Great Oak Continues Its Run in California

By Adam Kopet of DyeStat

Girls California Preview

It has been the norm for a California team to make the podium at NXN in recent years. Great Oak, Davis Senior and Saugus have all scored top-three finishes over the history of the national meet. In 2016, Davis Senior and Great Oak finished second and third, respectively, in Portland. Last year, Great Oak's eighth-place finish was the best among the three Californian teams entered. 

This fall, look for Great Oak to remain the top team in the state behind the strong running from junior Tori Gaitan and senior Fatima Cortes. The Wolfpack have depth and tradition that will likely carry them to another California Division 1 title, which would make seven in a row, and another trip to NXN.

Claremont and Buchanan, the two other teams that joined Great Oak in Portland, once again stand out. Claremont starts the season at No. 2.

Buchanan starts the year at No. 4, despite returning only three runners from last year's squad. However, the Bears have a powerful 1-2 punch in junior Corie Smith and senior Meagan Lowe.

Granada begins the season ranked third in the state and boasts the return of all seven runners from the team that finished third in the CIF Division 2 meet. 

The battle for the fifth spot is a close call among Vista Murrieta, Saugus and Mission Viejo.

1. Great Oak. The Wolfpack return six of the seven runners who won the California Division 1 state title and finished eighth at NXN. They are led by junior Tori Gaitan and senior Fatima Cortes, both of whom were Nike Elite campers.

2. Claremont. The Wolfpack return four of the top five runners who won the California Division 2 state crown and finished ninth at NXN last year. They are led by senior Sydney Hwang.

3. Granada. The Matadors return all seven runners from the team that finished third at the California Division 2 state championships. They are led by senior Colleen McCandless.

4. Buchanan. The Bears only return the top three runners from the team that finished second at the California Division 1 state championships and 12th at NXN. However, they are led by the dynamic duo of junior Corie Smith and senior Meagan Lowe.

5. Vista Murrieta. The Broncos return five of the top seven runners who finished third at the California Division 1 state championships. They are led by senior Paige Haynes.

Watchlist

Dana Hills

Foothill Tech

La Costa Canyon

Mira Costa

Mission Viejo

Saugus