2018 Pre-Season Northern California Top 10 Cross Country Runners (Boys and Girls)

Originally posted on July 15th. Who is missing from the two lists below?

BOYS
1) Liam Anderson Redwood (NCS) Senior
2) Matt Strangio Jesuit (SJS) Junior
3) Owen MacKenzie Los Altos (CCS) Senior
4) Colton Colonna St. Francis, Mt. View (CCS) Senior
5) Damian King Bella Vista (SJS) Senior
6) Christopher Middleton-Pearson Dublin (NCS) Junior
7) Connor Livingston De La Salle (NCS) Senior
8) Eric Eng St. Francis, Mt. View (CCS) Senior
9) Loic Scamparin Dublin (NCS) Senior
10) Henry Saul Palo Alto (CCS) Senior

GIRLS
1) Caroline Garrett Oakland Technical (OAK) Senior
2) Colleen McCandless Granada (NCS) Senior
3) Emily Perez St. Joseph Notre Dame (NCS) Senior
4) Gabrielle Peterson Healdsburg (NCS) Senior
5) Kalea Bartolotto Granada (NCS) Senior
6) Kelli Wilson Monte Vista (NCS) Junior
7) Quinn Hagerman Merced (SJS) Senior
8) Rayna Stanziano Concord (NCS) Senior
9) Anna Mokkapati The King's Academy (CCS) Junior
10) Sophia Lodigiani Davis (SJS) Senior

It's tough to narrow it down to just 10 runners so if you feel there are other runners that should also be considered, please add their names and accomplishments in the comment section below. If you feel the order should be different above, please feel free to add your own top 10 below as well. Are there any incoming freshmen that could make either of the above lists? 

You can check out the top 10 teams (boys and girls) at this LINK.

North Coast Section pre-season individuals rankings (Boys and Girls)

Bumping this up to the front page. These individual rankings were previously posted on July 26th. Any changes? Adds?

BOYS
1) Liam Anderson (12) Redwood
2) Connor Livingston (12) De La Salle
3) Christopher Middleton-Pearson (11) Dublin
4) Loic Scomparin (12) Dublin
5) Andre Williams (12) Sonoma Academy
6) Edward Buckley (12) Campolindo
7) Preston Norris (12) Las Lomas
7) Cooper McCarthy (12) Sir Francis Drake
8) Nicco Pompili (12) Sir Francis Drake
9) Tyler Hattori (12) Granada
10) Russell Sullivan (12) Foothill

GIRLS
1) Colleen McCandless (12) Granada
2) Emily Perez (12) St. Joseph Notre Dame
3) Gabrielle Peterson (12) Healdsburg
4) Kalea Bartolotto (12) Granada
5) Kelli Wilson (11) Monte Vista
6) Rayna Stanziano (12) Concord
7) Gracie Dupuis (12) Granada
8) Lauren Lum (12) Alameda
9) Kinga Bihari (12) Granada
10) Aimee Armstrong (12) Maria Carrillo

As always, it's tough to narrow such lists down to just 10 so if you feel that other runners should be mentioned as well, please feel free to do so in the comment section below.

If there are other rankings that you would like to see on this site, please let me know as well.

North Coast Section Preview now posted

You can check out my preview on ca.milesplit.com which includes all divisions and sexes. If you feel that I left any teams or individuals out or spot any errors, please let me know in the comment section below. Thank you to all the coaches that contributed in any way to the section preview.
http://ca.milesplit.com/articles/246259-2018-north-coast-section-xc-detailed-preview

You can check out the rest of the section reviews which includes interviews with some of the top runners around the state at the following link:
http://ca.milesplit.com/series/1742

Central Coast Section Preview

In the next two weeks, ca.milesplit.com will be previewing all 10 sections in California. We start with the Central Coast Section today including all five divisions as well as all the leading teams and individuals. If you spot any errors or left any teams and/or individuals that deserve mention, please let me know in the comment section below.

http://ca.milesplit.com/articles/245763-2018-central-coast-section-xc-detailed-preview

You can also check out their countdown of the top XC teams in California regardless of the division at the link below. Lots of NorCal teams included in the countdown.
http://ca.milesplit.com/series/1724

CCS Time Comparisons thanks to Wilcox coach, Walt Van Zant

http://lynbrooksports.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2018/comparsn.htm

Please share your thoughts about the above comparisons in the comment section below. If you know of any freshmen that will have an impact on the above rankings, please share that as well below.

2018 NCS Division II pre-season Cross Country rankings

I will have a more comprehensive explanation of the rankings below in a moment but for now, here you go.

BOYS
1) Granada
2) De La Salle
3) College Park
4) Foothill
5) Heritage/Mission San Jose

Individuals
1) Connor Livingston De La Salle
2) Russell Sullivan Foothill
3) Tyler Hattori Granada
4) Maxwell Waechter Heritage
5) Seth Jeppson Granada/Arnav Arora Mission San Jose

GIRLS
1) Granada
2) San Ramon Valley
3) Monte Vista
4) Liberty
5) Clayton Valley/Freedom/Livermore

Individuals
1) Colleen McCandless Granada
2) Kelli Wilson Monte Vista
3) Kalea Bartolotto Granada/Kinga Bihari Granada
4) Gracie Dupuis/Sidney Isom Monte Vista
5) Tavella sisters (Kate & Emma) San Ramon Valley/Valenton sisters (Veronica & Viviana) Livermore

Feel free to comment on this division in the meantime. You can find what teams will compete in this division this season at this LINK.

Sac-Joaquin Section pre-season individuals rankings (Boys and Girls)

BOYS
1) Matt Strangio (11) Jesuit
2) Garrett Gough (12) Nevada Union
3) Damian King (12) Bella Vista
4) Jesus Reyes (12) Placer
5) Connor Ryan (12) Placer
6) Colin Ryan (12) Jesuit
7) Godebo Chapman (10) West Campus
8) Ethan Dodge (11) Whitney
9) Bennett Woodward (12) Whitney (formerly Rocklin)
10) Trevor Asbury (12) Rockin

GIRLS
1) Sophia Lodigiani (12) Davis
2) Gabriela Hernandez (12) Vacaville
3) Quinn Hagerman (12) Merced
4) Natalie Harper (10) Cosumnes Oaks
5) Jaxin Woodward (12) Vacaville
6) Mavleen Mann (12) Pitman
7) Madison Denny (10) Armijo
8) Mary Deeik (10) Vintage
9) Abby Fletcher (10) Oak Ridge
10) Madison Kackley (10) Gregori

2018 NCS Division V pre-season Cross Country rankings (Boys)

With the divisional changes that took place two seasons ago, Division V will still have the majority of the teams under the past cutoff of 500 (only seven teams are above that number). Although the top end of this division now goes up to 600, the top teams will remain the usual suspects who compete for the state qualifying spots year after year.

During the 2017 season, SF University proved to not only be the best boys' Division V team in BCL and NCS but in the entire state. At the California state XC meet, University won their first boys' state championship in school history. They had podiumed 7 times before under the tutelage of former coach Jim Tracy with two 2nd place finishes and five 3rd place finishes.

This season, University will be favored to win their 2nd straight section title. University has won 12 section Division V titles and 16 section titles overall. Should they win their 17th section title, that amount would tie them with De La Salle for the most NCS titles in cross country.

University will be led by two strong juniors in Charlie Kennedy (1:56.26/4:24.23) and Clay Mills (4:35.5/9:56.11). They graduated two seniors from last year's top five but have plenty of back up with Ezra Parkhill (4:39.96/9:59.78) and three runners who all ran faster than 4:50 in the 1600m (Nick Pantelick, Colin Cooper, and Chase Leffers).

The next three best teams seem to be very similar and could all be competing for 2nd place. St. Joseph Notre Dame missed making the state meet for the first time since 2008. They return their entire lineup from last year's team and will be led by super talented junior, Zavier Annis (6th at NCS). Annis was also a sprinter during the Track and Field season with 11.29, 22.49 and 20'3.75" personal bests. Quite a combination of endurance and speed.

College Prep has been another strong program in this division and will contend here once again. They will be led by the duo of Jacob Lehmann Duke (4:41.31/9:57.53) and Kabir Bhansali (4:40.43/9:57.66). Lick-Wilmerding finished in 3rd place at the state meet last year but will be in rebuild mode this coming season. They will have one of the top runners in this division with Nick Harris (1:59.89/4:24.34/9:56.60) and always have a lot of depth.

The battle for the 5th and final qualifying spot for the state meet should be a very competitive one considering there were 26 complete teams at last year's section final. One of the teams that will be in contention will be Rincon Valley Christian. They finished in 14th place last year but the entire team returns and they were very impressive during this past Track and Field season. They will also be led by coach Harry Skandera who used to coach Santa Rosa Christian before the school closed it's doors in 2011.

The rest of the contenders will include Marin Academy, Convent & Stuart Hall, and Head-Royce.  All three teams took a bit of a hit with graduating seniors so they will need their younger runners to step it up this coming season. Marin Academy has one of the top runners in Rob Hudson and returns two additional runners from their varsity team last year. Convent & Stuart Hall also returns three runners, finished in 4th place last year and have been in the top 10 the last three years. Head-Royce is another program on the rise which finished in 9th place last year. They return 5 runners from last year's team and could be a factor in November.

The race for the individual title may be not quite as wide open as last year. Andre Williams of Sonoma Academy is the top returner and will be slightly favored to win his first section title over Nick Harris of Lick-Wilmerding. Keeping them honest will be the University duo of Charlie Kennedy and Clay Mills as well as Marin Academy junior Rob Hudson. College Prep's Jacob Lehmann-Duke and Kabir Bhansali both broke 10 minutes for 3200m. on the track and could be in the mix as well. Zavier Annis of St. Joseph Notre Dame could be another dangerous runner considering the speed he displayed during this past track and field season.

Division V Boys (Top 5 Advance to State)
1) University-Defending state champions are the best team returning.
2) St. Joseph ND-They missed making the state meet last year but could finish as high as 2nd.
3) College Prep-Another solid top 3 level team 
4) Lick-Wilmerding-Last title before 2016 was Division III in 1989. Will be aiming for top 3 finish in '18.
5) Rincon Valley Christian-Finished in 14th place last year and will finish much higher this year.
On the bubble: Head Royce, Marin Academy, Stuart Hall

Top 5 returning individuals, (place) and 2017 NCS meet time:
Andre Williams (3) Kelseyville 15:51.00
Nick Harris (4) Lick-Wilmerding 15:52.20
Charlie Kennedy (5) SF University 15:53.8
Zavier Annis (6) St. Joseph Notre Dame 15:54.1
Clay Mills (8) SF University 15:56.0

2018 NCS Division V pre-season Cross Country rankings (Girls)

GIRLS
This division has been the most successful division for NCS at the California state meet since the addition to a 5th division in 1996. The girls have been especially potent at the state meet led by the incredible run of state meet titles by San Francisco University. Last year, NCS placed three teams in the top ten led by SF University and Lick-Wilmerding who both placed on the podium with 2nd and 3rd place finishes respectively (St. Joseph Notre Dame finished in 7th place). With the great depth of teams, six girls teams qualify to the state meet from NCS which is the most of any division in the section as well as any other section outside of the Southern Section.

Lick-Wilmerding won last year's section race by the thinnest of margins as they defeated SF University by the 6th man tie-breaker. This was after University defeated L-W 31 to 35 at their league final in their previous race. At the state meet, University finished with 120 for 2nd place while L-W scored 128 for 3rd. Two very evenly matched teams.

This year, L-W will be the slight favorites over their league, section and state rivals, University. They return their entire varsity team and will have the best one/two punch of any teams in this division (Maya Lacamp-2:17.09/5:10.94 and Mira Terdiman-5:18.66/11:46.04). L-W is also one of the largest competitive schools in this division and usually has very competitive JV teams. Considering their top two runners as well as their depth, they will be slight favorites at this point.

Just like last year, the SF University girls will challenge L-W and they could very easily be considered co-favorites. Last season, they just missed winning their first section title since 2012 but they more than made up for that with a second place finish at the state meet. University graduated their top runner Claire Jackson as well as their fourth runner Christina Howard and will be led by Eileen Gu (5:31.98/11:55.88) and Ella Shenkar (5:29.00/11:52.59).

The next best two best teams should be St. Joseph Notre Dame and Marin Academy. SJND won the section titles in 2015 and 2016 and finished in 3rd place last year. They will be led by one of the best runners in the state in this division in senior Emily Perez (2:17.74/4:57.94/10:44.94). They will also return the majority of their varsity from last year. Marin Academy finished in 6th place last year and could potentially move up with a strong returning group as well as a strong freshman class. They will be led by Sierra Cameron (14th at NCS).

The next group of teams that could potentially contend for state qualifying spots will include Branson, Head Royce, Athenian and College Prep. Branson will be led by one of the top runners in the section, Callie Jones (5:07.67/11:16.62). Head Royce qualified to the state meet last year with a 4th place finish and seems to be a program built for the long run. Athenian runners had solid spring seasons and appear to be in contention as well. Athenian and College Prep are two more BCL East teams that will be in the mix as well.

The race for the individual title should be between two runners. Emily Perez is the defending individual section champion and finished 2nd in the state behind 3-time champion Riley Bowen of Sonoma Academy. Now that Healdsburg has dropped down to Division V, senior Gabrielle Peterson will now contend for a section title in a new division. Last year, Peterson won the Division IV section title and had a breakthrough track and field season with 2:18.62, 4:48.91 and 10:34.44 personal bests. Callie Jones of Branson is within reach of the top two runners and may be able to close the gap during the upcoming cross country season.

Division V Girls (Top 6 Advance to State)
1) Lick-Wilmerding-One of the largest and most consistent NCS Division V teams.
2) University-2nd at NCS and state in 2017.
3) St. Joseph ND-Seems to be firmly positioned for a top 4 finish.
4) Marin Academy-Word is a strong freshman class could make this team more formidable.
5) Branson-Very strong top runner who will need help to qualify to state meet.
6) Head-Royce-Another program on the rise looking to qualify for 2nd straight state meet.
On the bubble: Athenian, College Prep, Convent, Urban

Top 5 returning individuals, (place) and 2017 NCS meet time:
Emily Perez (1) St. Joseph Notre Dame 17:43.20
Callie Jones (4) Branson 18:06.70
Mira Terdiman (9) Lick-Wilmerding 18:46.10
Maya Lacamp (10) Lick-Wilmerding 19:06.50
Eileen Gu (11) San Francisco University 19:20.20

The boys' pre-season rankings will be posted next. Comments? Do you know of impact freshmen that will attend at any of the above schools? Feel free to chime in the comment section below.

NCS Division III pre-season rankings (boys)

Thanks to Campolindo assistant coach, Andy Lindquist.

NCS DIII Boy’s Rankings:

Overview: Last season Maria Carrillo relied on an impressive amount of depth as they halted Campolindo’s 4-year winning streak at the NCS meet. While a rebuilding Campo squad came within 10 points, they turned the tables the following week as they finished in 5^th place at the state meet while Maria Carrillo finished back in 10^th place. The pumas are loaded this year, with one of the best sophomore classes now coming back as juniors looking to do some damage. Campolindo is the next challenger for the section crown while deep teams from Redwood and Las Lomas could also challenge if the pieces come together. Maria Carrillo seeks to be the first non-Campolindo team to repeat as section titlists since Petaluma in 2009/2010. 

1. Maria Carrillo: 

The Pumas are looking to be even better this season as they bring back a team loaded with talent. Colton Swinth, Pierce Kapustka, and Rory Smail all ran under 4:30 in the 1600 as sophomores, giving Maria Carrillo nasty upside at the front. And don’t forget about senior Harrison Frankl, who “only” managed to run personal bests of 4:31 in the 1600 and 9:39 in the 3200 during the spring. The challenge for the Pumas will be finding the depth at the back end as there is a big drop off after those 4. Owen Pugh (10:18 3200) and Jack Pickle (10:22 3200) look to be the next in line and so long as they can work on closing down the gap on the front 4, Maria Carrillo looks poised for another title and a run at the podium at state. Coupled with a rising girls squad, Maria Carrillo will attempt to be the first non-Campolindo team to sweep the team titles in this division since Granada in 1999. 

2. Campolindo:

The Cougars continued to improve last season, turning what was supposed to be a one-sided affair into a close nailbiter as they fell just short of knocking off Maria Carrillo at the NCS championships. The next week Campo surprised everyone with a 5^th place finish. The core of that team returns but the challenge is not any easier this year. Teddy Buckley had another solid track season while Dylan Gunn finished the season with a flurry in running 9:41 in the 3200, the 4^th best freshman time in the state. Ultra-talented junior Owen Hunger also broke the 10:00 barrier in the 3200 and will look to be a big-time factor for the Cougars. As usual, depth is this team’s strength, with the likes of Cameron Iniguez-Reyes (10:06), Cayden Hein (10:13), Dylan Cronin (10:16), and Charlie Woidat (10:17) all posted solid times in the 3200. Throw in solid contributors in Pablo Nyguen and Max Essl, who both broke 4:45 in the 1600 and you have the makings of a super-deep squad that will challenge for the title. The biggest concern for the Cougars now is working on what appears to be a substantial gap at the 3^rd and 4^th scoring positions, as Maria Carrillo will have so many strong frontrunners. As it stands now, Campo is in a great position to challenge for the title, but it won't be easy. 

3. Redwood:

When your top runner scores 1 point in every single race, it makes it that much easier to post a low team score and be competitive at any meet. Such is the case this year for Redwood as they return defending state champion Liam Anderson. This team is more than just one guy though as Redwood had one of the best freshmen in the state last year in Hudson Grace, who rocked to a 4:28 in the 1600 during the spring and could be one of the most improved runners in the entire state this fall. Austin Patel also had a breakthrough during the spring, clocking a 4:33 in the 1600, giving the Giants plenty of power up front. However, it was the rapid improvement of Redwood’s back end at the end of the track season that gives them scary upside to move up these rankings. Timothy Walters (10:17) and Sahil Kapila (10:22) notched massive career bests in the 3200 and if they continue to improve, watch out. While there is a big drop off after those 5, with such a great frontrunner in Anderson, the Giants have a big advantage on the rest of these teams. As it stands now, Redwood is a dark horse pick to pull the upset. 

4. Las Lomas:

The Knights return their entire scoring five from last season’s surprising 3^rd place team so you may be wondering how they are now ranked 4^th? Well, the three teams ranked ahead of them are just really good, so it will take some more improvement on the part of the knights if they want to move up these rankings. Preston Norris and Parker Wilkerson shined during the track season, but it was the steady improvement of the likes of Charlie Kisylia and Cooper Wise during the spring that gives Las Lomas great upside. If this group can continue to come together and work hard, they could also move up these rankings, a tough task considering the depth in this division. 

Individual rankings: 

1. Liam Anderson – Redwood: This is a no-brainer here, Anderson will be among the best runners in the country this coming fall as he is the defending state champion and the top returner from NXN

2. Preston Norris – Las Lomas: Had a stunning breakthrough during the track season and will look to keep that momentum going. 

3. Teddy Buckley – Campolindo: A steady performer who finished 2^nd last year and will look to take another step forward this fall. 

4. Colton Swinth – Maria Carrillo: A big talent who really came into his own during the spring, rolling to a 4:22 in the 1600 and making the NCS final in that event. Part of one of the most talented sophomore classes in the state

5. Pierce Kapustka – Maria Carrillo: Came out of nowhere this spring to rip a 4:22 in the 1600 and give the Pumas a deadly 1-2. Should be much improved over last cross-country season.

6. Lucas Chung – Windsor: Dropped his 1600 down to 4:20 during track and could be a big mover up these rankings by the season’s end. 

7. Dylan Gunn – Campolindo: Posted one of the top freshmen 3200 times in the state during the spring and should continue that upward trajectory this fall. Looks to be one of the top sophomores in the entire state. 

2018 North Coast Section Division IV pre-season rankings

The following is the first in our series of pre-season NCS cross country rankings thanks to Piedmont HS assistant coach Len Goldman. Please feel free to comment below if you feel there are teams and/or individuals that should be mentioned as well. If you know of any impact freshmen attending any of the schools mentioned below, please feel free to add them as well.

D4 - Girls

Team qualifying for the state meet has become more difficult this year with the elimination of one qualifying berth. Just three teams will move on to the state meet instead of four.  For the 2018 pre-season forecast, it appears that the qualifiers in recent years continue to be the favorites to return.  The Piedmont girls are looking to extend their streak and make it 6 consecutive years for qualifying for the state meet.  They are also the early season favorites to repeat and capture the team title, as they return 6 of the 7 girls who ran in the 2017 NCS meet.  Leading the way for the Piedmont team will be junior Sophia Zalewski, who had a fine track season setting personal bests in the 1600 and 3200.  She has an able group supporting her, all of whom are capable of running sub-20 minutes on the Hayward course.  

Once again WACC league rival Bishop O'Dowd is expected to challenge the Piedmont team, as they return five of their top seven runners who competed in the NCS meet last year.  Top returnees for O'Dowd are Jeneva Toolajia and Isabella Brusco who finished 6 & 7th in the 2017 NCS meet.  Year in and year out, O'Dowd always fields a competitive team and they should definitely be considered a contender.

Back in the spotlight is Miramonte.  Returning to her form from her sophomore year is Cassidy Haskell who placed 6th in the 2016 state cross country meet and also won the D4 NCS individual title that year.  She had a fine track and field season for 2018, qualifying for the state meet in the 1600 race with a time of 4:56.  In addition, Audrey Allen who will be a sophomore did not run cross country as a freshman but had an outstanding track and field season.  That duo could lead the team to an NCS title if they get some support from other team members like juniors Beatrice Whitaker and Colette Kimura.  It also appears that Miramonte will have several strong incoming 9th grade runners, so this is a team that bears watching as the season progresses.

There are several other teams that could contend for a berth in the state meet and these include last years runner-up in the NCS, Sir Francis Drake.  They do return their top two finishers from 2017, Kyla Seeley and Finleigh Levinson, but after those two runners, it's uncertain who might contribute to make their team a top three NCS finisher. 

Marin Catholic is another team that could make a strong push for the state meet as they return 6 of their 7 runners who ran in the NCS meet and qualified for the state meet.  They have three runners who ran sub-20 on the Hayward course, twin sisters Samantha and Turner Wallenst, and Sara Kennedy.  Several other team members will need to develop and lower their times for this team to return to the state meet.

Projected Top Teams:  Piedmont, Bishop O'Dowd, and Miramonte.

On the bubble: Drake and Marin Catholic.

The favorite to win the individual title will be Miramonte's Cassidy Haskell, who if she continues her comeback after an injury-riddled 2017 season, could be a definite possibility to win the title.  Shelby Nelson of Encinal is also coming off a fine track season that saw her break 5 minutes in the 1600 and could mount a challenge for the D4 title.  She was 4th in 2017 at the NCS and has continued to improve every year.  After those two runners, it's a bit uncertain who could be in the top five individually.  All the other top ten NCS returning runners appear to be well back of the two previously mentioned runners, so who will have a breakthrough season and post a competitive time? 

Top Individuals: Cassidy Haskell-Miramonte, then Shelby Nelson-Encinal and Riley Martel-Phillips-Arcata for the top three.

On the bubble:  Sophia Zalewski-Piedmont, plus Jeneva Toolajia and Isabella Brusco from O'Dowd.

D4 - Boys

The overwhelming favorite for the boy's team title at NCS is Sir Francis Drake, the 2017 titleist.  They return their top 5 varsity runners led by seniors Cooper Mccarthy, Gabriel Reuter, and Nicco Pompili, plus juniors Owen Wolford and Amir Barkan.  All five of these runners ran sub-16 minutes on the Hayward course in the 2017 NCS meet, the only team to do so and they also all finished among the top 11 runners, pack running at its best.  They could be even better in 2018 and it is doubtful that any other NCS team will be able to give them a serious challenge.  With two other state qualifying berths on the line, there are several possibilities, although each of them has questions about how they will do.

Last season's #2 and #3 teams in the NCS, Piner, and Piedmont, both will be missing two of their top five runners due to graduation, making it problematic if they can replace that type of talent and qualify for state again. Bishop O'Dowd, which is always a threat for a top three finish, also experienced losing some top runners who graduated but has some talented young runners coming up. 

Perhaps the most promising team for a runner-up position in the 2018 NCS meet is Albany.  They return their top four runners led by Calder Abbott, who also had a good outdoor track season.

As previously mentioned, Piner still looks to be a contender for moving on to the state meet.  They will be lead by senior Nathan Hayes, 10th in last years meet and who had a solid track season too. If their younger core of runners develop, they could definitely be in the hunt for the #2 or #3 place at the NCS meet.

Projected Top Teams:  Sir Francis Drake, Albany, Piner

On the bubble: O'Dowd, Piedmont, 

In all likelihood, the top D4 individual will be a Sir Francis Drake runner.  Who might emerge as #1 could be any one of these Drake runners, Cooper Mccarthy, Gabriel Reuter, Nicco Pompili, or Owen Wolford.  After the Drake runners, possible contenders for a top finish are Lyle Rumon of Marin Catholic, Calder Abbot of Albany, and Tommy Murphy from O'Dowd.

Top Individuals:  Cooper Mccarthy, Gabriel Reuter and Nicco Pompili all from Sir Francis Drake

On the bubble:  Owen Wolford-Drake, Lyle Rumon-Marin Catholic, Thomas Murphy-Bishop O'Dowd and Calder Abbott-Albany

Please share this article as well as other similar articles with your athletes, parents and fellow coaches. 

2018 Pre-Season Northern California Top 10 Cross Country Teams (Boys and Girls)

BOYS
1) St. Francis, Mt. View (CCS) Division II
2) Dublin (NCS) Division I
3) Granada (NCS) Division II
4) Bellarmine (CCS) Division I
5) Jesuit (SJS) Division I
6) Amador Valley (NCS) Division I
7) Los Altos (CCS) Division I
8) Sir Francis Drake (NCS) Division IV
9) Homestead (CCS) Division I
10) Campolindo (NCS) Division III

GIRLS
1) Granada (NCS) Division II
2) Davis (SJS) Division I
3) Oakland Tech (OAK) Division I
4) Vista del Lago (SJS) Division III
5) San Ramon Valley (NCS) Division II
6) Amador Valley (NCS) Division I
7) Maria Carillo (NCS) Division III
8) Monta Vista (CCS) Division I
9) Homestead (CCS) Division I
10) Campolindo (NCS) Division III

Feel free to comment below. This is definitely an early view at the upcoming best Cross Country teams in Northern California and it's very possible I could have missed a team or two. If you feel that there are teams that belong on the above lists, please include them below.

2018 North Coast Section Pre-Season Rankings

The annual NCS pre-season rankings are on the way. Detailed breakdowns of each division will be posted which will include all the favorites and leading contenders for the upcoming season.

For now, here are the divisions for the upcoming season:
https://d2o2figo6ddd0g.cloudfront.net/v/k/bnv4m6f0nofdwb/18_XCountry.pdf

Some notable teams have moved divisions and will be huge factors in their new division.
Dublin and Amador Valley will now compete in Division I.
Livermore moves back down to Division II.
McKinleyville moves back up to Division IV.
Healdsburg moves down to Division V which means Gabrielle Peterson in a new division.

If you have any insight in any of the divisions, please feel free to comment below.