SJS Week #2 Preview

Sorry, I didn't get this up earlier. Here is some more great work from Mike Carroll. 

SJS Cross-country - Weekend Preview

Rankings - Week #1
Boys
1. Jesuit (D2)
2. Vacaville (D2)
3. Oak Ridge (D1)
4. Davis (D1)
5. McClatchy (D1)
6. Bella Vista (D2)
7. Folsom (D1)
8. Turlock (D1)
9. Ponderosa (D3)
10. Whitney (D2)

Girls
1. Whitney (D2)
2. Oak Ridge (D1)
3. St Francis (D3)
4. Davis (D1)
5. Golden Valley (D2)
6. Vacaville (D2)
7. Turlock (D1)
8. Granite Bay (D2)
9. Bella Vista (D2)
10. Del Oro (D3)


Soiree at SWRA - Ranked teams attending

Jesuit - Boys #1
Whitney - Boys #10, Girls #1
Oak Ridge - Boys #3, Girls #2
Davis - Boys #4, Girls #4
St Francis - Girls #3
Bella Vista - Boys #6, Girls #9
Granite Bay - Girls #8

The top 4 girls' teams and 3 of the top 4 boys' teams will race in a fast 3k event called the "Soiree at SWRA" in Rocklin. The race is split into heats of 70 girl runners or 90 boys runners, organized by their times, with the final "Soiree" race including at least 5 scoring runners from each top team.

For the girls, Oak Ridge has come in second to their rivals, Whitney, in their last two races. They’ll try to get even closer this Saturday as they meet again. Other strong teams from the Sierra Foothill League, like St. Francis, Davis, and Granite Bay, will also have top runners, making it hard for any team to score much lower than the others.

Teams from the Capital Valley Conference, including Bella Vista, Christian Brothers, Rio Americano, and Vista Del Lago (racing for the first time this season), will also compete. Whitney is the defending champion, with Davis finishing close behind last year.

Looking to "Soiree" again is Avery Wolk of Davis who returns as the defending champion. She will compete against returning #3 runner Sophie Hutchinson of Whitney. Both runners are undefeated this season with Wolk capturing the Lagoon Valley Large school individual title and Hutchinson getting first at the Sierra Invite and Oakmont Invitational. Brenna Mannion also comes in without any defeats this year because Vista Del Lago has not competed yet, but she did have the #2 best time as last year's "Soiree" so another runner to add to the lead pack. Also set to be towards the front pack are Zoe Corder of Bella Vista, who challenged Hutchinson all the way to the finish line at the Sierra Invite, Norah Feldt of Davis, and Adriana Ingargiola of Oak Ridge. St Francis also brings a full squad led by junior, Sunny Schranz and freshman phenom, Alyssa Gutierrez.

The top three boys’ teams—Jesuit, Davis, and Oak Ridge—will compete on a two-loop dirt trail course at the "Soiree at SWRA." Jesuit is the clear favorite, but other schools have strong runners who could push the pace and maybe even break the course record. Since the 3k race is short for varsity runners, the winner might be decided by who has the best 800-meter speed, especially if they can handle any fast starts. Davis came in second to a strong Vacaville team at the Lagoon Valley Invite, but their top three runners beat Vacaville’s third runner. Oak Ridge is confident with a talented group of seniors, though their top runner, Roman Zamora, won’t race. Vista Del Lago boys placed an impressive 4th last year but struggled to maintain that form later in the season.

Last year, four of the top five runners were from Jesuit, and they’re all back, but other top runners in the section are ready to challenge them. Elias Thronson, a talented sophomore, leads a strong Davis team with Nicholas Duquette (junior) and Zev Fox (senior). With Roman Zamora out, Oak Ridge is counting on Thomas Capelli and Wesley Ewing to step up. Calvin Fear from Bella Vista and Josh Landon, a sophomore from Whitney, are other promising young runners. Jackson Levasseur from Christian Brothers, the fastest returning non-Jesuit runner, could shine after winning the Lagoon Valley Small School race last week. But if you are talking about who deserves to do well, Peter Kendell of Twelve Bridges is about as hard-working as they come. He was outsprinted by 800m runner Copper Barr of Placer at the Sierra Invite but he held off Zamora for 4th place at the Oakmont Invite.

This weekend, Del Oro (girls #10) and Folsom (boys #7) will compete at the Nevada Union XC Invitational. McClatchy will race at the Lowell Invitational in the Bay Area. For other ranked teams, this is workout weekend as they prepare for the Kim Duyst invite and the Woodbridge Invitational in Southern California.

Nevada Union XC Invitational - Ranked teams attending
Del Oro Girls #10
Folsom Boys #7

Lowell Invitational - Ranked teams attending
McClatchy - Boys #5

Top 20

1. Kyle Jakary, Sr, Jesuit, Oakmont Invite, 2nd, 11:38.2
2. Drake Hoferer, Sr, Jesuit, Oakmont Invite, 3rd, 11:42.0
3. Cooper Stream, Jr, Vacaville, Lagoon Valley, 1st, 15:01.9
4. Peter Kendell, Sr, Twelve Bridges, Oakmont Invite, 4th, 11:48.4
5. Elias Thronson, So, Davis, Lagoon Valley, 2nd, 15:44.9
6. Jackson Levasseur, Sr, Christian Bros, Lagoon Valley, 3rd, 15:46.9
7. Roman Zamora, Sr, Oak Ridge, Oakmont Invite, 5th, 11:48.7
8. Andres Lomeli, Sr, Kimball, Flame Invite, 1st, 15:28.3
9. Isaac Abbott, Sr, Jesuit, Oakmont Invite, 6th, 11:50.7
10. Cooper Barr, Jr, Placer, Oakmont Invite, 8th, 11:54.7
11. Hugh Heyer, Jr, McClatchy, Oakmont Invite, 9th, 11:55.0
12. Lucas Alberts, Jr, Jesuit, Oakmont Invite, 10th, 11:56.7
13. Thomas Capelli, Sr, Oak Ridge, Oakmont Invite, 12:04.2
14. Jace Campos, Sr, Pacheco, Monterey Invite, 1st, 15:01
15. Landon Warriner, Jr, McClatchy, Oakmont Invite, 11th, 11:56.9
16. Rowan Henry, Sr, Nevada Union, Oakmont Invite, 13th, 12:03.0
17. Connor Smith, So, Vacaville, Lagoon Valley, 4th, 15:50.3
18. Gio Mejia, Sr, Pacheco, Monterey Invite, 3rd, 15:50
19. Calvin Fear, Jr, Bella Vista, Sierra Invite - Junior, 1st, 10:17
20. Nicolas Duquette, Jr, Davis, Lagoon Valley, 5th, 15:51.2

Top 10 Sophomore

1. Elias Thronson, Davis, Lagoon Valley, 2nd, 15:44.9
2. Connor Smith, Vacaville, Lagoon Valley, 4th, 15:50.3
3. Josh Landon, Whitney, Oakmont Invite, 24th, 12:21.4
4. Alden Reck, Del Oro, Oakmont Invite, 32nd, 12:27.9
5. John Kelly, Jesuit, Oakmont Invite, 39th, 12:31.7
6. Dominic Urteaga, Golden Valley, Oakmont Invite, 40th, 12;33.2
7. Ben Gutierrez, Oak Ridge, Oakmont Invite, 42nd, 12:37.7
8. Lincoln Manweiler, Bella Vista, Sierra Invite Soph, 10:38.7
9. Gabe Dressen, Placer, Oakmont Invite, 70th, 13:06.4
10. Calvin Pacheco, Granite Bay, Oakmont Invite, 13:08.7

Top 10 Freshman

1. Porter Petty, Turlock, Oakmont Invite - Varsity, 50th, 12:45.5
2. Dane Demille, Pleasant Grove, Oakmont Invite - Varsity, 13:01.7,
3. Noah Foulk, Wheatland, Oakmont Invite - Freshman, 1st, 13:31.2
4. Strummer Beckett, West Campus, Lagoon Valley - Freshman, 1st, 11:43.7
5. Miles Guth, Oakmont, Oakmont Invite- Freshman, 2nd, 13:32.2
6. Erik Doan, Elk Grove, Lagoon Valley - Varsity, 32nd, 17:50.5
7. Jackson Clark, Vacaville, Lagoon Valley - Freshman, 2nd, 11:57.7
8. George Harman, Rocklin, Oakmont Invite - Varsity, 109th, 13:42.4
9. Cylus Costa, Turlock, Oakmont Invite - Varsity, 115th, 13:47.2
10. Jaciel Garcia, Oakmont, Oakmont Invite - Freshman, 3rd, 13:47.4

Girls

SJS was strongly represented at the state championships last year across the top 4 divisions and based on early season results, look to move up at the state championships this year. But it's a long season and teams will have to continue to improve as they face local section competition. Some teams haven’t raced yet, so expect ranking changes next week after all teams compete at least once.
 
1. Whitney (D2)
Lost count on many times Whitney has repeated as Division 2 section champions, but there are plenty of familiar last names on those teams as older sisters are replaced by their younger siblings.
They lost only one runner from their top 6 last year and with an experienced squad they might join Jesuit as another Sacramento-area team as state champions. Based on early season wins at the Sierra and Oakmont Invites, Hutchinson has proven to be a strategic runner who knows when to turn it on. She ran a controlled race against Zoe Corder of Bella Vista, before outsprinting her at the line. At Oakmont she surged earlier and put five seconds over sophomore Ellison Williams of Turlock, who might be the early season most improved runner. Her leadership will be invaluable if they are to repeat on the State Meet podium. She is joined by Soto, Landon & Ewers, all with big PRs at Oakmont, and ended up placing their top 4 before Oak Ridge's #2 runner.

Last Season: D1 Section: 1st, State Meet: 3rd
Returners: Top 5 of 6. Sophie Hutchinson, Sr. Eva Soto, Jr. Jane Landon, Sr. Addison Ewers, Sr.

2. Oak Ridge (D1)
Oak Ridge probably has the most depth of any school in the section when considering boys AND girls. On the boys side they are getting ready to upset D1 section champions, Davis. On the girls they are the three-time repeat D1 champions. They have a very young squad with a strong incoming freshman class based on Sierra Invite results. At the Oakmont Invite, they were led by  Adriana Ingargiola, the lone senior in the top 7 who went under 14 minutes, but her six teammates all went under 15 minutes, including freshman Addie Yip and Cameron Fectner. The most impressive stat was that they were only 16 points behind Whitney at Oakmont.

Last Season: D1 Section: 1st, State Meet: 6th
Returners: Adriana Ingargiola, Sr. Maya Day, Jr. Giuliana Martino, So. Emi Madsen, Jr. Lauren Tiedemen, So.  

3. St Francis (D3)
It's never surprising when St. Francis suddenly appears with a new stellar set of freshman at the beginning of the season. But after this happens two or three years in a row, it suddenly becomes pretty hard to make their top 7. This might be St Francis's deepest squad in 5 years based on how they did at the Lagoon Valley Invitational. After Coach Chad Worthen starts introducing the longer distance races to their underclassman, we will have a better idea of potential. Regardless, with no seniors in their top 7 it will be a program that will continue to improve in upcoming years. Their strong incoming freshman class includes Alyssa Gutierrez.

Last Season: D3 Section: 3rd, State Meet: 7th
Returners: Halle Welch, So. Sophia Kadel, So. Sunny Schranz, Jr. Miya Menza, So.

Davis (D1)
Cross-country is a long season and the Davis coaching staff seem to know how to gradually build their team's success as the season progresses towards the section finals at Willow Hills. Early season results at the Lagoon Valley Invitational would point towards a slow start as junior Norah Feldt (Track State 1600 qualifier 4:51) ran 19:26, where normally she would be up with her senior teammate Avery Wolk who went 18:40. Expect Feldt to keep improving at "Soiree at SWRA" as the competition level ramps up as the top 4 ranked teams meet up.

Last Season: D1 Section: 2nd, State Meet: 14th
Returners: Avery Wolk, Sr. Norah Feldt, Jr. Katelyn Secrest, Jr. Lilian Hales-Yang, Jr.  

Golden Valley (D2)
The team from Merced caught some other D2 teams off-guard last year as they snagged the last state-qualifying spot at Willow Hills. Golden Valley returns 6 of their top 7 runners from last year's state championships meet. They finished a strong 4th at the Oakmont Invite, trailing only SJS teams Whitney and Oak Ridge. They are led by junior Fernanda Cortes, and field a deep team with 1-5 time spread of one minute.  
Last Season: D2 Section: 4th, State Meet: 13th
Returners: Fernanda Cortes, Jr. Aubri Villa, Jr. Chelsea Chavez, So. Gabriela Hicks, Sr.  

Vacaville (D2)
Vacaville might have the strongest 1-2 runners in the Section with Khloe Delatorre and Makayla Galvan. Delatorre should be looking at a top 3 individual state finish after finishing 7th last year at Woodward. Even though their 1-5 time spread was close to 2:30 minutes, at most meets their top 2 runners will definitely help their score. They finished within 11 points of Davis at the Lagoon Valley Invitational.
 
Last Season: D2 Section: 3rd, State Meet: 21st
Returners: Khloe Delatorre, Sr. Makayla Galvan, Sr. Gisselle Swartz, Jr.  

Turlock (D1)
Turlock secured the last state championships qualifying spots at Willow hills last year and were one of the few teams in SJS that had both boys and girls qualify for state championships. They are led by Ellison Williams, who is looking very sharp, having the second fastest time all-day at the Oakmont Invite. 4 out of their top 5 runners are freshman or sophomores and if they don't finish ahead of Davis this year, next year they will be even stronger.  
 
Last Season: D1 Section: 3rd, State Meet: 20th
Returners: Ellison Williams, So. Maya Day, Jr.  

Granite Bay (D2)
After finishing a disappointing 17th at the state meet, Granite Bay will be motivated to return to the state championships to improve upon that showing. Despite the departure of Grace Baxter to UC Irvine, they still finished within 20 points to Division 2 rival Golden Valley at the Oakmont Invitational. They had 4 runners in the low 15 minutes at Oakmont but they still need to find a strong 5th runner this season, otherwise there are other D2 teams like Bella Vista, Vista Del Lago or Woodcreek who might upset the perennial state qualifiers.
 
Last Season: D2 Section: 2nd, State Meet: 17th
Returners: Kaelyn Harlan, Sr. Emily McCracken, Sr. Abigail Osman, So. Madeleine Olson, Jr. Anna Hammack, Sr.

Bella Vista (D2)
Bella Vista is in the same situation as Vacaville where they have a very strong top 2 runners in seniors Zoe Corder and Sophia Pham. Corder was just out-leaned by Sophia Hutchinson of Whitney on the line at the Sierra Invite and Pham looks to have a breakout senior season after her early season results at the Sierra Invite. The gap to their 3-5 runners is nearly 3 minutes so hopefully they can keep building their squad fitness. Bella Vista will be racing against other D2 rivals in the "Swaree at SWRA" and this will be the opportunity to target other team's 3-5 runners.
 
Last Season: D2 Section: 6th
Returners: Zoe Corder, Sr. Sophia Pham, Sr. Avery Berlier, Jr.

Del Oro (D3)
Del Oro finished just behind Granite Bay at the Oakmont Invitational and also had 4 runners who finished under 16 minutes. They might not have the depth to challenge St Francis for the D3 section title but they will be competitive against River Valley and Oakdale. Their 5th runner is not far behind and with a time spread of less than one minute, they have a great training group to push all their times down.

Last Season: D3 Section: 2nd, State Meet: 20th
Returners: Claire Imrie, Jr. Stacie Holbert, So. Izzy Oldenburger, Sr. Lyla Stafford, Sr.