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California Region Girls Early Season Rankings 2025Published by
Buchanan Remains In National Championship Conversation With Four Returning From Third Place Squad By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor Girls California Preview One year after making the podium at Nike Cross Nationals it is clear that Buchanan isn't going anywhere. The team opened its season in early August at the Fleet Feet Summer Sizzle and six of the eight girls who ran under 12 minutes for two miles that day were sophomores or freshmen. The Bears are going to be part of the national picture for the foreseeable future. In addition to Buchanan's third place finish last December, Trabuco Hills, the CIF D1 champions, finished seventh and J Serra Catholic was 16h. Those three still belong on the top of the California list but there are other serious contenders as well, such Del Norte, Oak Park, Claremont, Whitney, Santiago (Corona) and others. Individually, the era of Sadie Engelhardt has passed but there are a handful of runners looking to take her place as the headliner in the Golden State. Eastlake senior Jaelyn Williams returns after placing ninth last year at Foot Locker. She won an exciting early season matchup against La Jolla junior Chiara Dailey at the CCA Ravens XC Invitational on Aug. 30, covering 3 miles in 16:03.1 to Dailey's 16:10.7. Irvine senior Summer Wilson, Santiago (Corona) senior Braelyn Combe and Trabuco Hills senior Millie Bayles are also among the top returners. 1. Buchanan. Sophomore standouts Brooklyn Buckley and Gaby Guttierez went 1-2 in the opening race of the season at the Fleet Feet Summer Sizzle and those two should be a driving force for one of the best teams in the country this fall. Despite losing three seniors, the Bears have added a trio of freshman, Aniston Welk, Ariel Maxson and Noelle Frantz, to go with returners Kynzlee Buckley, a senior, and junior Molly Sundgren, Another sophomore, Layla Merancio, has jumped up from the JV to be part of the varsity mix as well. 2. J Serra Catholic. The Lions revealed a couple of talented newcomers when they went to work last weekend at the PR City Invitational, an event they won with 25 points. Freshmen Maya Pawlowicz and Brooklyn Tennant both finished in the top seven of their first varsity race. They join an established group that includes junior Reese Holley, sophomore Kaia Streadbeck and senior Chloe Elbaz, who was the individual runner-up at state last year leading J Serra to the Division 4 title. 3. Trabuco Hills. The Division 1 state champions lost Holly Barker and Sophie Guilfoile to graduation but the Mustangs return talented sophomore Evangeline Williams, who was fifth in last spring's state 1,600 meters final, to go with seniors Skylar Watts, Anna Desormeau and Millie Bayles and junior Violet Pinter. Freshmen Katherine Havens and Isabella Lubba add even more depth to the roster. 4. Del Norte. Five of the top six return for the Nighthawks, who finished fourth in the CIF Division 1 state meet last year. Junior Eliza Hong led last year's team with a 20th place finish at Woodward Park but hasn't raced yet this season. Seniors Addison Shannon and Lilah Enyedi, sophomore Olivia Bartolay, senior Samhita Lagisetti, senior Diem Schneider and junior Savannah Harpster could put the team near the top of the state meet merge this year. 5. Oak Park. An early victory at the ASICS Cool Breeze Invitational indicates good things are in store for the Eagles, who had a pair of freshmen leading the way. Kathleen Lambe and Aine Pitillo front a group with a bright future. Sophomores Tabitha Brown, Saoirse Boehm, Heleena Barnett, junior Sophia Perez and senior Michelle Vu are poised to take Oak Park into the upper echelon of California cross country after placing fifth in last year's CIF D3 final. WATCHLIST More news |
