Division III times in section history to sew up the runner-up position to Barstow in the SS wars, but was 67 points in arrear. The Eagles are primed for another podium trip this weekend, with James Goldstein and Garrison Gourdeau equipping the crew with excellent up-front race presence. The rest of the state has been closing the gap on the Southern Section powers, with Aptos (led by junior Rylan Hunt) coming along very nicely in recent  weeks to handily win the Central Coast Section crown, and North Coast Section rivals Campolindo and Maria Carrillo battling for regionalized supremacy there.  Robert Pulford paced “Campo” to the section crown while senior Nate Huckeba helped fuel the Maria Carrillo attack to a runner-up finish. Senior James Attarian of Dublin might be he best-kept secret in America, with the Stanford and Mt. SAC divisional race winner in non-featured races still ranking among the best performances in the Western U.S. this year. Attarian is the individual favorite, with super Acalanes talent Nate Beach, Barstow’s aforementioned Solis and Chavez and Cabrillo of Lompoc’s Miguel Ortiz also in the mix. Keep an eye on Central Coast Section rivals Gambileg Bor of Jefferson and Mohamed Abdalla of Willow Glen as well.

DIVISION IV BOYS
            There’s a whole-lot-a-shakin’-goin’ on! Preesason favorite McFarland has been as good as – of not better than – advertised, with already proved talent being supported by an excellent frosh crop each of the last two years. The white-and-red-clad pride of the Central Section rolled to the big local win at Woodward Park, with Alfonso Cisneros and Eddie Garcia teaming to lead the triumph. But St. Mary’s of Berkeley has improved steadily all season, with ace racer Matt Duffy leading the charge for the NCS champions and state’s #2-ranked team. It gets very interesting from there, with very surprising Southern Section champion Nordhoff of Ojai shrugging off prior defeats against several top teams to upset them all and win the crown last weekend. Big Bear, with star pacesetter Alberto Solis and a very young crew from Oaks Christian (SS) are also eyeing title hopes. All eyes will be at the very front of the race here …. likely well ahead of the team battles playing out. That’s because Riverbank senior German Fernandez will be looming. The 2005 state champion unwillingly had to relinquish the crown last fall after an injury-plagued campaign, but he’s back better than ever – and perhaps better than anyone in state history! All signs point to Fernandez statistically having multiple showings this season better than the all-time standard set here (14:38). His race is at the end of the day, but if the crowd (the German Army) remains to catch a glimpse and provide fervent support – and that expects to happen – we might see something very magical! Duffy of St. Mary’s and Solis of Big Bear will be leading the chase that that will be very hard pressed to keep German in sight!

DIVISION V BOYS
            Woodcrest Christian of Riverside ranks among the finest small schools squads in state history this fall, with Jake Jeanson and Co. successfully holding off perennial rival Flintridge Prep in their titanic Southern Section clash last weekend. Woodcrest Christian seeks to successfully defend last year’s title run, but Flintridge was only 22 points behind and has a rich history of Woodward Park performance peaks. The Rebels have Conner Verreaux and Paul Weitekamp leading their charge. University of San Francisco, which did not open its season until right around the first of October due to special schedules at the rich academic school, rolled to the North Coast Section title against a host of top challengers. SS and NCS schools figure to dominate the team action in this division, with those two schools owning all ten positions in the pre-meet divisional state rankings. Oakwood (SS) senior Aric Van Halen, the top returnee in the division, is the slight favrite after a lifetime-best 15:40 journey at Mt. SAC last weekend, with Flintridge Prep’s Verreaux and Weitekamp Woodcrest Christian’s Jeanson considered prime contenders.

 

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