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California Region Girls Early Season Rankings 2022Published by
Buchanan has potential to become first girls team from state to win national title, with race for second automatic berth and any at-large bids including previous NXN participants Great Oak and Newbury Park, as well as possibility of first-time qualifiers Granite Bay, Campolindo and Oak Ridge representing Northern California By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor Girls California Preview Perhaps this runner-up finish will finally lead to the breakthrough title all California girls cross country teams have been chasing since the introduction of Nike Team Nationals in 2004. Buchanan placed second behind Niwot High of Colorado last year at the Garmin RunningLane Championships in Alabama, joining Saugus in 2007 and 2008, Great Oak in 2014, along with Davis Senior in 2015 and 2016 as California programs to secure runner-up honors at either NTN or Nike Cross Nationals. Standing in their way all five years in Portland was 11-time national champion Fayetteville-Manlius of New York. Although Fayetteville-Manlius won’t be the biggest roadblock to Buchanan becoming the first California girls team to wear the coveted crown, it could be another New York powerhouse in 2019 NXN winner Saratoga Springs. Niwot and fellow Colorado program Arapahoe are also leading contenders, after taking two of the top three spots last year at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, with Buchanan sandwiched in between. Buchanan not only has the benefit of returning the top six athletes from its lineup, most notably seniors Grace Hutchison and Sydney Sundgren, but also welcoming impact freshmen Kynzlee Buckley and Tayler Torosian to the program. A healthy Buchanan lineup is almost assured of securing one of two automatic berths for California to compete at NXN following a fifth-place performance in 2019. But the quest to determine the second automatic qualifier in the merge of the results of the five state championship races Nov. 26 at Woodward Park in Fresno, as well as potential at-large selections, appears to be a scramble among teams from the top four divisions. Great Oak has a chance to compete in Portland for the 10th time, with Newbury Park looking to return to Glendoveer Golf Course after finishing 17th in 2019. The Panthers placed ninth at the RunningLane Championships and have returned this season to Division 2, where it captured its last state title three years ago. Several programs have aspirations to punch a ticket to Portland for the first time, including reigning Division 3 state champion Campolindo and last year’s Division 4 winner JSerra. Northern California will be well represented in the pursuit by not only Campolindo, but Granite Bay, Oak Ridge, Los Altos, St. Francis of Mountain View and St. Francis of Sacramento. Dana Hills has benefited from a move to Division 3 in the Southern Section after competing last year in Division 2 against Anaheim Canyon and Westlake, both contributing to the deepest division in the state this season. Oaks Christian is prepared to challenge JSerra in Division 4 after Sage Creek ascended this fall to Division 3. Along with Sage Creek, San Diego is also looking to make a strong postseason impact with Cathedral Catholic, Del Norte and Torrey Pines. Since California offers the top five athletes on non-qualifying teams to race at NXN, the most likely candidates would be sophomores Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura and Hanne Thomsen of Santa Rosa Montgomery, along with Acalanes junior Olivia Williams and McClatchy senior Anna McNatt. Engelhardt, Williams and McNatt all qualified for Eastbay nationals in San Diego last year, along with Peninsula senior Aishling Callanan, and Thomsen didn’t race beyond the Division 3 state final. Juniors Ashlyn Boothby of Scotts Valley and Payton Godsey of Oaks Christian, both competing in Division 4, are also strong contenders to earn invitations to compete in Portland, in addition to last year’s Nike California regional winner, senior Lauren Soobrian of Los Altos, who is part of a loaded Division 2. 1. Buchanan. Already one of the most impressive lineups in state history and one of the leading contenders to challenge for a podium finish at Nike Cross Nationals should it choose to return to compete in Oregon after placing fifth in 2019, Buchanan has only added more depth and become even more formidable with the arrival of standout freshmen Kynzlee Buckley and Tayler Torosian. Both newcomers are capable of contributing right away for the Bears, who secured their second straight Division 1 state title last year and finished runner-up at the RunningLane Championships in Alabama. Seniors Sydney Sundgren and Grace Hutchison are among the most prolific pairs in the country, with sophomores Elle Lomeli and Sierra Cornett only gaining more experience during the spring track schedule to build more confidence entering this fall. Caroline Mendyk, a senior, provides a veteran presence and has performed well in pressure situations throughout her career. Junior Stefania Sesock was instrumental in Buchanan’s postseason success last year, with sophomores Avery Hutchison and Ellie Dimitrashchuk also motivated to earn varsity opportunities when the Bears race Sept. 16 at the Woodbridge Classic and Oct. 8 at the ASICS Clovis Invitational. Buchanan looks to shine in the sweepstakes spotlight at Woodbridge against a national field of challengers, including Arapahoe of Colorado, Cuthbertson of North Carolina and Texas programs Flower Mound and Southlake Carroll. 2. Great Oak. Finishing fifth in the Division 1 state final last year after eight consecutive appearances on the podium, including seven straight titles from 2012-18, might have been considered a big disappointment for the Wolfpack. But considering coach Tammy Draughon was in her first season taking over running the program after veteran mentor Doug Soles moved to Utah, in addition to Division 1 featuring three of the top nine teams in the country at the RunningLane Championships in Alabama – where the Wolfpack placed 25th – last year could be remembered as a minor bump in the road for Great Oak. When the Wolfpack finished seventh in Division 1 in 2011 after winning the state title in 2010, Great Oak rebounded to begin its impressive championship streak in 2012. It would take an incredible performance for the Wolfpack to knock off two-time Division 1 champion Buchanan, but there is realistic potential for Great Oak to earn a 10th all-time berth to race at Nike Cross Nationals because of a veteran lineup featuring seniors Meilani Castillo, Aishling Fabian, Kelli Gaffney, Hannah Miller, Cailin Osborne, Ameya Teli and Joelle Upshur. Junior Devlyn Torza also improved significantly during the spring track season and should be a strong contributor this fall, as the Wolfpack looks to begin a new Southern Section championship streak after having its run of 10 straight titles halted last year by Newbury Park, now competing in Division 2. Great Oak’s schedule remains as impressive as ever, including Sept. 16 at the Woodbridge Classic, Sept. 24 at the Bob Firman Invitational, Oct. 8 at the ASICS Clovis Invitational and Oct. 22 at the Mt. SAC Invitational in preparation for the postseason. 3. Newbury Park. The departure of Sean Brosnan to coach UCLA, resulting in his wife Tanya Brosnan and Steve Hawkins taking over running the program this fall, is only one significant storyline for the Panthers entering the season. Perhaps a more interesting narrative for the girls team is finding a way to overcome the graduation of Samantha McDonnell in order to remain one of the elite programs in the state and nationally. Newbury Park returns senior Ailish Hawkins, along with juniors Danielle Brotcke and Samantha Spaulding, as well as impressive sophomore Tiffany Sax from last year’s lineup that placed second at the Division 1 state championship and ninth at the RunningLane Championships in Alabama. But the arrival of freshman Sophia Grant, in addition to the transfer of her junior sister Elyse Grant from Marmonte League rival Oaks Christian, has provided necessary depth for the Panthers, along with returning juniors Norah Lehton and Maya Natarajan. Newbury Park captured its first Division 2 state crown in 2019 and will be returning this season in pursuit of another championship, as well as a trip to Portland to compete at NXN. Although the Panthers must focus this year on knocking off Anaheim Canyon, Granite Bay, Westlake, St. Francis Mountain View and St. Francis Sacramento instead of attempting to dethrone Buchanan, there will be opportunities to square off against old rivals Oct. 8 at the ASICS Clovis Invitational at Woodward Park. 4. Campolindo. As one of six girls teams in state history to win at least six state championships, the Cougars are one of the most storied programs and they demonstrated it again last season by capturing the Division 3 crown. Now Campolindo is looking to achieve two goals that no group in program history has been able to accomplish by winning back-to-back state titles and qualifying for Nike Cross Nationals. Even years have not been favorable for Campolindo, as only one of its six championships has been won outside of an odd year, prevailing in 2010. Although the Cougars have won three of the past four Division 3 crowns, the success has occurred in a five-year stretch since there wasn’t a state final held in 2020. So, Campolindo is still seeking the first repeat title and a potential berth to race in Oregon at NXN for the first time. Junior Shea Volkmer has benefited from an impressive summer of training to give Campolindo added firepower up front with senior Ellie Buckley. Sophomore Sloan Pullen is one of the most improved competitors in the state, only adding more depth for the Cougars, along with returning juniors Makena Weberski and Daisy Penney, as well as senior Caroline McCool. Freshman Anya Houston could also develop into a reliable contributor by the time the postseason arrives for Campolindo, which will be challenged by Cathedral Catholic and Dana Hills in Division 3 this fall. 5. Granite Bay. Despite making the podium last year by finishing third at the Division 2 state final, the Grizzlies remain one of the most underrated programs on the West coast, led by senior Carly Foster and an experienced and balanced supporting cast. Juniors Emily Allison and Morgan McKenna, in addition to sophomores Grace Baxter and Lizzy Hansen, all return from last season, as well as junior Courtney Franz and senior Olivia Wiese. The path to winning the program’s first Division 2 team title became more challenging for Granite Bay with Newbury Park arriving this fall after placing second in Division 1 last year, plus Anaheim Canyon remaining after a runner-up finish in Division 2 last season. The Grizzlies will also be tested in the Sac-Joaquin Section in pursuit of repeating as champion with an improved St. Francis of Sacramento team now led by coach Chad Worthen, who guided Oak Ridge to a third-place finish in Division 1 last year. A strong performance Oct. 8 at the ASICS Clovis Invitational could give Granite Bay the necessary confidence to contend for a state title and possible first trip to NXN. WATCHLIST More news |
