CIF-STATE CROSS-COUNTRY RANKINGS
By Rich Gonzalez -- Editor, ESPN RISE/DyeStatCal
Through results submitted by Sunday, November 21st


BOYS DIVISION 1
1. Arcadia (SS)
2. Dana Hills, Dana Point (SS)
3. Trabuco Hills, Mission Viejo (SS)
4. El Toro, Lake Forest (SS)
5. Buchanan, Clovis (CS)
6. Bellarmine, San Jose (CC)
7. Poly, Long Beach (SS)
8. Rancho Cucamonga (SS)
9. Rancho Bernardo, San Diego (SD)
10. Davis (SJS)/La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad (SD)
Division 1 synopsis: Arcadia unleashed its latest awesome showing at the Southern Section Finals, where Dana Hills evened its season record against Trabuco Hills at 2-2 after another single-digit scoring difference.  El Toro, the third component (along with DH and TH) in the toughest league in the nation, has been stellar. The next three teams are now quite close together.


BOYS DIVISION 2
1. Saugus, Santa Clarita (SS)
2. Loyola, Los Angeles (SS)
3. Claremont (SS)
4. Ramona (SD)
5. Del Campo, Fair Oaks (SJ)
6. Ventura (SS)
7. Mt. Carmel, San Diego (SD)
8. Adolfo Camarillo, Camarillo (SS)
9. Esperanza, Anaheim (SS)
10. San Ramon Valley, Danville (NC)
Division 2 synopsis: The ultra-tight outcome we expected at the Southern Section Finals played out as Saugus earned a nine-point decision over late-rising Loyola. Claremont's depth scorers have improved, makign them a title contender as well. Ramona dazzled at the San Diego Section Finals, closely down the gap noticeably to top frontrunner Dylan Blankenbaker. Del Campo is far better now than they were showing (often shorthanded) earlier in the season).


BOYS DIVISION 3
1. Brea Olinda, Brea (SS)
2. Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates (SS)
3. Petaluma (NC)
4. Campolindo, Moraga (NC)
5. St. John Bosco, Bellflower (SS)
6. Granite Hills, Apple Valley (SS)
7. Cathedral Catholic, San Diego (SD)
8. Golden Valley, Santa Clarita (SS)
9. West Torrance, Torrance (SS)
10. Willow Glen, San Jose (CC)/Enterprise, Redding (NS)/Las Lomas, Walnut Creek (NCS)
Division 3 synopsis: The most consisten team of 2010 (Brea Olinda) squared off against the division's best-peaking team in recent years (Palos Verdes) and the outcome was a one-point thriller in favor of the state's top-ranked team. Petaluma was the division's huge noisemaker in the final weekend, with an eye-popping performance at the North Coast Section Finals to dwn rival Campolindo and move several spots up the rankings. Those four squads appear to be the clear title contenders.


BOYS DIVISION 4
1. Harvard/Westlake, North Hollywood (SS)
2. Bosco Tech, Rosemead (SS)
3. Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks (SS)
4. Country Day, La Jolla (SD)
5. Crespi, Encino (SS)
6. Nordhoff, Ojai (SS)
7. Stevenson, Carmel (CC)
8. San Rafael (NC)
9. JSerra, San Juan Capistrano (SS)
10. Laguna Beach (SS)
Division 4 synopsis: The good news is Harvard/Westlake has put illness and injury in the rear-view mirror. The bad news is the those objects still visible in that mirror are much closer than they may appear. Runner-up Bosco Tech only had six finishers at the section final and a quick roster check reveals it is their #2 runner that apparently did not finish the race while its frontrunner had an off day as well. While it might be tough for Notre Dame to win the title, they are clearly better than shown at the SS Finals. La Jolla Country Day ran much better at its section final than it did at the Mt. SAC Invitational, including shearing its scoring time gap almost in half. Stevenson, which competed at Stanford without a key team member, projects to be right on the heels of Crespi and Nordhoff at state. San Rafael, whose #2 man DNF'ed at Stanford, is better than some may think.


BOYS DIVISION 5
1. St. Margaret's, San Juan Capistrano (SS)
2. Desert Christian, Lancaster (SS)
3. Flintridge Prep, La Canada Flintridge (SS)
4. Woodcrest Christian, Riverside (SS)
5. Chadwick, Palos Verdes Peninsula (SS)
6. Urban School, San Francisco (NC)
7. St. Joseph (NC)
8. Thacher, Ojai (SS)
9. York School, Monterey (CC)
10. Xavier College Prep, Palm Desert (SS)
Division 5 Synopsis: This division reveals a "4-6 split". The top four teams clearly appear to be on a higher level than the rest, with St. Margaret's sticking out as the prohibitive state title favorite. Desert Christian enjoyed a large margin over the rest of the field to wrest the runner-up plaque away from others at the Southern Section Finals, but Woodcrest Christian (which lost by DC by just one point at the Mt. SAC Invitational) clearly had an off day. Flintridge Prep is coming off its best showing of the season. The York School rode the coattails of frontrunner James Palaniuk to the CCS title while their remaining four scorers bunched together tightly.

GIRLS DIVISION 1
1. (tie) Great Oak, Temecula (SS)/La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad (SD)
3. Dana Hills, Dana Point (SS)
4. Simi Valley (SS)
5. Granite Bay (SJ)
6. Oak Ridge, El Dorado Hills (SJ)
7. St. Francis, Sacramento (SJ)*
8. Trabuco Hills, Mission Viejo (SS)
9. Torrey Pines, San Diego (SD)
10. Buchanan, Clovis (CS)/Granada, Livermore (NC)
*-state meet non-qualifier
Division 1 Synopsis: Only once in the last 15 years have we released a poll with the top two teams in a division in a dead heat atop a set of rankings. Even though a sixth runner will decide any eventual tie, the deadlock atop our form chart gives you an idea of what could ensue. La Costa Canyon defeated Great Oak in winning the Sweepstakes Race (Divisions 1 and 2 combined) at the Mt. SAC Invitational and looks to repeat the winning feat. Dana Hills has also improved notably as its team health has corrected itself in recent months. The Sac-Joaquin Section triumvirate of Granite Bay, Oak Ridge and St. Francis went to battle recently, with St. Francis falling one point short of the state meet in a section division where only the top two advanced.


GIRLS DIVISION 2
1. Saugus, Santa Clarita (SS)
2. Mira Costa, Manhattan Beach (SS)
3. Redondo Union, Redondo Beach (SS)
4. Canyon, Anaheim (SS)
5. Foothill, Santa Ana (SS)
6. Ayala, Chino Hills (SS)
7. Serrano, Phelan (SS)
8. Clovis North, Clovis (CS)
9. Del Oro, Loomis (SJ)
10. Woodcreek, Roseville (SJ)
Division 2 Synopsis: "The Big Three" have continued to rule the scene, with the greatest lineup in Golden State history carrying Saugus to a blowout 29-point victory at the Southern Section Finals. Mira Costa ran superbly to garner second, holding off Bay League rival Redondo Union's placing in third. The Southern Section is again expected to dominate the several top team spots at the state meet in this division.


GIRLS DIVISION 3
1. Campolindo, Moraga (NC)
2. Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Peninsula (SS)
3. Woodbridge, Irvine (SS)
4. Corona del Mar, Newport Beach (SS)
5. Acalanes, Lafayette (NC)
6. West Torrance, Torrance (SS)
7. Granite Hills, Apple Valley (SS)
8. Clairemont, San Diego (SD)
9. Cathedral Catholic, San Diego (SD)
10. San Luis Obispo (SS)/St. Ignatius, San Francisco (CCS)
Division 3 Synopsis: G


GIRLS DIVISION 4
1. JSerra, San Juan Capistrano (SS)
2. Harvard/Westlake, North Hollywood (SS)
3. Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, La Canada Flintridge (SS)
4. El Segundo (SS)
5. Paraclete, Lancaster (SS)
6. La Reina, Thousand Oaks (SS)
7. Mayfield, Pasadena (SS)
8. San Lorenzo Valley, Felton (CC)
9. Sir Francis Drake, San Anselmo (NC)
10. McFarland (CS)
Division 4 Synopsis: B


GIRLS DIVISION 5
1. San Francisco University, San Francisco (NC)
2. College Prep, Oakland (NC)
3. Chadwick, Palos Verdes Peninsula (SS)
4. Urban School, San Francisco (NC)
5. Xavier College Prep, Palm Desert (SS)
6. Branson, Ross (NC)
7. Mission College Prep, San Luis Obispo (SS)
8. St. Margaret's, San Juan Capistrano (SS)
9. Marin Academy (NC)
10. Thacher, Ojai (SS)
Division 5 Synopsis: O