All-CCS Cross Country Team

As posted on www.lynbrooksports.com
http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2010/all_ccs.

1st Team
Parker Schuh 12 Mt.View Runner & Senior of the Year
Will Geiken 12 Los Gatos Johannas Estifanos 10 Milpitas Soph of the Year
Grant Foster 11 Los Gatos Junior of the Year
Kyle Rae 12 Bellarmine
Miguel Vasquez 10 Andrew Hill
Kyle Feuerhelm 12 Woodside

2nd Team
Kevin Bishop             11    Monta Vista
Donald Plazola           12    Willow Glen
Bryan Crook              12    Mt.View
Richard Ho               10    Leland
Jack Bordoni             11    Bellarmine
Ben Schneider            12    Los Altos
Samuel Hales             11    King City

Honorable Mention
James Silvestri          12    Stevenson
Jose Castillo            12    Hollister
Adrian Hinojosa          11    Bellarmine
Tony Ferrari             12    Bellarmine
Peter Anthony            11    Cupertino
Max Bell                 12    Salinas
James Palaniuk           12    York School
Esteban Valencia         11    Bellarmine
Jarrett Moore            12    SHC
Jack Beckwith            11    Menlo-Atherton

Logan Marshall           9     Half Moon Bay   Frosh of the Year

1st Team
Jessie Petersen          12    Carlmont                Runner & Senior of the Year
Anna Maxwell             9     San Lorenzo Valley      Frosh of the Year
Vanessa Fraser           10    Scotts Valley           Soph of the Year
Rachel Hinds             12    St.Ignatius
Nikki Hiltz              10    Aptos
Allison Sturges          11    Mountain View           Junior of the Year
Erin Robinson            12    Gunn







2nd Team
Morgan Lira              11    Valley Christian
Kayla Knapp              11    Los Gatos
Melanie Hong             12    Carmel
Amelia Eckhardt          11    Santa Cruz
Sarah Robinson           9     Gunn
Lauren Croshaw           11    Aragon
Vanessa Estrada          10    Hollister







Honorable Mention
Nina Anderson            11    Notre Dame-Salinas
Mary Kriege              12    Mitty
Anna Welsh               11    Monterey
Danielle Katz            10    Los Gatos
Laura Vasquez            12    Presentation
Kat Gregory              11    Woodside Priory
Kendall Hacker           9     St.Ignatius
Katie Castro             12    Los Gatos
Lalida Maokhamphiou      11    Wilcox
Sarah Schreck            11    Carlmont

CCS XC Information for Saturday, November 12th at Toro Park

Map of the Course:

2010 Race Entries for all 10 races:
http://www.cifccs.org/playoffs/results/10-11/2010%20CCS%20XC%20entries.pdf

State Meet Team Qualifiers:
Division I:  Girls 2, Boys 2
Division II:  Girls 3, Boys 3
Division III:  Girls 3, Boys 3
Division IV:  Girls 3, Boys 2
Division V:  Girls 3, Boys 3

Race Schedule:
Division V:  Girls 10:00am, Boys 10:35am
Division I:  Girls 11:10am, Boys 11:45am
Division II:  Girls 12:20pm, Boys 12:55pm
Division III:  Girls 1:30pm, Boys 2:05pm
Division IV:  Girls 2:40pm, Boys 3:15pm

Guesstimates for CCS races courtesy of Hank Lawson and www.lynbrooksports.com:
http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2010/ccsguess.htm

Any predictions out there?  Who is going to qualify to the state meet in each division?  Who will be the fastest boy overall?  Fastest girls overall?  Biggest surprise?

CCS Girls Top 17 Teams by MV Moose

17. Half Moon Bay (D4)
This team historically runs poor in the heat.  A cool day on Saturday and they might be able to sneak up on the SCCAL teams.
16.  Aragon (D2)
This team has been steady all year.  I predict they stay tough at CCS in a deadly tough division.
15.  Palo Alto (D1)
Doesn’t have the guns to take on Carlmont or Gunn, but should stay ahead of San Benito and Evergreen Valley.
14. Aptos (D3)
Aptos has four great runners, but without a tried and true fifth runner, they'll lose too many points in a big meet.  They'll have to pull a rabbit out of the hat to make State. They prefer cooler weather, so running later in the day works against them.
13.  Valley Christian (D3)
Sixth place in WCAL is no shame.  I expect Coach Small to have his team ready at CCS.  
12. Sacred Heart Cathedral (D3)
Looks like SHC is peaking right on time.
11. Mitty (D2)
If Kriege and company run their best race of the year, they have an outside chance to make State. 
10. Santa Cruz (D3)
It looks like the D4 race will be mostly a repeat of the SCCAL finals.
9. Scotts Valley (D4)
I can’t place them ahead of the youngsters down the road at SLV.  As with all the SCCAL teams, cool weather favors them.
8. St. Ignatius (D3)
It may not be fair to call SI the third best team in WCAL, but they are the D3 team to beat.
7. Presentation (D2)
Nice depth keeps this team high in the rankings.  If they have a good day and teams ahead of them falter some, Vasquez could take her team to State!
6. San Lorenzo Valley (D4)
This team of freshladies and sophomores is a joy to watch.  They should run away with D4 this year, and next year, and the next year, and....
5. St. Francis (D2)
Healy and team have really rounded into shape.  If they run to their ability, they make a return to State.
4. Los Gatos (D2)
Had a little breakdown at Stanford, but are back in their pre-season spot.
3.  Gunn (D1)
Ernie Lee has shown in the past he can get the best performance at CCS.  If his team is healthy, they might beat Carlmont again this year.
2. Carlmont (D1)
Petersen is the individual to beat and the top four are great.  They don’t get to run on their home course this year, so I can’t see them beating Mountain View.
1. Mountain View (D2)
Only three return from last year's championship team, but they're led by Sturges.  Coach Bordoni kept the team on track during the turmoil, and it's paying off now.  I expect to see a lot of black at the head of the D2 race.

Looking forward to a great day of running on Saturday.
MV Moose

Comments?  Anybody wants to take a swing at the top 17 boys teams?

Latest CCS Rankings courtesy of lynbrooksports.com (as well as state rankings)

Individual and Team:
http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2010/rankings.htm

CCS Time Comparisons:
http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2010/comparsn.htm

State Rankings courtesy of Espn RISE following Mt. SAC Invitational:
http://rise.espn.go.com/track-and-xc/california/2010-xc/Rankings/State/1025-State-Team.aspx?pursuit=TrackAndXC

Latest CCS Rankings

courtesy of www.lynbrooksports.com
http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2010/rankings.htm

CCS Girls' Rankings by MV Moose...

As posted below in comment section.

CCS Girls...
Since most of the top teams took the week off, I simulated the Stanford Invite with the "top 13 teams" plus a couple of tough individuals. Turned the crank and out came my rankings for the week. 

1. Gunn 93 ( a bit of a gap to #2)
2. Mountain View 123 (#2 and #3 close)
3. Carlmont 127
4. St. Ignatius 165 (#4, #5, and #6 very close)
5. SLV 166
6. Presentation 170
7. Los Gatos 210 (#7, #8 & 10 close)
8. Scotts Valley 219
9. St. Francis (not simulated, insufficient results)
10. Mitty 223
11. Half Moon Bay (not simulated, insufficient results)
12. Aptos 232 (#12 and #13 close)
13. Palo Alto 239
14. Valley Christian 268
15. San Benito 279
16. Sacred Heart Cathedral (not simulated)
17. Aragon (not simulated)

Gunn wins on the strength of having 4 runners finishing before Mountain View's second finisher. However, MV had five in front of Gunn's fifth and all seven finishing before any other team's fourth!


Thoughts about above rankings?  Anybody want to take a shot at the boys?

CCS Rankings to date...

As voted on by coaches and posted on SJ Mercury News and on www.lynbrooksports.com:
http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2010/rankings.htm

CCS Time Comparisons by Walt VanZant of Wilcox HS
http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2010/comparsn.htm

CCS and California girls' pre-season rankings...

Courtesy of www.lynbrooksports.com
2010 CCS Team Rankings and Individual Comparisons
SJ Mercury News Team Rankings - 09/22

Rank BOYS Div Previous Rank 
1 Bellarmine D1 1
2 San Benito D1 2
3 Los Altos D2 3
4 Menlo-Atherton D1 5
5 Willow Glen D3 4
6 San Lorenzo Valley D4 6
7 Salinas D1 7
8 Carlmont D1 9
9 Monta Vista D1 8
10 Mountain View D2 11
11 RL Stevenson D4 NR
12 Serra D1 10
13 Cupertino D2 12
14 Woodside D2 13
15 Los Gatos D2 14

GIRLS 
1 Gunn D1 3
2 Carlmont D1 1
3 Mountain View D2 2
4 Los Gatos D2 4
5 San Lorenzo Valley D4 6
6 St. Ignatius D3 5
7 Presentation D2 7
8 Mitty D2 8 9 St. Francis D2 9
10 Valley Christian-SJ D3 10
11 Aptos D3 13
12 San Benito D1 12
13 Half Moon Bay D4 11
14 Sacred Heart Cathedral D3 14
15 Aragon D2 NR

And courtesy of ESPN Rise, here are the NorCal girls' teams ranked in the top 103 in CA.  Keep in mind that the following rankings were done during the pre-season.

16)  Campolindo HS (NCS)
27)  Granite Bay HS (SJS)
30)  Oak Ridge HS (SJS)
33)  Del Oro HS (SJS)
46)  Carlmont HS (CCS)
52)  Vista Del Lago (SJS)
53)  Acalanes HS (NCS)
57)  Mountain View HS (CCS)
67)  St. Francis-Sacramento (SJS)
71)  Woodcreek HS (SJS)
74)  Bishop O'Dowd HS (NCS)
78)  St. Ignatius HS (CCS)
80)  Los Gatos HS (CCS)
82)  San Ramon Valley HS (NCS)
85)  Carondelet HS (NCS)
86)  Monte Vista HS (NCS)
90)  Chico HS (NS)
97)  Dougherty Valley HS (NCS)
98)  Valley Christian SJ (CCS)
100)  Vacaville HS (SJS)
101)  Maria Carrillo HS (NCS)
102)  Petaluma HS (NCS)

Feel free to comment on the above rankings.  Obviously Granada HS should be up there.  Who else?

CCS Top 15 rankings courtesy of www.lynbrooksports.com

http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2010/rankings.htm

Who is missing?  Who should move up?   Who are the top individuals?

My “officially unofficial” pre-season ranking for BOYS 2010 CCS XC

The following list was compiled by Valley Christian SJ coach Josh Small.  Feel free to comment on the list below.  Who are the teams on the bubble? What teams belong on the list?  Please identify yourself with your comments.


20)  St. Francis (22) Has a solid top 3 but needs the supporting cast to step up.  Another strong program with good coaching and a high turn-out.  My guess is they will find a few runners to fill the gaps and be a top 15 contender.

19) Woodside (12) Top two runners are studs running 4:16 and 4:27 in the 1600 this past track season.  The rest of the team is solid 17:30-18 guys.  If the 3, 4, 5 guys improve 30 seconds for the 3 miles this year they could be very, very good!

18)   Los Gatos (17) Another team with lots of tradition.  A huge number come out for cross country every year at this school which means you can never count them out.  The Wildcats have a very good #1 runner but is going to need a lot of help.  My guess they will be top 10 at the end of the year.

17)   Monta Vista (11) Kevin Bishop had a great track season but he can’t carry the team by himself  and is going to need some help from the team's 3, 4 & 5 guys.

16)   Salinas (6) Lost their star power to graduation so who will step up?  They have a solid group returning and they always run well at their "home" course at Toro Park.

15)  Gilroy (19) 7 guys return who have run under 17:30 at Toro Park.  Need the big guns to get low or sub 16’s to move up but a very strong team that is grouped together well.

14)   Los Altos (14) Good team that is very solid from top to bottom.  Needs those top guys to really step up if they want to gain ground on the schools in the top 10.

13)   Stevenson (13) Another quiet team that is once again very good.  They surprised everyone a year ago with their 13th ranking a year ago.  There are a good team but out of sight down there at Pebble Beach.  Well they are on the radar now and should be very good once again!

12)   Gunn (4) 4 of top 5 graduate and enter the season ranked 21st in the team time category.  Rebuilding year?  We’ll see…

11)   Aragon (NR) Slowly building up a good team.  They could make some noise this season.  Are they the darkhorse of 2010?

10)   Alisal (21)  6 of the top 7 return and should do well on the Salinas home turf.

9)   Menlo Atherton (15)  Solid team, could do some damage this season.

8)   San Benito (16)  Big school, big time runners. All scoring members should be in the 16’s but needs someone to step up to the next level.

7)   Serra (8)  This team was off the radar for most people last year but not me. They ran really well at CCS and will have a very solid 5 runners this season.

6)   Carmel (26)  Solid on Toro Park last year and they are all back. Watch out!

5)   Willow Glen (20)  This is a good team and a solid group returns. McCabe need to stay healthy and finish a season to contend for the D3 title.

4)   St. Ignatius (5)  Besides Bellarmine this is the only team I’ve seen that needs 3-4 busses to go to a meet. Coach Pup takes the reins of a very solid SI team that could be #2 or #3.

3)   Carlmont (2)  The word on the street is Carlmont is full strength and everyone will be back to run for Coach Randazzo. If true could give Bellarmine a run for their money. Some good summer performances at JO’s shows they are going to make a run for it this year.

2)   Mountain View (1)  Graduates 4 of their top 6, can the machine replenish?  They have the top returning individual this year which certainly helps! I always hate those polls that drop the defending champion before the season even starts which is why I am not willing to drop the Kings of Cross outside of #2. These guys know how to win. They have their work cut out for them, but so does anyone who wants to beat them.

1)   Bellarmine (3)  This is Bellarmine’s year. They return four proven cross country guys who all went sub 10 guys on the track this spring. They could easily have 5 guys in the 15’s at Crystal and have a history of being tough on the Toro course. Rae leads the team and will be one of the top individuals this season. These guys are tough!

Feel free to comment on the above list.  Want to take a shot at listing the top 10 teams?

You may post using the anonymous button but you will have to identify yourself.  

CCS Top 10 Individuals (Boys and Girls)

Boys 
10)  Ethan Scardina Carlmont          Senior
9)  Aubrey Myjer    Mountain View Junior
8)  Kyle Feuerhelm Woodside         Senior
7)  Tony Ferrari      Bellarmine         Senior
6)  Richard Ho        Leland              Sophomore
5)  Max Bell            Salinas              Senior
4)  Kyle Rae           Bellarmine         Senior
3)  Kevin Bishop     Monta Vista      Junior
2)  Will Geiken        Los Gatos         Senior
1)  Parker Schuh     Mountain View  Senior

Girls
10)  Katie Castro      Los Gatos          Senior
10)  Megan Shearer  Carlmont            Junior
9)  Corin Soelberg    Carlmont            Sophomore
8)  Danielle Katz      Los Gatos           Sophomore
7)  Rachel Hinds      St. Ignatius          Senior
6)  Athena Alarcon  Gilroy                  Junior
5)  Lauren Croshaw Aragon               Junior
4)  Erin Robinson     Gunn                  Senior
3)  Nina Anderson   Notre Dame S    Junior
2)  Allison Sturges   Mountain View   Junior
1)  Jessie Petersen   Carlmont            Senior

Feel free to comment on above list.  Did I miss anybody?  Should anybody be dropped/raised?  If you would like to post your own list...go for it.

CCS Time Comparisons (pre-season)

Thanks to Wilcox HS coach Walt Van Zant, here is the first version of the CCS Time Comparisons.

http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2010/comparsn.htm

Top 20 Countdown of CCS Girls' XC teams...

First, it's actually 23 teams with the addition of three "Teams to Watch".  Second, this is not my list but thank you to the contributor of this list.  Lastly, if anybody out there would like to contribute pre-season rankings for any sections in Northern CA to this blog, feel free to email me your lists to albertjcaruana@gmail.com.

Teams to Watch:
(or better known as “why they heck are they not in the top 20” list)

Notre Dame Salinas (8) – A great team last year that finished 8th in the final ranking in 2010, they return 3 of their top 5.  But besides that their 4 & 5 runners were in the 24’s for Toro Park last season.  They surprised us last year, and could do it again but at this point they have to get bumped.

Palo Alto (19) – 19th last season they lose their #1 but the next 6 runners return, 5 of whom were under 21 min at Crystal last year.  Watch out!

Woodside Priory (23) – Priory was the D5 Champion this year and Kat Gregory really separated herself as one of the top runners in the section last year. This team finished 23rd last year and return 5 of 7.  They are going to need some help if they want to get into that 10-15 spot but with a talent like Gregory leading the way anything can happen.

20)  Leigh (15) 15th last season they lose their #1 but just like Palo Alto the next 6 runners return.  Another team to watch out for this year!

19)  Aragon (25) Did anyone notice this team returns their top 6 runners (who were all freshman and sophomores last year) three of whom are absolutely outstanding?  Led by Lauren Croshaw and Nikki Stokman this team is making some waves and are on the move.  Don’t let their 25th over-all finish from last season fool you, with some development of their 4 and 5 runners (or another lucky freshman or two) this team is in the top 10!

18)  Evergreen Valley (18) This team finished 18th last year over-all and return Samantha Garcia who proved to be one of the best cross country runners in the section last season.  They return 4 runners who have run sub 21 at Crystal last year but needs that number 5 runner to take the next step


17)  San Benito (16) Last year finished 16th in the final rankings and return 5 runners all under 21 at Crystal last year but they lose a really good #1 runner, Rachel Shimabukuro who ran 18:51 at last year’s CCS championship.  San Benito is a big school and they get a big turn out every year.  They are deep and could sneak into the top 15 this year.

16) Sacred Heart Cathedral (27) Maybe it is the luck of the Irish, but more likely that Coach Andy Chan is one heck of a coach.  They had a tough run at CCS last year but this team is definitely a dark horse this season.  Led by standout Sophia Cannata-Brown who won the WCAL Championship at 3200 meters and made the CCS final this team returns their top 7 runners and could be dangerous this year. With 6 runners who ran sub 21 last year at Crystal they are going to be a lot better.

15)  Valley Christian SJ (12)  A talented group of runners return with Morgan Lira, Isabel Garcia, and Emily Blaha leading the charge.  That trio had a solid track season as they all ran sub 5:15 for 1600 meters and 11:40 for 3200 meters.  The Warriors return 4 of their top 5.

They lose Kendra Higgins to graduation and Amy Bergman who moved to Texas. The Warriors top three have yet to convert their track ability to the trails but still are very competitive up front.  The key to this team’s success, like everyone else, is how fast will the 4 & 5 runner be?  They return some solid 21 min runners but that is not going to get it done against Aptos, SI, Santa Cruz and Sacred Heart.  The Warriors have to step it up if they want to return to the State meet, right now they are on the outside looking in.

14)  Scotts Valley (10)  Last year Scotts Valley finished 10th in the final CCS rankings and will be very good once again in 2010. Four talented runners return, led by standout Vanessa Fraser.  But the story here is that Scotts Valley also had a very talented JV girls’ team and will be able to field a very strong team from top to bottom this season.

The team graduates the Germany twins who were essential to their great run last year and they are going to be hard to replace.  This is a bubble team and with one or two runners step up they will once again be top 10.

13)  Lynbrook (17) Led by CCS track finalists Cindy Huang and Shaelyn Silverman Lynbrook returns 5 of their top 7. This team was solid all year last year and will be once again.  They have had some amazing success in the 800 on the track this past season posting one of the top times in the section in the 4 x 800 relay.

They lose their number 3 runner Michelle Yee but returning 5 runners who ran under 21 last year is a good place to start.  They have a new coaching staff once again and you might think that constantly adjusting to a new program might be difficult, but I think they will thrive under the new leadership.  The toughest challenging facing this team is to climb the ladder in the tough D2 standings.

12)  Mitty (20) You might not have noticed but this team started the season by quietly winning the first WCAL meet in 2009 and closed out the season 2nd at the WCAL Championship.  This is a good team led by Mary Kriege, who was a CCS finalist this year at 3200 meters.  Olivia Rentera had a good season with the 800 as all of their top 5 runners return from last season.

The only bad is out of their control: they are in the brutally tough D2.  But what can you say, returning their entire top 5 they will be very, very good.  They know how to step up for the big race, just look at how they ran at WCAL.  If someone steps up or they get an outstanding freshman this team will be dangerous in 2010.

11) St. Ignatius (11) The defending WCAL Champions get it done, even in rebuilding years.  Led by standout Rachel Hinds, one of the top runners in CCS, this team has the depth to be a contender year after year.

SI loses their #3 runner, Abby Otto who ran 19:47 at CCS last year but this team has a ton of quality runners on JV and Frosh-Soph who step up year after year.

This team seems to battle Aptos every year for a CCS title.  Now they will have to also fend off Santa Cruz, Valley Christian and an emerging Sacred Heart team. With Hinds leading the charge and a favorite for the individual title this team is tough!

10)  Half Moon Bay 5 of their top 7 return this year and will be led by Chondra Anderson who was very good as a freshman last year and was the Cougars top finisher at CCS.

Sammy Hamilton is the big departure.  Her tenacity and gutsy running was special to watch.  My bet is it rubbed off on the returning members and will still be dang good.  They also lose their #3 runner who ran 19:39 at CCS last year.

Five very good runners return.  Led by Anderson this team still has potential to do damage and get it done and worthy of a top 10 ranking.

9) Presentation (14) This team’s power comes in the pack, and they are strong from top to bottom.  They are decent up front and are probably the early favorite to win the WCAL due to the strength of their 3, 4, 5 runners.  They return all 7 runners led by Laura Vasquez, Angie Korpusik, and Tori Tsolis.

They don’t lose a single runner this year but they do lose a very talented head coach.  The new energy might just be the thing that gets them going this year.  On paper they’re great, they just need to put it together on race day.

I think this team has a ton of talent and just needs that breakthrough win.  They have been so close, they just need to put it together.

8) Gilroy (4) Gilroy surprised time and again last year ending the season ranked #4 in the section.  Despite a brilliant performance at CCS they finished 3rd behind Gunn and Carlmont and due to only 2 team spots in D1 the Mustangs did not get to go to the big dance as a team. They return three very talented runners: Athena Alarcon, Maritza Ruelas, Savannah Silacci who all could be in the 18’s.

Patricia Hernandez (19:06) and Brandie Rodriguez (20:01) graduate which is a big dent to this year’s team.    Last year there wasn’t much depth beyond the number 5 as their 6 and 7 runners were in the 22’s at Crystal.  Those are good times, just not good enough to justify a top 5 ranking.

This team is a tough call.  With 1-2 good freshman who can run in the 20’s they could once again be a contender and top 5 team.  At this point not knowing who will show up that first practice I have to drop them down.  There is a good Junior High program in South Bay but with the opening of Christopher High taking half of incoming freshman you have to wonder what will happen with the split in enrollment.  While most teams would not likely finish in the top 10 with two 22 min runners I think the 4, 5 runners will step up and the powerhouse threesome they have up front will certainly carry them to a top 10 finish.

7)  Santa Cruz (9) I’m probably being a little biased toward my alma matter but coach Greg Brock got his girls rolling at the end of last season as they took down a very powerful Notre Dame – Salinas and Scotts Valley to finish 2nd in the section and qualify for State.  And it doesn’t hurt to have Maggie Vesse as a role model, watching her workouts there on the band new Santa Cruz track before practice.  To top it off 6 of 7 return.

The Cardinals lose a great runner in Elle Sanders who was one of their top runners all season.  She will be hard to replace but SCCAL schools always do somehow.

I have to be honest here, when I heard Santa Cruz would be moving up to D3 this year it was an “oh crap” moment for my team.  They have a traditional slow start but my guess is they will be peaking at the right time to challenge for one of those State spots.

6)  St. Francis MV (13) This is a big time program that is primed for a big timejump and should be respected.  Morgan Healy returns after leading the team last year and will be challenged by Madeline Roemer who had an amazing tack season. They return 6 of their top 7 and should be much better than last year.

The Lancers lose a #4 who was very consistent but their frosh-soph and JV was stacked last season.  They will be an early player and a very solid team throughout 2010.  They have two very strong front runners who are probably going to be running in the 18’s and a very strong supporting cast.  This team is deep and with another good incoming freshman this is the team to watch out for.

5)  Aptos (6) Nikki Hiltz had one killer track season and made a name for herself as the next great Aptos runner.  If you took a glance at the Junior High results from Santa Cruz you will find another great freshman in the works for Aptos.  And if you can count on one thing it is that Danny will get his team ready to roll come CCS finals as they always do!

Marissa Ferrante (CCS Champion, D3) and Kim McMullen (3rd in CCS, D3) were key components to the team that placed 3 runners in the top 5 at CCS last year. 

On paper this team is not going to be as good as year’s past but if you have watched Aptos over the years that’s the way it is there… Great runners graduate and are replaced by fresh new talent.  In the end this is an opportunity for the younger runners to step up, and they always do.  They may not be ranked #1 like last year but they will be a good team and in contention for another team title. 

4)  Los Gatos (5)  Katie Castro, Danielle Katz, Kayla Knapp return after a breakthrough track season.  This team has gotten stronger and stronger over the years and is ready for a big breakthrough as they return 6 of their top 7.  This team defeated Gunn at the SCVAL Championship last year and has the character to get it done when you need it most.

Their only loss is their #5 runner who was solid running 19:52 at CCS last year. 

This team is going to be good!  If you think back to the pre- Mountain View days Los Gatos topped the CCS as the #1 team back in 2006 and this team looks very similar and it wouldn’t surprise me the least if they end up #1 when the Toro Park dust has settled at the end of the day.  If history is any indication of what is in store my guess is a freshman will come in and step into that top 5 role nicely.  I have them at #4 but with a few lucky freshman could be #1, they are that good.

3)  Gunn (2)  In 2009 Gunn finished just 4 points from the #1 ranking thanks to the efforts of Erin Robinson and Kieran Gallagher.  These two dominated the 2010 track season as Robinson won CCS at 3200 meters and Gallagher finished the season with the fastest 800 time in the section. 

Gunn loses some heavy hitters in Claire O'Connell and Rachel Wittenaur, their powerful 3 and 4 runners that really carried the team last year.  While their 6 and 7 runners would be big time contributors most teams in the CCS, they will be hard pressed to replace the talent that is graduating, but you never know.  Not much help from Frosh-Soph or JV but like all girls teams they are just 1-2 freshman away from running away with the top ranking.

This team knows how to compete.  I almost put them #2 and then #1, but we settled here…for now.  It will be hard to get freshman or a new recruit to step up and fill the rolls vacated by O’Connell and Whittenaur but Gunn will still be dang good.  The only reason I have them #3 is the lack of depth after their #5 runner which showed in the SCVAL and State championships last season.  You still need to watch out for them as they make another run for the top spot and defend their Division 1 title.

2)  Carlmont (3)  Jessie Petersen returns to high school running (or is supposed to anyways)!  The two time CCS Champion at 3200 meters was the only runner from the CCS last year to break 18 at Crystal last year (17:28).  Corin Soelberg (18:24) and Megan Shearer (18:31) combine to make one of the most competitive trios in the section for 2010.  The good news for Calmont is 4 of their top 5 return.

Carlmont loses a big #3 runner with the graduation of Abby Barker (18:36).  Not very deep in the F/S or JV and  they will need to rely on incoming freshman or recruits for that essential 5, 6, 7 runner.

The question remains: will the Carlmont runners all return to a coaching staff they rejected this past spring?  I guess we will soon see…  Despite the team drama (fueled by the San Mateo paper) this team got it done last year, and probably will once again.  Kids are resilient and despite it all coming to a head this track season it sounds like everyone will go back to doing what they do best up there: running and winning.  On paper this is by far the top returning team in CCS and could pull through in the end to upend the Mountain View dominance we have all become so accustomed to.

1)  Mountain View (1)  Last year I ranked Mountain View #1 and used the words, “machine” to describe what Mountain View has going over there.  Well here we go again: Allison Sturges is the defending D2 cross country champion and is coming off of her CCS win in the 1600 meters. She has come into her own showing unbelievable toughness making the State final.  Another highlight is Sarah Wells who finished the season with a respectable 11:50 for 3200 meters.  The real story is that this powerhouse team returns 5 of their top 7. 

This team loses two heavy hitters, Martina de Geus (18:22) and Zoe Pappas (18:40).

If you look on paper this team should probably be ranked 3 or 4.  But how do you bet against them? There is something to be said about being able to compete and run with guts, and that is exactly what this team does time and again.  Last year I wasn’t sure if they were going to pull off being the top team in CCS as Gunn looked unbelievably strong.  Well they did, and they are back to once again defend their #1 ranking.  Even though they lose two great runners don’t count this team out, they return 5 of their top runners and will make a run for the CCS top spot once again.                              

 So there you have it folks.  Thanks to Josh Small for putting the above list together.  Now that you can see all the teams, what are your thoughts?  Who are going to be the top individuals?  Any teams not ranked above that you think will be there at the end?   

Central Coast Section CROSS COUNTRY AT-LARGE TIMES for 2010/2011

If you run your league finals at Toro Park and run the following team

times or better at your league finals, you will qualify as an at-large
entrant to the CCS meet:
                BOYS       GIRLS
DIVISION I      86:58      107:24
DIVISION II     88:07      105:21
DIVISION III    87:40      106:53
DIVISION IV     89:10      111:07
DIVISION V      95:31      114:46

If you run your league finals at Crystal Springs and run the following
team times or better at your league finals, you will qualify as an at-large
entrant to the CCS meet:                
                 BOYS       GIRLS
DIVISION I       85:32      106:40
DIVISION II      86:41      104:37
DIVISION III     86:14      106:09
DIVISION IV      87:44      110:23
DIVISION V       94:05      114:02

If you run your league finals at Pinto Lake and run the following team
times or better at your league finals, you will qualify as an at-large
entrant to the CCS meet:                 
                 BOYS      GIRLS
DIVISION I       82:06     103:14
DIVISION II      83:15     101:11
DIVISION III     82:48     102:43
DIVISION IV      84:18     106:57
DIVISION V       90:39     110:36

2010 CCS Division Placement and State Meet XC Entries

Boys
http://www.cifccs.org/playoffs/cbeds/09-10%20for%2010-11%20boys%20x-country.pdf

Girls
http://www.cifccs.org/playoffs/cbeds/09-10%20for%2010-11%20girls%20x-country.pdf

Some of the teams that have moved in CCS from 2009 to 2010:
Boys
Moving up to Division I:  Gunn and Fremont
Moving down to Division II:  Mount Pleasant
Moving down to Division III:  Pajaro Valley
Moving down to Division IV:  Archbishop Riordon

Girls
Moving up to Division I:  Palo Alto and Leland
Moving down to Division II:  Woodside and Mt. Pleasant
Moving down to Division III:  Mills
Moving up to Division III:  Santa Cruz and Soledad
Moving down to Division IV:  Gunderson and Notre Dame-Belmont
Moving down to Division V:  Santa Catalina

2010 CA State XC Team Entries

http://www.cifccs.org/playoffs/CIF/2010%20State%20XC%20Team%20Entries.pdf

At the state level, here are the changes from 2009 to 2010:
Boys
CCS lost a spot in Division III (from 4 to 3) and in Division IV (from 3 to 2).
NCS gained the spot in Division IV (from 3 to 4).
SJS gained the spot in Division III (from 2 to 3).

Girls
SJS lost a spot in Division I (from 3 to 2).
SS lost a spot in Division V (from 7 to 6).
CS gained the spot in Division I (from 2 to 3).
NCS gained the spot in Division V (from 4 to 5).