All CCS 2009

Courtesy of www.lynbrooksports.com
http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2009/all_ccs.htm

Stats from Saturday's CCS meet...

BOYS
Fastest #1 Runner
Paul Summers (12) Gunn #1 14:41
Fastest #2 Runner
Ian Myjer (12) Mt. View #2 15:03
Fastest #3 Runner
Parker Schuh (11) Mt. View #3 15:16
Fastest #4 Runner
Alex McGuirk (12) Mt. View #4 15:42
Fastest #5 Runner
Aubrey Myjer (10) Mt. View #5 15:43
Fastest #6 Runner
Jack Bordoni (10) Bellarmine #6 16:11
Fastest #7 Runner
Robbie Cotton (12) Bellarmine #7 16:39

GIRLS
Fastest #1 Runner
Jessie Petersen (11) Carlmont #1 17:28
Fastest #2 Runner
Martina De Geus (12) Mt. View #2 18:22
Fastest #3 Runner
Abby Barker (12) Carlmont #3 18:40
Fastest #4 Runner
Sarah Wells (10) Mt. View #4 19:00
Fastest #5 Runner
Emma Dohner (11) Gunn #5 19:06
Fastest #6 Runner
Izzie Baney (11) Mt. View #6 19:41
Fastest #7 Runner
Sadie Navarro (11) Mt. View #7 20:11

Top 10 Senior Boys
1 PAUL SUMMERS 12 GUNN 14:41
2 GARRETT ROWE 12 MOUNTAIN VIEW 14:52
3 WESTON STRUM 12 PIONEER 14:58
4 MITCHELL MORIARTY 12 APTOS 15:00
5 IAN MYJER 12 MOUNTAIN VIEW 15:03
6 PHILIP MACQUITTY 12 PALO ALTO 15:03
7 DAVID PEREZ 12 SALINAS 15:14
9 LUCA SIGNORE 12 LYNBROOK 15:24
10 BENJAMIN HECK 12 CARLMONT 15:26
11 NATHAN LEE 12 CARLMONT 15:27

Top 10 Junior Boys
8 PARKER SCHUH 11 MOUNTAIN VIEW 15:16
13 WILL GIEKEN 11 LOS GATOS 15:28
16 MAX BELL 11 SALINAS 15:32
18 ETHAN SCARDINA CARLMONT 15:35
20 TONY FERRARI 11 BELLARMINE 15:41
23 KYLE FEUERHELM 11 WOODSIDE 15:44
26 BEN BUNK 11 CARLMONT 15:50
32 JAMES PALANIUK 11 THE YORK SCHOOL 15:54
34 JAMES SILVESTRI 11 STEVENSON 15:54
38 BENJAMIN SCHNEIDER 11 LOS ALTOS 16:00
39 JARRETT MOORE 11 SACRED HT CATH 16:00

Top 10 Sophomore Boys
15 KEVIN BISHOP 10 MONTA VISTA 15:30
22 AUBREY MYJER 10 MOUNTAIN VIEW 15:43
35 FRANCISCO SALVADOR 10 ALISAL 15:55
36 ADRIAN HINOJOSA 10 BELLARMINE 15:56
41 CHRIS WASCHURA 10 WOODSIDE 16:01
44 MITCH MARTIN 10 HALF MOON BAY 16:04
46 SAMUEL HALES 10 KING CITY 16:05
47 CARSTEN STANN 10 SERRA 16:06
51 NATHAN MADONICH 10 SOUTH SF 16:09
53 BRYAN TENA 10 SALINAS 16:10
55 ESTEBAN VALENCIA 10 BELLARMINE 16:10

Top 10 Freshmen Boys
17 RICHARD HO 9 LELAND 15:35
43 CIARAN MURPHY 9 ST. IGNATIUS 16:03
58 YOHANNAS ESTIFANOS 9 MILPITAS 16:12
102 MIGUEL VASQUEZ 9 ANDREW HILL 16:37
130 RORY BEYER 9 ARAGON 16:47
132 CODY JOHNSON 9 S.L.V. 16:47
141 ALEXI FARMER 9 STEVENSON 16:50
145 DAVID AGUILAR 9 OAK GROVE 16:50
147 CONNOR PRIOR 9 MILPITAS 16:51
163 JOSHUA COHEN 9 LOS ALTOS 16:57

Top 10 Senior Girls
4 ERIN HICKS 12 LOS ALTOS 18:18
8 MARTINA DE GEUS 12 MOUNTAIN VIEW 18:22
9 MARISSA FERRANTE 12 APTOS 18:31
11 ABBY BARKER 12 CARLMONT 18:36
13 MELISSA HOPPER 12 LEIGH 18:38
15 ZOE PAPPAS 12 MOUNTAIN VIEW 18:40
19 CLAIRE O'CONNELL 12 GUNN 18:49
20 MELISSA HASTINGS 12 HILLSDALE 18:49
21 RACHEL SHIMABUKURO 12 SAN BENITO 18:51
23 KIM MCMULLEN 12 APTOS 18:53
25 KELSEY HILBRICH 12 HARKER 18:53

Top 10 Junior Girls
1 JESSIE PETERSEN 11 CARLMONT 17:28
5 ERIN ROBINSON 11 GUNN 18:19
12 KATIE CASTRO 11 LOS GATOS 18:37
35 MARY KRIEGE 11 MITTY 19:06
37 EMMA DOHNER 11 GUNN 19:06
40 MELANIE HONG 11 CARMEL 19:08
47 MANDY COLE 11 SANTA CRUZ 19:15
48 ANGIE KORPUSIK 11 PRESENTATION 19:15
50 CINDY HUANG 11 LYNBROOK 19:18
51 RACHEL HINDS 11 ST. IGNATIUS 19:18

Top 10 Sophomore Girls
2 ALLISON STURGES 10 MOUNTAIN VIEW 18:00
3 NINA ANDERSON 10 NOTRE DAME SAL 18:16
6 LAUREN CROSHAW 10 ARAGON 18:19
7 ATHENA ALARCON 10 GILROY 18:20
10 MEGAN SHEARER 10 CARLMONT 18:31
14 MORGAN HEALY 10 ST. FRANCIS MV 18:38
17 KIERAN GALLAGHER 10 GUNN 18:45
22 MARITZA RUELAS 10 GILROY 18:52
24 MORGAN LIRA 10 VALLEY CHR SJ 18:53
29 ABBY BLAKE 10 WESTMONT 18:58

Top 10 Freshman Girls
16 VANESSA FRASER 9 SCOTTS VALLEY 18:41
18 DANIELLE KATZ 9 LOS GATOS 18:45
26 ALYSSA JOHNSON 9 LELAND 18:55
27 CHONDRA ANDERSON 9 HALF MOON BAY 18:56
28 NIKKI HILTZ 9 APTOS 18:57
32 MICHELLE POQUETTE 9 LEIGH 19:02
42 NIKKI STOKMAN 9 ARAGON 19:10
49 SOPHIA CANNATA-BOWM 9 SACRED HT CATH 19:17
61 SHAELYN SILVERMAN 9 LYNBROOK 19:31
66 COURTNEY SCHLOSSARE 9 SARATOGA 19:36

Teams qualifying both teams (girls and boys) to the state meet:
Carlmont Div. I
Mt. View Div. II
Gunn Div. I/II
St. Ignatius Div. III
Aptos Div. III
Crystal Springs Uplands Div. V

CCS Comparisons of Time 2009 by Walt Van Zant updated...

Comparisons Of Times - 2009

Also, for you fellow stat geeks out there, check out the following course converter that you can use to compare xc courses. Most of the courses listed are CCS based but if you have a course that is frequently used and you have sufficient data for that course, please contact Hank Lawson at hanklaw@ix.netcom.com. He can let you know what he needs to get your course added to the converter.

http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/CONVERTR/converter2007.html

CCS Rankings thanks to superxc...

As of 9/27/09

Boys
1. Mountain View 4392
2. Bellarmine 3575
3. Gunn 3565
4. Palo Alto 3405
5. Menlo Atherton 3070
6. St. Ignatius 2482
7. Pioneer 2475
8. Salinas 2367
9. Lynbrook 2255
10. St. Francis 2245

Girls
1. Gunn 3615
2. Mountain View 3369
3. Aptos 3200
4. Carlmont 2849
5. St. Francis 2594
6. Los Gatos 2465
7. St. Ignatius 2434
8. Gilroy 2374
9. Valley Christian 2232
10. Evergreen Valley 1972

Missing anybody? Who should be ranked higher? lower?

Norcal Rankings as well as the latest NCS rankings will be posted on Wednesday. Feel free to send me your thoughts on either to albertjcaruana@gmail.com. Your help will be appreciated with top 10 lists for teams and individuals (Norcal and/or NCS).

Northern California Rankings...

will be posted after the Stanford Invitational this weekend (Teams and Individuals).

Just added online are the entries for this Saturday's race:
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/stan/sports/c-xc/auto_pdf/rgdfsgh4e45jhjh.pdf

For the first edition of the NorCal Rankings go to the following link:
http://albertcaruana.blogspot.com/search/label/Norcal%20Rankings%20%2709

Updated CCS Rankings, posted on Tuesday, September 22nd:
http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2009/rankings.htm

NCS Rankings posted on Thursday, September 17th:
http://albertcaruana.blogspot.com/search/label/NCS%20Rankings%20%2709

SJS Rankings (will add to this list when I get a moment)

Top 5 Boys' Teams
Oak Ridge
Davis
Jesuit
Del Campo
El Camino.

Top 5 Girls' Teams
Oak Ridge,
Davis,
Woodcreek,
Vista de Lago,
Granite Bay

Boys
Amjed Aboukhadijeh (OR)
Chris Kigar(EC)
Corey Coates(Davis)
Nathan Williams(OR)
Adam Kelley-Strong(Jesuit)
Benji Xie(OR)
Roberto Rosas(Grace Davis)
Kurt Ruegg(Napa)
Trevor Halstead(Davis)
T.J. Brown Pinzotto(Jesuit)
On the border: Matt Airola(Bret Harte), Josh Mercado(Del Campo).

Girls
Brooke Holt (Granite Bay)
Hayley Scott (OR)
Jackie Mansoor(OR)
Christine Zavensky(Granite Bay)
Sam Ralstin (OR)
Christine Bowlus(Davis)
Hilary Teaford(Davis)
Courtney Crosta(WC)
Stephanie Romo(WC)
Sam Walling (Galt)

To check out your time from Stanford Invitational 08, go to this link:
http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2008/stan_res.htm

Stanford Invitational Map:


What teams and/or individuals will be making a major statement this Saturday? Who has been flying under the radar?

'09 CCS pre-season rankings courtesy of Doug Speck and www.dyestatcal.com

http://www.dyestatcal.com//?pg=dyestatcal-2009-Cross-Country--Rankings-August-01-Section-Ranks-Central-Coast

Any thoughts on the above rankings? Who is missing? Who should be ranked higher or lower? What team is going to be the biggest surprise in CCS for either boys and/or girls?

CCS Comparisons - 2009 by Walt Van Zant

Walt Van Zant (Wilcox HS Coach seen here on the left) has once again done amazing work collecting the times from the '08 cross country and '09 track and field seasons of every team participating in the Central Coast Section. You can take a look at the following link and find out where your team belongs as of this point in CCS.

Walt will update the following lists as the season progresses.

CCS Comparisons - 2009

Any feedback? Any corrections? Who are the fastest incoming freshmen in CCS?

2009 CCS Division III Pre-Season Cross Country Rankings by Coach Josh Small

BOYS

With 24 of the top 40 runners graduating the team competition is wide open in 2009. This year the top 4 spots qualify for the State Championships and with some support from a few underclassmen any team could vault themselves into a State qualifying spot. The fact that only 16 of the top 40 runners return this year should allow ample opportunity for the underclassman to shine. In fact, the team competition is likely to come down to which team has the fastest number 5 runner! The question is: Who will step up in 2009?

Aptos won handily in 2008 and is once again the favorite. Saint Ignatius was hit hard by graduation and will need the younger talent to step up big. They will be challenged by Pioneer, who will need the Strum brothers to translate their success on the track to cross country. Even if they both place in the top 5 at CCS they will need help from the 3-5 runners. Willow Glen looks good and could be #2 with help from a solid Frosh-Soph crew, but they will need to hold it together as a new coach takes the reins. North Monterey County could pull it off as they return three strong runners but will need help from the 4 and 5 runners. With a good freshman any one of these teams could make a run for the title!

Top 5 Teams (Top 4 Advance to State)
1. Aptos
2. Saint Ignatius
3t. Pioneer
3t. Willow Glen
5. North Monterey County

Teams to Watch: Saratoga, Burlingame, Monterey

Top 15 Returning Individuals:
(Current Grade; Time & place reflects 2008 CCS Finish)

PLACE NAME YEAR SCHOOL TIME
===== =================== ==== ================= =======

2 MITCH MORIARTY 12 APTOS 16:07
5 WESTON STRUM 12 PIONEER 16:2Proxy-Connection: keep-alive
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0D
6 DONALD PLAZOLA 11 WILLOW GLEN 16:32
7 NATHAN STRUM 12 PIONEER 16:35
10 GRANT FOSTER 10 PROSPECT 16:43
14 MIGUEL GALLEGOS 12 NORTH MONTEREY 16:54
15 MICHAEL REHER 12 ST. IGNATIUS 16:56
17 RYAN PEABODY 12 APTOS 17:01
19 MICHAEL MCCABE 10 WILLOW GLEN 17:04
21 NICK LEBER 11 APTOS 17:11
29 DREW DAVIS 12 TERRA NOVA 17:39
30 KYLE FUKUI 11 SARATOGA 17:40
33 ZACH WILHELM 12 NORTH MONTEREY 17:53
36 FRANCISCO MORENO 12 NORTH MONTEREY 17:58
37 LUCAS TALAVAN 12 ST. IGNATIUS 17:59

GIRLS

Division 3 looks to be very competitive for 2009. Last year Saint Ignatius won thanks to a strong team performance where their scoring runners were all in the top 20, led by an impressive 2-3 finish by Daly and Hinds. With an impressive number of JV and Frosh-Soph runners looking to move up to the varsity ranks they will be tough again.

But the pre-season favorite has to be Aptos. Led by Marissa Ferrante, Aptos has three of the top 6 returning runners this year in D3. Their top 6 all return and could very well have 5 runners all in the 18’s at Crystal Springs this year. This team is going to be very hard to beat in 2009.

Valley Christian could be in the mix again as they return of 6 of their top 7 runners from 2008. North Monterey County, Note Dame – San Jose and Sacred Heart are also right there and if they have a good day could easily surprise some people.

Top 5 Teams (Top 3 Advance to State)
1. Aptos
2. Saint Ignatius
3. Valley Christian
4. North Monterey County
5t. Notre Dame - San Jose
5t. Sacred Heart

Watch Out for: Burlingame, Saratoga, Monterey

Top 15 Returning Individuals:
(Current grade; Time reflects 2008 CCS Finish)

RACHEL HINDS 11 ST. IGNATIUS 18:45
MARISSA FERRANTE 12 APTOS 19:15
DOMINIQUE GUINNANE 11 PROSPECT 19:50
JOVITA TRUJILLO 12 NORTH MONTEREY 19:58
KIM MCMULLEN 12 APTOS 20:05
EMILY NEVITT 12 APTOS 20:08
EMILY BLAHA 11 VALLEY CHR. 20:16
KAREN WAI 12 SARATOGA 20:24
ABBY OTTO 12 ST. IGNATIUS 20:33
TATIANA BAIZA 10 SACRED HT CATH 20:37
NADINE HUERTA 12 NORTH MONTEREY 20:38
JACQUELYN URBINA 11 ST. IGNATIUS 20:38
ISABEL GARCIA 10 VALLEY CHR. 20:43
LAURA PANDORI 10 NOTRE DAME SJ 20:46
MORGAN LIRA 10 VALLEY CHR. 20:46

Feel free to chime in on the above rankings in the comment section below.

CCS Division II Pre-Season Rankings by Kevin Liao

BOYS

Division II, the strongest grouping of all the five CCS divisions last year, looks to be even better in 2009. Mountain View leads a group of teams battling for the three spots advancing to the state meet. The Spartans placed third at the CIF meet last year and return their top three harriers from the podium finish. Garrett Rowe proved himself to be a strong big meet performer in both cross country and track, coming in second over the 5k course at Woodward Park in 15:03 and fourth in the 3200 meters in 8:55. Though dominant most of the last cross country season, Rowe was often challenged by teammate Ian Myjer. Myjer defeated Rowe at the Clovis Invite in 15:17 and was just a second behind his teammate at Crystal Springs in 14:57. Mountain View's 3-4-5 will likely consist of outstanding junior Parker Schuh (15:31 at Crystal Springs, 15:38 at Woodward Park), junior Brian Crook, and senior Alex McGuirk.

Paul Summers from Gunn had a solid 2008 cross country season, turning out times of 15:40 at Crystal Springs and 15:59 at Woodward Park, but exploded onto the scene of elite CCS athletes with his 9:13 over 3200 meters this past spring. Summers leads a Gunn squad that returns all of its top five, four of whom were sub-17 minute Crystal SpringsProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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unners.

Coming off a strong track season in which he improved his PR's to 4:15 for 1600 meters and 9:07 for 3200 meters, Phillip Macquitty leads a somewhat depleted Palo Alto team in its attempt to again qualify for state as a team. Having graduated numbers two and three, the Vikings only return three under the 17 minute mark at Crystal Springs. Challenging Paly for the third spot will be Los Gatos. The traditionally strong program had a bit of a down year in 2008, but looks to rebound behind star junior Will Geiken. Like Summers, Geiken exploded onto the scene with a 9:20 3200 effort during track season. The Wildcats return four of their five scorers.

Top 5 Teams (Top 3 advance to state)

1. Mountain View
2. Gunn
3. Palo Alto
4. Los Gatos
5. St. Francis

Watch out for: Woodside, Leigh

Top 5 returning individuals, (place) & 2008 CCS meet time:

1. Garrett Rowe (1) Mountain View 15:29
2. Ian Myjer (2) Mountain View 15:37
3. Phil Macquitty (3) Palo Alto 15:48
4. Parker Schuh (4) Mountain View 15:56
5. Paul Summers (6) Gunn 16:25

GIRLS

Much like on the boys side, Mountain View dominated the CCS cross country scene in 2008 and looks to continue its success in 2009. The Spartans return three of five scorers from their fourth place state team, lead by top returning individual Zoe Pappas, who boasts PRs of 19:00 at Woodward Park and 18:57 at Crystal Springs. Sophomore Allison Sturges should also be a fine addition to the team after a spectacular track season that included a 4:59 1600 for second place at CCS finals. Juniors Sarah Wells and Susie Reynolds should be important factors to the strength of Mountain View's team.

A number of remaining teams will battle for the two team bids to the state meet. Los Gatos has a strong #1 runner in junior Katie Castro, but will need improvement by other runners to contend. Lynbrook has a similar predicament with a solid 1-2 punch of Cindy Huang (2:13 800m, 18:36 at Crystal Springs) and Lauren Tang, but need improvement from a number of low 20 minute Crystal runners to sure up the back end of the rotation.

Presentation returns three sub-20 minute Crystal Springs runners, highlighted by junior Tori Tsolis, a 5:13 and 2:14 track runner. If the Panthers can find a strong fifth runner, they can be a force in Division II. St. Francis has two athletes in the 19s at Crystal Springs as well as two on the cusp of breaking the 20 minute barrier.

Top 5 Teams (Top 3 advance to state)

1. Mountain View
2. Los Gatos
3. Lynbrook
4. Presentation
5. St. Francis

Watch out for: Palo Alto, Leland, Mitty

Top 5 returning individuals, (place) & 2008 CCS meet time:

1. Zoe Pappas (5) Mountain View 19:13
2. Cindy Huang (6) Lynbrook 19:19
3. Melissa Hopper (9) Leigh 19:30
4. Claudia Barnett (10) Leland 19:33
5. Katie Castro (11) Los Gatos 19:34

Thanks to Kevin for taking care of the CCS Division II rankings this year. Please feel free to chime in your thoughts about the above rankings in the comment section below.

CCS Division III Pre-Season rankings will be posted tomorrow.

2009 CCS XC CBEDs posted below

Interesting that the Gunn HS girls will be competing in Division I while their boys will be competing in Division II.

What other prominent teams moved up or down from last season?

Just checked with the CCS office and the above numbers are confirmed. In regards to Gunn being in different divisions:

Under the new provisions for placing schools in divisions it is very possible for girls and boys to be in different divisions, especially since we have several all-boys and all-girl schools. This was acknowledged and discussed at the various levels of governance in the section but balancing the number of schools in each division (other than D5) became the number 1 focus.

Top CCS Girls' Individuals to watch in 2009 by Josh Small

GIRLS

1 Jessie Petersen 11 Carlmont (D1)
Peterson has won the CCS Championship for 3200 meters as a freshman and a sophomore, winning this years title in a personal best 10:51. Now a Junior, expect her to come into her own and be one of the top runners in the CCS. Having run 17:54 at Crystal Springs and 18:01 at State last year (not to mention her second place finish behind Fedronic in the D1 race) it is hard to argue against her being one of the best runners to return this season.

2 Rachel Hinds 11 St. Ignatius (D3)
There is a strong argument that she is the #1 cross country runner in the CCS. She does Lacrosse in the spring but that hasn’t slowed her down as she has seen steady improvement. The only question is: how will she respond without Daly there pushing her?

3 Marissa Ferrante 12 Aptos (D3)
Having run 18:06 at the Crystal Springs Inv. in 2008 Ferronte will once again battle for the top spot. Having run 4:52 for 1600 meters as a sophomore she battled through injury to start the 2009 track season but despite the late start ran a spectacular 10:56 in the 3200 meters. Her best races have come from a sit and kick strategy which will be tough to do on the hilly Crystal Springs course.

4 Samantha Hamilton 12 Half Moon Bay (D4)
The D4 champion in 2008 she is perhaps one of the strongest runners in the CCS this year. Before getting injured in the 2009 track season she ran an impressive early season time of 5:10 for 1600 meters. She should be ranked higher but just doesn’t have people to push her in D4 to run the fastest time in CCS. She enters the season with a time of 18:32 for Crystal Springs in 2008.

5 Allison Sturges 10 Mountain View (D2)
Not sure what happened at the end of XC last year but she was stellar on the track in 2009 as she finished 2nd in the CCS for the 1600meters. She progressed steadily throughout the season and it should carry over to the hills as she enters the season with a personal best of 18:46 for the Crystal Springs course. She very well could be the number one runner in CCS this year.

6 Lisa Fawcett 12 Gunn (D2)
Top returning runner in the highly competitive D2 finishing 4th in 2008. She ran 11:28 on the track this spring and is posed to lead a very powerful Gunn team.

7 Zoe Pappas 12 Mountain View (D2)
She finished as the #3 runner for Mountain View at the CCS Championship which was an astonishing 5th place over-all! She is the top returning cross country runner from last year’s very powerful team. Expect her to do great things with a training partner like Sturges.

8 Cindy Huang 11 Lynbrook (D2)
Making a huge jump in the 800 meter final at the CCS Championship Huang snagged 3rd place and was off to her first State meet. What is even more impressive is her range as she was not scared to mix it up with the longer distances. In fact, she ran the 3200 meter semi-final the week before she made State. She enters the season with a personal best of 18:46 for Crystal Springs.

9 Claudia Barnett 12 Leland (D2)
Her sister dominated cross country for four years and now she has a chance to get out of her sisters shadow and shine. If Leland can convert their track success to cross country she should have some quality training partners and be up at the top of the leader board once again.

10 Samantha Garcia 10 Evergreen Valley (D1)
This girl had a spectacular freshman year and steadily improved all year. Running 19:31 over Crystal Springs she really shined on the track this season consistently ran in the 11:30 range for 3200 meters and had a huge breakthrough at the BVAL final where she beat Barnett in a personal best time of 11:14. Expect great things from her this fall.

OTHER TOP CONTENDERS:

Katie Castro 11 Los Gatos (D2)
2008 Best: Crystal Springs- 18:57; Torro - 19:34; State - 19:35

Melissa Hopper 12 Leigh (D2)
2008 Best: Crystal - 19:08; Torro - 19:30; State - 19:43

Victoria Tsolis 11 Presentation (D2)
2008 Best: Crystal - 19:06; Torro - 19:51; Track - 5:13 (1600), 2:14 (800)

Kim McMullen 12 Aptos (D3)
2008 Best: Crystal - 19:14; Torro - 19:52; State - 19:26

Erin Hicks 12 Los Altos (D2)
2008 Best: Crystal – 19:18; Torro – 19:40; Track – 11:19 (3200)

Abby Barker 12 Carlmont (D1)
2008 Best: Crystal - 19:14; Torro - 19:51; State - 19:33

Kendra Higgins 12 Valley Christian (D3)
Previous Bests: Crystal - 18:57; Torro - 18:43. Great runner who placed 3rd in CCS (D3) as a freshman but how will she respond after a year off?

PEOPLE TO WATCH:

Angie Korpusik, Presentation
Abbey Blake, Westmont
Linnea Biddick, Aptos
Michelle Hopper, Leigh
Emily Sitler, St.Francis
Emily Blaha, Valley Christian
Athena Alarcorn, Gilroy
Ellie Sanders, Santa Cruz
Kat Grgeory, Woodside Priory
Kieran Gallagher, Gunn

WILL THESE TOP TRACK ATHLETES RUN XC IN 2009?

Erin Robinson, Gunn
Melissa Hastings, Hillsdale (5:04, 11:09)
Morgan Healy, Saint Francis
Jordan Diaz, Leigh
Nisha Parmeshwar, Leland

Top CCS Boys' Individuals to watch in 2009 by Josh Small

BOYS

1 Garrett Rowe 12 Mountain View (D2)
This young man is perhaps one of the best runners to come through the CCS in a long time. A combination of talent, supportive parents, excellent coaching and motivated teammates seems to be the keys to success. He returns with the fastest time at Crystal in 2008 (14:56) and an amazing 15:03 for the Woodward Park course. Running 8:55 for 3200 meters on the track at the State Meet he has demonstrated time and again he knows how to peek and run well when it counts.

2 Ian Myjer 12 Mountain View (D2)
If Rowe is to be considered one of the best runners in the CCS this decade than you have to consider Myjer as well. Running just one second behind Rowe (14:57) over the Crystal Springs Course they a the most potent 1-2 punch this season. With this talent at the top, it might just be a knockout for Mountain View.

3 Mitch Moriarity 12 Aptos (D3)
There are a few boys in the mix that can pull the upset and Aptos’ Moriarity is one of those guys. He had a breakthrough season this spring running 9:05 for 3200 meters. The biggest challenge to climbing the rankings is that when it comes down to CCS Myjer and Rowe will push each other for the win in D2, while Moriarity will be running solo at the front in D3 which just might be the few costly seconds that keeps him from the #1over-all spot. It would be nice to see these guys match up at some invites this year!

4 Philip MacQuitty 12 Palo Alto (D2)
Another highly talented runner in D2 is MacQuitty from Palo Alto. He proved he can run fast when it counts finishing the Woodward Park course in 15:14 last year. This spring is where he really took off running 4:15 for 1600 meters and 9:07 for the 3200. If this young man has an amazing day he very well could pull the upset and win the CCS title for D2.

5 Paul Summers 12 Gunn (D2)
Running 9:13 for 3200 meters on the track he improved dramatically throughout the year. Running 15:40 at Crystal something seemed to click this spring. Gunn is a quality program with great coaching, count on him carrying that momentum into this cross country season.

6 Will Geiken 11 Los Gatos (D2)
It is crazy to think that D2 will line up 5 runners who have run 9:20 for 3200 meters last spring. One of those is Geiken who last year ran 15:56 over Crystal. Los Gatos has a tradition of developing talent, and expect this runner to be right up there with the best in Wildcat history. Expect him to be right there with the front pack charging the hill at the mile mark. Like most runners it will be the last 2 rolling miles that will test you. Geiken could very well be there all the way.

7 Parker Schuh 11 Mountain View (D2)
It will be interesting to see how Schuh responds to not running track this spring. He very well could be rested and ready to tear it up, but the guys ranked ahead of him had amazing breakthroughs this spring. If he is anything close to how he ran last year (running 15:31 at Crystal Springs and finishing 4th in the CCS Championship - D2) it very well could be a 1-2-3 finish for Mountain View.

8 Ethan Scardina 11 Carlmont (D1)
Winning the CCS Championship (D1) as a sophomore he is back to defend his title. He missed track due to an injury but will hopefully bounce back strong.

9 Weston Strum 12 Pioneer (D3)
A fantastic track runner Weston ran 4:17 for 1600 meters this spring. He broke 16 at Crystal in 2008 and finished 5th in CCS (D3). He and his brother will be at the top of D3 this year but will need some help from their teammates in the team competition. He could very well could move up the rankings while they are certainly middle distance specialist the only question is how will they do over 3 miles?

10 Luca Signore 12 Lynbrook (D2)
In the mix of the highly competitive D2 division is Signore from Lynbrook. Ran very consistently throughout the track season he ended up running 9:41 for 3200 meters. Running 15:48 for Crystal Springs he should be once again a top runner this year.

OTHER TOP CONTENDERS:

Kranti Peddada 12 Monta Vista (D1)
2008 Best: Finished 4th in D1 (16:25 at Torro); 9:45 for 3200 meters on the track. If teammate Bishop runs could elevate team and Peddada to the next level.

Nathan Strum 12 Pioneer (D3)
2008 Best: Ran 15:49 at Crystal Springs; On the track ran 4:21 for 1600 meters and 1:54 for the 800. No marks for the longer 3200. Will the short speed translate over a hilly 5k?

Kyle Rae 11 Bellarmine (D1)
2008 Best: Crystal – 16:17; Track -4:23 for 1600 meters. A great program that turns out top runners year after year. Count on Rae having a big jump in 2009.

David Perez 12 Salinas (D1)
2008 Best: Torro - 16:11; State - 16:27; Track - 4:23 for 1600 meters. Ran great over his home course in the early season but struggled in the heat at CCS. Had a great track season, could be in the mix for the D1 title.

Aaron Hsia-Coron 11 Anzar (D5)
Won CCS Championship (D5) as a sophomore and will defend his title.

PEOPLE TO WATCH:

Dalton Guthrie, Bellarmine
Nathan Lee, Carlmont
Benjamin Heck, Carlmont
Grant Foster, Prospect
Donald Plazola, Willow Glen

Pre-Season CCS Division I rankings by Kevin Liao...

BOYS

Carlmont shocked all the pundits and form charts with its victory over pre-race favorites Bellarmine and Salinas at the 2008 CCS meet. The Scots, led by a number of sophomores and juniors a year ago, head into the 2009 cross country season as the favorite to claim their fifth consecutive Division I team title. Surprise individual champion Ethan Scardina missed track season with a stress fracture but will return with vengeance along with standout seniors Nathan Lee (1:57 800, 4:25 1600 this past track season) and Benjamin Heck. The dismissal of Jeff Gilkey opens up the coaching position at Carlmont, leaving many questions about the future of the program.

Bellarmine loses three of their top five runners, but will likely remain contenders with the presence of junior Kyle Rae (4:23 1600, 7^th at CCS finals) and senior Dalton Guthrie. Coach Patrick McCrystle's ability to field large-sized teams gives the Bells a tremendous talent pool to scout for new talent.

Salinas, with four returning runners under 17 minutes at Toro Park, Serra, and San Benito should also be in the mix for one of the two spots to go to state.

Top 5 Teams (Top 2 advance to state)

1. Carlmont – Will new coach be able to take advantage of four returning scorers?
2. Bellarmine – How will the Bells recover from loss of top runners?
3. Salinas – Returns a number of juniors in the 16s at Toro
4. Serra – Top three runners are back, but need underclassmen to step up spots 4-7
5. San Benito – Lose top two, but Balers have traditionally strong teams

Watch out for: Monta Vista, Gilroy, Evergreen Valley

David Perez of Salinas will be the main challenger to defending champ Scardina for the individual crown. Perez was 11^th at CCS last season, ran an exceptional early season 15:46 at Woodward Park, and was a 1:57 half miler during track. His known speed at the end of a race will make him a factor over the ladder stages of a race. The other returning individual state meet qualifier is Monta Vista's Kranti Peddada. As a junior, Peddada ran 16:01 at Crystal Springs and 9:45 over 3200 meters during the track season.

Top 5 returning individuals, (place) & 2008 CCS meet time:

1. Ethan Scardina (1) Carlmont 16:08
2. Kranti Peddada (4) Monta Vista 16:25
3. Nathan Lee (7) Carlmont 16:34
4. Benjamin Heck (8) Carlmont 16:36
5. Dalton Guthrie (9) Bellarmine 16:45

GIRLS

Just losing Stanford-bound Justine Fedronic, the Carlmont girls team is a solid favorite for to take its fifth straight CCS Division I championship. Jessie Petersen was 2^nd at CCS and should be a contender at the state meet with her 9^th place finish there last year. Petersen capped off a great sophomore year with a 10:51 3200 meters to win her second CCS track title. Seniors Abby Barker (11:22 for 3200m) and Georgia Cottong (19:33 at Crystal Springs) should also be important contributors to Carlmont's success.

Gilroy also returns four of their five scorers from its second place team in 2008, when the Mustangs only trailed Carlmont by only six points at the CCS meet. Like Carlmont, Gilroy loses their number one runner, Kathleen Miller, but return seniors Brandie Rodriguez and Patricia Hernandez and sophomores Savannah Silacci and Athena Alarcon.

Two other major contenders for the top two spots advancing to the state meet are Evergreen Valley and San Benito. Sophomore Samantha Garcia leads the Cougars, who finished fourth in Division I a year ago and return their top four runners. Garcia emerged as one of the best in the CCS with a 11:14 3200 meters for an upset win at the BVAL track finals. San Benito loses CCS 1600m champ Courtney Allen, but will be led in 2009 by Rachel Shimabukuro, a 11:33 runner on the track over 3200 meters.

Top 5 Teams (Top 2 advance to state)

1. Carlmont – Does a coaching change impact the Scots' dominance?
2. Gilroy – Can the Mustangs upset Carlmont without a definite #1 runner?
3. Evergreen Valley – Need improve from #3-5 runners to move up
4. San Benito – Will contend for state spot if back-end runners improve
5. Salinas – Returns four of five scorers, but needs big improvement

Watch out for: Monta Vista, Piedmont Hills, Homestead

Petersen is the consensus favorite for the individual championship, but a number of runners will be contending for the five individual spots to state. Dari Salvador of Alisal is the top returning individual state qualifier. Another runner to watch out for is Salinas's Kelsey Palassou. The senior ran a very impressive 19:50 at Toro Park last year, but struggled in the heat at CCS finals and did not advance to the state meet.

Top 5 returning individuals, (place) & 2008 CCS meet time:

1. Jessie Petersen (2) Carlmont 18:43
2. Dari Salvador (5) Alisal 19:37
3. Abby Barker (7) Carlmont 19:51
4. Rachel Shimabukuro (8) San Benito 19:59
5. Samantha Garcia (9) Evergreen Valley 20:00

One side note in this division is that Gunn HS might be moving into Division I due to CCS Divisional realignment. That is not confirmed yet but if this indeed takes place, an update of the above rankings will be posted.

Please feel free to comment on the above rankings. A big thank you to Kevin's work on the pre-season rankings.

My “officially unofficial” ranking for BOYS/GIRLS 2009 CCS XC by Josh Small

The following are the top 15 boys and girls team ranked by Valley Christian SJ coach Josh Small. He posted this on the dyestatcal.com message board and with his permission, I am posting this on here as well to get the feedback from coaches, athletes and parents out there. If you have any input or information that may effect the following rankings, please chime in below in the comment section.

My “officially unofficial” ranking for BOYS 2009 CCS XC
(My opinion poll for individual rankings next week...)

1 Mountain View (D2)
Top 3 boys return, including Rowe who is coming off of an 8:55 for 3200 at state. With the best 1-2 combo in the CCS and a strong Frosh-Soph group last year I don’t see any team that is close to the level of Mountain View. There is no question here: this team should dominate once again.

2 Carlmont (D1)
This team is loaded and returns 8 of their top 10 runners from last year, 6 of them now Juniors. This team very well could have 5 runners all in the 15’s for Crystal this fall.

3 Palo Alto (D2)
MacQuitty leads the return of 5 seniors. They will need runners 4 & 5 to step up, which I would safely bet on.

4 Gunn (D2)
Returns their top 6 runners, 5 of whom are seniors. Summers leads the team but will need help from the core runners if they expect to move up the rankings.

5 Los Gatos (D2)
8 of their top 9 runners return. There is no standout but all the runners are close and just might take a big jump together. If they do they could be ranked as high as 3rd.

6 Aptos (D3)
4 of their top 7 return but they lose some heavy hitters. I wouldn’t worry too much, Aptos seems to be one of those teams that always have someone developing, just waiting to move up.

7 Salinas (D1)
They didn’t run Crystal last fall but ran very well over their home course at Torro. They return 5 of their top 7, but the question is how will they fare against the northern schools away from their home course?

8 Bellarmine (D1)
Rae is the top returning runner on a team that brings back only 3 of their top 7. This is another one of those teams that seems to have underclassman step up every year, and this year will not be any different. Expect 7 runners all in the 16’s or faster at Crystal.

9 St. Ignatius (D3)
Only 3 return this year as Birsinger and Innes have graduated. I won’t go as far as to say this is a rebuilding year but they will not be as strong as in the past.

10 Pioneer (D3)
Led by the Strum brothers this team has potential! Returning all 7 runners they will need for runners 3-5 to step up big. This is my "dark horse" pick of 2009.

11 St. Francis (D2)
4 of their top 7 return, all in the 16’s last year at Crystal.

12 Serra (D1)
Their top 3 all return, all of whom were in the 16’s at Crystal…but the big question is: who will fill the big gap left by six graduating Seniors?

13 Lynbrook (D2)
Returns 4 of their top 7, including Singnore who broke 16 at Crystal last year. Will need the underclassman to step up to be a factor this year.

14 Woodside (D2)
3 of their top 5 return but the team lacks depth from the 4-7 runners.

15 Menlo-Atherton (D2)
Returns their top 7 runners but lacks a star. They are grouped very close together but to see success will need everyone to improve 30-45 seconds over last year’s Crystal times.

Teams to Watch:

Monta Vista (D1) – Returns all 7 runners, all in the 17’s at Crystal last year. If they work hard over the summer they could surprise some people this year.

Evergreen Valley (D1) – Graduation hurt this team as 3 of their top 5 graduated. One of the biggest schools on the east side should replenish and be a factor though.

Cupertino (D2) – Returns their top 5 runners.

My “officially unofficial” rankings for GIRLS 2009 CCS XC:
(I'll post my thoughts on the boys tomorrow)

1 Mountain View (D2)
Sturges Returns and will likely be one of top runners in CCS; 3 quality runners graduate but this school is a machine and turns out top runners to step up and fill the missing links. Expect Mountain View to dominate once again.

2 Aptos (D3)
Their top 6 all return, including Ferrante who was hit and miss her sophomore year. When she is on, she is one of the top runners in CCS. This team very well could have 5 runners all in the 18’s at Crystal but all 5 will have to have their best race to take down Mountain View.

3 Carlmont (D1)
Loses #1; Returns 6 of the top 7. Peterson will be solid and Top 5 returnees have all run sub 20 at Crystal.

4 Gunn (D2)
Mayer is a big loss to graduation but many younger runners are there to make up the difference. 7 out of top 10 return. Could be ranked as high as #2 if track success coverts to the trails this fall.

5 Saint Ignatius (D3)
With Hinds, perhaps the top returning runner in CCS, this team will be tough but is missing the 1-2 punch they had last year with Daly.

6 Presentation (D2)
5 of top 7 return including top 2; Needs a number 5 runner to step up.

7 Los Gatos (D2)
Loses #1, but has a strong group of runners returning. They will be a top contender, as always!

8 St. Francis (D2)
Returns 4 of their top 6 runners and if freshman 800 runner Healy does cross country they will have a solid top 5 and be a top competitor.

9 Lynbrook (D2)
Top 5 return led by 800 State qualifier Huang. If the 3-5 runners step up they could be a top contender.

10 Leland (D2)
If their freshman 800 runner Parmeshwar runs XC she could be the 1-2 punch for Leland that returns many quality runners already.

11 Mitty (D2)
6 of the top 7 return. No standout #1 but the core of runners in their top 5 could all be sub 20 at Crystal this year.

12 Gilroy (D1)
Loses #1; Returns 4 runners in the low 20’s but needs a #5. Should be strong this year.

13 Valley Christian (D3)
Loses Bergman, which is a big hit and why they dropped so much from last year’s rankings. Top 6 of 7 return, plus Higgins who took a year off due to injury. Needs the core of runners to step up big.

14 Palo Alto (D2)
Big loses to graduation but a good group of runners return!

15 Carmel (D4)
Returns 6 of the top 7. No star but a good group in the 20’s for Crystal

Teams to Watch:

Evergreen Valley (D1) - This team should be in the top 15...but where? Samantha Garcia had a great track season and could very well be a top runner this fall. That said this is a very solid team. With a number 5 runner they could be ranked as high as 5th.

Castilleja (D5)– Returns top 7 runners. Needs a number 5…

Woodside Priory (D5) – 3 runners in the 19’s last year at Crystal. With a decent 4 & 5 runner could be a top team!

Comments: It was tough to rank 6-10...these teams could mix it up in any order and are all very close. The difference is the top 5 teams all have a solid 7 runners which allows someone to have a bad day.

Fastest returning CCS runners from 2009...

Thanks to Josh Small for following data:

Top 12 returning Boys from CCS Championship

1	PARKER SCHUH	12	MOUNTAIN VIEW	15:16
2	WILL GIEKEN	12	LOS GATOS	15:28
3	KEVIN BISHOP	11	MONTA VISTA	15:30
4	MAX BELL	12	SALINAS	15:32
5	RICHARD HO	10	LELAND	15:35
6	ETHAN SCARDINA		CARLMONT	15:35
7	TONY FERRARI	12	BELLARMINE	15:41
8	AUBREY MYJER	11	MOUNTAIN VIEW	15:43
9	KYLE FEUERHELM	12	WOODSIDE	15:44
10	BEN BUNK	12	CARLMONT	15:50
11	JAMES PALANIUK	12	THE YORK SCHOOL	15:54
12	PETER ANTHONY	11	CUPERTINO	15:54
	JAMES SILVESTRI	12	STEVENSON	15:54

   

Top 12 returning Boys from STATE Championship

1	Parker Schuh	12	Mountain View	15:44.5
2	Kyle Rae	12	Bellarmine	15:47.1
3	Will Gieken	12	Los Gatos	15:53.0
4	Max Bell	12	Salinas	16:04.6
5	Aubrey Myjer	11	Mountain View	16:09.3
6	Richard Ho	10	Leland	16:10.1
7	Donald Plazola	12	Willow Glen	16:13.5
8	Kyle Feuerhelm	12	Woodside	16:13.5
9	Tony Ferrari	12	Bellarmine	16:16.0
10	Ciaran Murphy	10	Saint Ignatius	16:21.1
11	Chet Reyen	12	Carlmont	16:23.6
12	Jack Bordoni	11	Bellarmine	16:26.3

Top 12 returning Girls from CCS Championship

1	JESSIE PETERSEN	12	CARLMONT	17:28
2	ALLISON STURGES	11	MOUNTAIN VIEW	18:00
3	NINA ANDERSON	11	NOTRE DAME SAL	18:16
4	ERIN ROBINSON	12	GUNN	18:19
5	LAUREN CROSHAW	11	ARAGON	18:19
6	ATHENA ALARCON	11	GILROY	18:20
7	MEGAN SHEARER	11	CARLMONT	18:31
8	KATIE CASTRO	12	LOS GATOS	18:37
9	MORGAN HEALY	11	ST. FRANCIS MV	18:38
10	VANESSA FRASER	10	SCOTTS VALLEY	18:41
11	KIERAN GALLAGHER	11	GUNN	18:45
12	DANIELLE KATZ	10	LOS GATOS	18:45

Top 12 returning Girls from STATE Championship

1	Rachel Hinds	12	St. Ignatius	18:14
2	Jessie Petersen	12	Carlmont	18:19
3	Allison Sturges	11	Mountain View	18:28
4	Nina Anderson	11	Notre Dame Sal	18:30
5	Vanessa Fraser	10	Scotts Valley	18:37
6	Erin Robinson	12	Gunn	18:38
7	Lauren Croshaw	11	Aragon	18:41
8	Morgan Lira	11	Valley Christi	18:51
9	Athena Alarcon	11	Gilroy	18:52
10	Megan Shearer	11	Carlmont	18:55
11	Nikki Hiltz	10	Aptos	19:08
12	Katie Castro	12	Los Gatos	19:09