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California Region Girls Early Season Rankings 2023Published by
Buchanan has big aspirations, including a fourth straight Division 1 state title and a potential NXN championship, with JSerra, Campolindo, Ventura and Los Altos among several programs in strong contention to also compete in Oregon By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor Girls California Preview Buchanan became only the fourth California girls team in Nike Team Nationals or Nike Cross Nationals history to achieve a podium finish, joining Davis Senior, Great Oak and Saugus. By taking third last year at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Ore., the three-time Division 1 state champion Bears provided another indication they are closer to the top spot in the country than they are to the rest of the programs in California. Fellow NXN qualifiers like Campolindo, Los Altos and JSerra are out to demonstrate otherwise, but Buchanan remains the standard of excellence in the state this fall until another team demonstrates otherwise. The Bears improved from 12th at NXN in 2017 to finishing fifth in 2019, before the event endured a two-year hiatus as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Buchanan edged Lone Peak High from Utah by four points to earn its first podium finish in Portland, but the Bears were also only seven points behind runner-up Niwot High of Colorado. All three programs are again in contention for a national championship this season, looking to prevent Saratoga Springs High from New York from becoming only the second girls team in meet history to capture three consecutive titles. Injuries and illnesses have created occasional questions surrounding Buchanan’s depth in recent years, but if the Bears can remain healthy in November, they should again secure one of the state’s two automatic berths to compete Dec. 2 in Oregon. For only the fourth time in meet history, California earned four berths to compete at Nike Team Nationals or NXN last year, joining 2004, 2010 and 2011. Whether any or all of the same quartet can return will be decided Nov. 25 at the state championship meet at Woodward Park in Fresno. Los Altos, the Division 2 champion, along with Division 3 winner Campolindo and Division 4 title holder JSerra all made their NXN debuts last season. All three programs are capable of returning to Portland in December, but will again have to achieve the feat without competing against each other, since California’s automatic and potential at-large qualifiers selected to race in Oregon are determined by a merge of the results from all five division finals at the state meet. Ventura, which added impact transfer Tiffany Sax to its lineup, is also in contention to qualify from Division 2, in addition to her former school Newbury Park, plus Los Altos and St. Francis/Mountain View. The deepest postseason fields are present in Division 1 – including Buchanan, Clovis North, Del Norte, Great Oak, Rancho Cucamonga and Corona Santiago – and Division 4, highlighted by JSerra, Oaks Christian, La Canada and Palos Verdes. The five fastest athletes, regardless of division, from last year’s state meet are all expected to return this year, although junior Sadie Engelhardt from Ventura could factor into team qualifying for the first time this season. Oaks Christian’s Payton Godsey, who won the RunningLane Championships gold division title last year in Alabama, returns for her senior year, with Santa Rosa Montgomery junior Hanne Thomsen seeking All-America honors again at NXN after placing 16th last season. Tessa Buswell, a senior at Poway High, in addition to Eastlake sophomore Jaelyn Williams, La Jolla sophomore Chiara Dailey and La Costa Canyon senior Gioana Lopizzo all have the potential to represent the San Diego Section in Portland, in addition to Corona Santiago’s Rylee Blade, Trabuco Hills’ Holly Barker, Scotts Valley’s Ashlyn Boothby and Renae Searls of Alhambra High in Martinez all being strong contenders to qualify. Buswell, Blade and Williams all competed at NXN last season.
1. Buchanan. Just when the rest of the state thought that the graduation of two of the elite competitors in program history, Grace Hutchison and Sydney Sundgren, might create even the slightest vulnerability in the Bears’ lineup this season, there is a distinct possibility that there won’t be a senior among Buchanan’s top five scorers when the postseason arrives in November and the group could be deeper than ever. The addition of impact freshman Molly Sundgren means that two of Buchanan’s most successful families will still be represented on the Bears’ roster, along with junior Avery Hutchison. Kynzlee Buckley and Tayler Torosian, both sophomores, demonstrated impressive maturity throughout their first varsity seasons and only gained more confidence during the spring track schedule. Elle Lomeli and Sierra Cornett, both juniors, are two of the most consistent competitors in the state, with Stefania Sesock returning from injury to potentially provide added experience for a lineup that could also showcase fellow senior Riley Burgess and junior Ellie Dimitrashchuk, as the Bears pursue a fourth consecutive Division 1 state championship and the program’s first national title.
2. JSerra. The program that left Glendoveer Golf Course last year with perhaps more motivation than any of the 22 girls teams competing at NXN was JSerra, which learned valuable lessons following a 21st-place performance in its debut appearance in Portland, only finishing ahead of a Union Catholic of New Jersey lineup that was without its top runner Peyton Hollis. There is plenty of inspiration for returning athletes Brynn Garcia, Kaylah Tasser, Brooke O’Brien, Georgia Jeanneret and Summer Wilson to get another opportunity to compete Dec. 2 in Oregon. But their determination this year is also shared by impact transfers Sophie Polay from Santa Margarita and Chloe Elbaz from Xavier College Prep. In addition, the arrival of promising freshmen Reese Holley, Hayden Kroger and Hutton Nelligan leading an exciting ninth-grade class for the Lions, and the significant improvement during the past year of junior Anne Elise Packard, has given JSerra coach Chase Frazier plenty of options in anticipation of preparing for another deep postseason run, which also includes multiple showdowns against Division 4 rivals Oaks Christian, La Canada and Palos Verdes in pursuit of earning back-to-back NXN berths.
3. Campolindo. During an era where elite high school programs are traveling all over the nation throughout the cross country season to compete in as many prestigious invitationals as possible, Campolindo has demonstrated that it can take the road less traveled and still reach the desired final destination in Oregon, where the Cougars finished 13th in their NXN debut last year. Even with seven Division 3 state titles, including three in a row, Campolindo remains one of the most underrated and underappreciated dynasties in California prep history. The addition of talented freshmen Amalia Contreras and Kiona McCasland has only bolstered the Cougars’ roster in their pursuit of a fourth consecutive Division 3 crown and the quest to become only the fourth girls program in state history with at least eight championships. Campolindo also boasts one of the strongest senior classes in the state, including Shea Volkmer, Rachel Moen, Makena Weberski, Kate Kabenina and Daisy Penney. Sloan Pullen, a junior, and sophomore Anya Houston only add depth to a versatile and experienced roster that always finds a way to rise to the occasion in the postseason, which Campolindo will need to do again in November against Cathedral Catholic and Dana Hills.
4. Ventura. Even if Tiffany Sax, who finished ninth at the Division 2 state final last year for Newbury Park, was in the Cougars’ lineup instead in the championship race at Woodward Park, it would have only elevated Ventura to third place instead of finishing fifth. Despite the presence of junior Sadie Engelhardt, sophomore Aelo Curtis and Sax, all of whom are expected to place in the top 10 at the state final again this season, Ventura’s postseason success will ultimately be determined by the performances of the Cougars’ supporting cast. Engelhardt won the Division 2 individual crown and Curtis took third, but Ventura had only one other athlete place in the top 50 and two others finish 90th and 101st, respectively, at the state meet. Melanie True and Sofia Hernandez, both sophomores, along with junior Bailey Burman gained valuable experience last year for the Cougars that will hopefully prove beneficial come November in the postseason. Brody Daw, Carla Nava and Caroline Von Gunten, all juniors, add depth for former Ventura star and first-year Cougars coach Josh Spiker.
5. Los Altos. For those wondering what the potential is for the Eagles this season following the graduation of Lauren Soobrian, they got a sneak preview last year at NXN, when the four-year varsity athlete was unable to compete in Oregon as a result of a leg injury and Los Altos still finished 19th overall. Ventura might be considered the preseason favorite this fall in Division 2 with the addition of transfer Tiffany Sax, but Los Altos was able to defeat her former team at Newbury Park last season, so there is plenty of confidence the Eagles can contend for another state championship. Emily Soobrian, a junior, and senior Jasleen Sidhu will be relied on significantly in order for Los Altos to secure another Central Coast Section Division 2 title ahead of St. Francis/Mountain View and Palo Alto. Madeline Randall and Samantha Patel, both seniors, add experience and depth to Los Altos’ lineup, which also features sophomores Lydia Anderson, Emma Beedon and Lily Symon.
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