2006 All-NCS Boys and Girls

Peter Guerrini helped with the compilation of the following lists.

BOYS
1st Team All-NCS
1 Greg Drosky (11) Las Lomas #1 15:18
2 Matt Duffy (11) St. Mary's College #1 15:25
3 Andy Peabody (12) College Park #1 15:26
4 Calvin Thigpen (12) Maria Carrillo #1 15:26
5 Nate Beach (11) Acalanes #1 15:30
6 James Attarian (11) Dublin #1 15:30
7 Douglas Whichard (12) Granada #1 15:34

2nd Team All-NCS
1 Wyatt Landrum (10) Liberty #1 15:36
2 Blake Mcdowall (12) Montgomery #1 15:40
3 James Fazzio (11) Castro Valley #1 15:46
4 Alex Davies (12) De La Salle #1 15:50
5 David Buscho (12) San Rafael #1 15:51
6 Dimitry Kislyuk (11) California #1 15:52
7 Sterling Lockert (10) Petaluma #1 15:54

3rd Team All-NCS
1 Brian Cole (12) St. Helena #1 15:55
2 Kyle Louv (12) Eureka #1 15:55
3 Chris Harland-Dunaway (12) Campolindo #1 15:55
4 Tony Palermini (12) Deer Valley #1 15:55
5 Jack Leng (11) Castro Valley #2 15:55
6 Joey Kochlacs (12) Campolindo #2 15:59
7 Nathanael Litwiller (10) Clayton Valley #1 16:00

Honorable Mention All-NCS
1 Hank Carl (11) South Fork #1 16:01
2 Brandon Felipe (10) Petaluma #2 16:01
3 Miguel Castro (12) Alameda #1 16:02
4 Rob Riccardi (12) St. Mary's College #2 16:03
5 Jeremy Grace (11) Dublin #2 16:03
6 Mark Friese (12) San Fran. Univ. HS #1 16:04
7 Dillon Ayers (12) Eureka #2 16:04
8 Charlie Enscoe (12) Berkeley #1 16:04

GIRLS
1st Team All-NCS
1 Jacque Taylor ADVANCE (9) Casa Grande #1 17:23
2 Nicole Hood (9) Carondelet #1 17:53
3 Kellie Houser (10) Carondelet #2 17:59
4 Alycia Cridebring (9) College Park #1 18:07
5 Diana George (10) Livermore #1 18:08
6 Brittney Escamilla (12) El Molino #1 18:15
7 Heather Cerney (9) Carondelet #3 18:17

2nd Team All-NCS
1 Sarah Sumpter (11) Healdsburg #1 18:20
2 Laurie Finnegan (11) Campolindo #1 18:21
3 Ashley Chan (12) Arroyo #1 18:28
4 Alesandra Roger (11) Marin Academy #1 18:29
5 Sara Aliotti (10) Carondelet #4 18:29
6 Leanne Fogg (12) Maria Carrillo #1 18:31
7 Catherine Murillo (12) Campolindo #2 18:38

3rd Team All-NCS
1 Shannon Rich (12) Rancho Cotate #1 18:39
2 Jenny Bergren (12) Miramonte #1 18:40
3 Andrea Imhof (12) San Fran. Univ. HS #1 18:41
4 Emilie Olson (12) Tamalpais #1 18:42
5 Alia Gray (12) Maria Carrillo #2 18:45
6 Elizabeth Raymond (11) Washington #1 18:45
7 Zuna Portillo (12) Pittsburg #1 18:47

Honorable Mention All-NCS
1 Chelsea Schneider (9) Castro Valley #1 18:53
2 Alexis Nordine (12) San Ramon Valley #1 18:55
3 Jamie Kent (9) Piedmont #1 18:56
4 Alysha de Souza (11) Crystal Springs Upld #1 19:00
5 Theresa Devine (9) Marin Catholic #1 19:00 6:07
6 Lora Marchini (12) Salesian #1 19:04
7 Libby Brokaw (9) Las Lomas #1 19:04

BOYS
Top 10 Senior BoysAndy Peabody 12 M College Park 0:15:26 1
Calvin Thigpen 12 M Maria Carrillo 0:15:26 2
Douglas Whichard 12 M Granada 0:15:34 3
Blake Mcdowall 12 M Montgomery 0:15:40 4
Alex Davies 12 M De La Salle 0:15:50 5
David Buscho 12 M San Rafael 0:15:51 6
Brian Cole 12 M St. Helena 0:15:55 7
Kyle Louv 12 M Eureka 0:15:55 8
Chris Harland-Dunaway 12 M Campolindo 0:15:55 9
Tony Palermini 12 M Deer Valley 0:15:55 10

Top 10 Junior BoysGreg Drosky 11 M Las Lomas 0:15:18 1
Matt Duffy 11 M St. Mary's College 0:15:25 2
Nate Beach 11 M Acalanes 0:15:30 3
James Attarian 11 M Dublin 0:15:30 4
James Fazzio 11 M Castro Valley 0:15:46 5
Dimitry Kislyuk 11 M California 0:15:52 6
Jack Leng 11 M Castro Valley 0:15:55 7
Hank Carl 11 M South Fork 0:16:01 8
Jeremy Grace 11 M Dublin 0:16:03 9
Victor Ho 11 M Chinese Christian 0:16:08 10

Top 10 Sophomore BoysWyatt Landrum 10 M Liberty 0:15:36 1
Sterling Lockert 10 M Petaluma 0:15:54 2
Nathanael Litwiller 10 M Clayton Valley 0:16:00 3
Brandon Felipe 10 M Petaluma 0:16:01 4
Devin Lockert 10 M Petaluma 0:16:05 5
Zeal Levin 10 M Bishop O'Dowd 0:16:09 6
Brian Cameron 10 M College Park 0:16:14 7
Ryan Mclaughlin 10 M Eureka 0:16:19 8
Scott Riccabona 10 M De La Salle 0:16:23 9
Benjamin Stern 10 M Petaluma 0:16:27 10

Top 10 Freshmen BoysBrian King 9 M Cardinal Newman 0:16:28 1
Aria Kiani 9 M Montgomery 0:16:42 2
Greg Harper 9 M Las Lomas 0:16:43 3
Erik Olson 9 M Novato 0:16:49 4
Will Loewenhardt 9 M Foothill 0:17:04 5
Alex Hauser 9 M Piedmont 0:17:07 6
Robel Makaele 9 M Montgomery 0:17:07 7
Andrew Zellman 9 M Ukiah 0:17:10 8
Jesse Aston 9 M Alhambra 0:17:12 9
Gabriel Pallan 9 M Livermore 0:17:13 10

GIRLS
Top 10 Senior GirlsBrittney Escamilla 12 F El Molino 0:18:15 1
Ashley Chan 12 F Arroyo 0:18:28 2
Leanne Fogg 12 F Maria Carrillo 0:18:31 3
Catherine Murillo 12 F Campolindo 0:18:38 4
Shannon Rich 12 F Rancho Cotate 0:18:39 5
Jenny Bergren 12 F Miramonte 0:18:40 6
Andrea Imhof 12 F San Fran. Univ. HS 0:18:41 7
Emilie Olson 12 F Tamalpais 0:18:42 8
Alia Gray 12 F Maria Carrillo 0:18:45 9
Zuna Portillo 12 F Pittsburg 0:18:47 10

Top 10 Junior GirlsSarah Sumpter 11 F Healdsburg 0:18:20 1
Laurie Finnegan 11 F Campolindo 0:18:21 2
Alesandra Roger 11 F Marin Academy 0:18:29 3
Elizabeth Raymond 11 F Washington 0:18:45 4
Alysha de Souza 11 F Crystal Springs Upld 0:19:00 5
Ashley Chavez 11 F Carondelet 0:19:09 6
Anna Smidebush 11 F Concord 0:19:12 7
Erin Mulligan 11 F Carondelet 0:19:15 8
Samantha Kearney 11 F Arroyo 0:19:19 9
Nina Carson 11 F Eureka 0:19:24 10

Top 10 Sophomore GirlsKellie Houser 10 F Carondelet 0:17:59 1
Diana George 10 F Livermore 0:18:08 2
Sara Aliotti 10 F Carondelet 0:18:29 3
Emmy Cozine 10 F Santa Rosa 0:19:07 4
Celeste Berg 10 F Montgomery 0:19:14 5
Lisa Rosenthal 10 F Campolindo 0:19:16 6
Catherine Crinigan 10 F Irvington 0:19:18 7
Aimee Raleigh 10 F Crystal Springs Upld 0:19:24 8
Jean Zhu 10 F Las Lomas 0:19:26 9
Clara Tsao 10 F Miramonte 0:19:27 10

Top 10 Freshmen GirlsJacque Taylor 9 F Casa Grande 0:17:23 1
Nicole Hood 9 F Carondelet 0:17:53 2
Alycia Cridebring 9 F College Park 0:18:07 4
Heather Cerney 9 F Carondelet 0:18:17 7
Chelsea Schneider 9 F Castro Valley 0:18:53 22
Jamie Kent 9 F Piedmont 0:18:56 24
Theresa Devine 9 F Marin Catholic 0:19:00 25
Libby Brokaw 9 F Las Lomas 0:19:04 28
Pamela MacLeod 9 F Castro Valley 0:19:06 29
Collen Lillig 9 F California 0:19:13 33

BOYS
Fastest #1 Runner
Greg Drosky (11) Las Lomas #1 15:18
Fastest #2 Runner
Jack Leng (11) Castro Valley #2 15:55
Fastest #3 Runner
Devin Lockert (10) Petaluma #3 16:05
Fastest #4 Runner
Cole Yungert (11) Petaluma #4 16:13
Sean Anderson (11) College Park #4 16:13
Fastest #5 Runner
Brian Cameron (10) College Park #5 16:14

GIRLS
Fastest #1 Runner
Jacque Taylor (9) Casa Grande #1 17:23
Fastest #2 Runner
Kellie Houser (10) Carondelet #2 17:59
Fastest #3 Runner
Heather Cerney (9) Carondelet #3 18:17
Fastest #4 Runner
Sara Aliotti (10) Carondelet #4 18:29
Fastest #5 Runner
Ashley Chavez (11) Carondelet #5 19:09

Teams qualifying both boys and girls
College Park
Campolindo
Crystal Springs Uplands
Las Lomas
Maria Carrillo
Piedmont
San Francisco University
St. Mary's College

NCS Top 15 Teams based on MOC Team Times

BOYS
1 College Park: 1:20:12 (16:02) Div. I
2 Petaluma: 1:20:40 (16:08) Div. II
3 Maria Carrillo: 1:20:45 (16:09) Div. III
4 Eureka: 1:20:53 (16:10) Div. II
5 Acalanes: 1:21:02 (16:12) Div. III
6 Campolindo: 1:21:33 (16:18) Div. III
7 Deer Valley: 1:21:43 (16:20) Div. I
8 De La Salle: 1:22:01 (16:24) Div. II
9 St. Mary's College: 1:22:18 (16:27) Div. IV
10 Montgomery: 1:22:22 (16:28) Div. II
11 San Ramon Valley: 1:22:25 (16:29) Div. I
12 Liberty: 1:22:23 (16:28) Div. I
13 Castro Valley: 1:22:28 (16:29) Div. I
14 Las Lomas: 1:22:34 (16:30) Div. III
15 College Prep.: 1:23:07 (16:37) Div. V

GIRLS
1 Carondelet: 1:31:47 (18:21) Div. II
2 Campolindo: 1:36:06 (19:13) Div. III
3 College Park: 1:36:29 (19:17) Div. I
4 Maria Carrillo: 1:36:38 (19:19) Div. III
5 Castro Valley: 1:38:09 (19:37) Div. I
6 Arroyo: 1:38:33 (19:42) Div. II
7 Las Lomas: 1:38:33 (19:42) Div. III
8 Redwood: 1:39:19 (19:51) Div. III
9 Miramonte: 1:39:20 (19:52) Div. III
10 Crystal Springs Upld: 1:39:21 (19:52) Div. V
11 Granada: 1:39:34 (19:54) Div. I
12 Washington: 1:39:50 (19:58) Div. II
13 Bishop O'Dowd: 1:40:09 (20:01) Div. III
14 Livermore: 1:40:21 (20:04) Div. I
15 San Fran. Univ. HS: 1:40:58 (20:11) Div. V

NCS Rankings before Meet of Champions

Division I
Girls - (Top 2 teams advance to state meet):
1. College Park
2. Castro Valley
3. San Ramon Valley
4. Granada
5. California

Boys – (Top 3 teams advance to state meet):
1. College Park
2. Castro Valley
3. San Ramon Valley
4. Liberty
5. Deer Valley

Division II
Girls - (Top 4 teams advance to state meet):
1. Carondelet
2. Arroyo
3. Montgomery
4. Santa Rosa
5. Washington

Boys - (Top 3 teams advance to state meet):
1. Petaluma
2. Montgomery
3. Eureka
4. De La Salle
5. Santa Rosa

Division III
Girls - (Top 4 teams advance to state meet):
1. Maria Carillo
2. Campolindo
3. Las Lomas
4. Miramonte
5. Redwood

Boys - (Top 4 teams advance to state meet):
1. Maria Carrillo
2. Acalanes
3. Campolindo
4. Redwood
5. Las Lomas

Division IV
Girls - (Top 3 teams advance to state meet):
1. San Rafael
2. Piedmont
3. Arcata
4. St. Mary's Berkeley
5. Moreau Catholic

Boys - (Top 3 teams advance to state meet):
1. St. Mary’s Berkeley
2. Piedmont
3. San Rafael
4. Sir Francis Drake
5. Arcata

Division V
Girls - (Top 4 teams advance to state meet):
1. Crystal Springs Uplands
2. University
3. College Prep
4. Marin Academy
5. Lick Wilmerding

Boys - (Top 4 teams advance to state meet):
1. College Prep
2. University
3. Lick Wilmerding
4. Berean Christian
5. Crystal Springs Uplands

Hayward High School NCS XC Course

Below is the NCS Course. For more maps of cross country courses, go to the front page of this blog and scroll down the right side of the page.

Courtesy of Miramonte XC website.

N.C.S. Division I Mid-Season Rankings

Just as in many other sections, Division I doesn't always yield the most powerful teams or deepest competition. The majority of the teams usually fall in either Division II or III unless you are one of the many SS Division I teams. NCS Division I might not be the deepest division but the top teams can compete favorably with any of the stellar teams in the other divisions.

It appears that College Park will be the team to beat in both boys and girls. After longtime coach, Chuck Woolridge, moved to rival Campolindo during the summer, CP still has the culture of winning that has been in place there for many years. They have run very well in league and at Stanford and continued their fine running at the Castro Valley Invitational.

Without the presence of three time defending champion De La Salle which got bumped down to Division II, the road to the state meet opens up a bit. CP's closest pursuer will be Deer Valley which finished 5th behind the Falcons' victory at Stanford. They will be lead by senior Anthony Palermini although their top returner from last year is senior James Avery. The last state meet birth could come down to a trio of teams that will hope to peak at Hayward. Those three teams will be Liberty, Castro Valley and San Ramon Valley. Liberty got the best of Castro Valley on CV's "home" course so they appear to have the upper hand at this point.

The boy's individual favorite will be Andy Peabody of College Park. He's the fastest returner from last year's championship meet as well as a state meet qualifier in the 3200 meters on the Track. The race will be for second among the following runners: James Fazzio of Castro Valley, Doug Whichard of Granada, and the much improved Bhavik Kanzaria of Monte Vista and Pallermini of DV. Liberty's sophomore Wyatt Landrum should be in the mix come November and keep on eye out for junior Jeremy Rubio of College Park who is CP's #2 man behind Peabody.

On the girl's side in this division, it's top two or stay at home during Thanksgiving. With College Park appearing to be the favorite for the 1st place, the 2nd. state meet qualifier will come down to a battle between California H.S. and Castro Valley. CV upended Cal High at their invitational and gave CP quite a scare but SAT Saturday leaves many teams just shy of their top lineup.

The girls individual title will go through Diana George of Livermore who handily won the title last year as a freshman. She is currently nursing an injury so that might open the door for the next freshman phenom, Alycia Cridebring of College Park. She finished a strong 2nd. at Stanford as well as another 2nd. place finish to Jacque Taylor at the Castro Valley Invitational. Yet another freshman, California's Colleen Lillig could also be in the mix if any of the top runners falter.

Division I Boys (Top 3 advance to state)
1) College Park-Peabody will be favorite for individual crown.
2) Liberty-Strong 2nd at Castro Valley Invite.
3) Deer Valley-Could be sleeper this year.
4) Castro Valley-Run well when it counts.
5) San Ramon Valley-Returns top 7 runners.

Top 5 Individuals based on season to date:
Andy Peabody (12) College Park
Doug Whichard (12) Granada
Jeremy Rubio (11) College Park
Wyatt Landrum (10) Liberty
James Fazzio (11) Castro Valley

Division I Girls (Top 2 advance to state)
1) College Park-The cupboard is definitely not bare.
2) Castro Valley-Historically strong program.
3) California H.S.-Strong up front with star freshman.
4) San Ramon Valley-One of best combined programs.
5) Deer Valley-Strong upside with Hodges.
On the bubble: Antioch

Top Five Individuals based on season to date:
Alycia Cridebring (9) College Park
Diana George (10) Livermore
Zuna Portillo (12) Pittsburgh
Colleen Lillig (9) California H.S.
Alexis Nordine (12) San Ramon Valley

Feel free to comment on the above rankings. The next rankings will be at NCS. Any helpful information would be appreciated.

N.C.S. Divison II Mid-Season Rankings

Trying to figure out the top teams in each division can be very difficult but when it comes to Divison II, there are two teams that stand above the rest. Petaluma will be the team to beat in the boys while Carandolet seems to be the lock of the meet when it comes to NCS time for the girls. Both teams are young and talented and their best running seems to lay ahead of them considering their youth.

Petaluma has the opportunity to claim their first section championship since 1978 as they return the best team in this division. With Maria Carrillo moving down to Division III, it appears that many fans will miss out on a great team battle in Hayward. How close are those two teams? In a head to head battle with Maria Carrillo, Petaluma defeated them 28-33 and at Stanford in different races, Petaluma had a team average of 16:37 and team time of 83:01 while Maria Carrillo recorded a team average of 16:37 (sound familiar?) and team time of 83:02! The battle here will be for second and it seems to be a tight battle between Montgomery, Eureka and making a return to Divison II will be De La Salle.

The individual battle will go through Blake McDowell of Santa Rosa who has established himself as the runner to beat in this division with some fine running in the big races including a victory at Stanford. Sterling Lockert and Brandon Felipe bested McDowell in league meet so don't count them out.

During the summer, I picked Carandolet as the team to beat in this division but in no way could I have predicted how good this team would be this year. In a short stretch of time, Carandolet has quickly established themselves as the best team in NCS, period. They are lead by a very talented freshman who runs with more experience than your typical freshman. The rest of the teams will be battling for second and those teams include Arroyo

In what should be a great individual battle, Nicole Hood of Carandolet and Jacque Taylor of Casa Grande will start what appears to be a great rivalry that we will get to watch for the next four years. Carandolet could finish with four in the top 10 with Ashley Chan of Arroyo somewhere in the mix of that group.

Division II Boys (Top 3 Advance to state)
1) Petaluma-Four freshmen on their varsity last year.
2) Montgomery-Everybody is back from 4th place finish last year.
3) Eureka-Watch out for them.
4) De La Salle-Success in past puts them here.
5) Santa Rosa-Returns 5 out top 7 runners.

Top 5 Individuals based on season so far:
Blake McDowall (12) Montgomery
Sterling Lockert (10) Petaluma
Miguel Castro (12) Alameda
Brandon Felipe (10) Petaluma
Alex Davies (12) De La Salle

Division II Girls (Top 4 advance to state)
1) Carondelet-Top team in NCS.
2) Arroyo-Ashley Chan leads the way.
3) Alameda-Not a stranger to Woodward Park.
4) Santa Rosa-Can break into top 3.
5) Montgomery Toss up with Santa Rosa.

Top 5 Individuals based on season so far:
Nicole Hood (9) Carandolet
Jacque Taylor (9) Casa Grande
Kellie Houser (9) Carandolet
Sara Alliotti (10) Carondelet
Beth Raymond (11) Washington

Feel free to comment on the above rankings. Division I is on the way.

N.C.S. Division III Mid-Season Rankings

What the Bay Area Conference is to Division V, the DFAL is to Division III. The winning teams and state meet qualifiers usually come from the who’s who in the DFAL. This year a familiar foe returns to the Division III battles as Maria Carrillo drops down from Division II. MC definitely has the runners to compete with anybody in this division in both races. Dan Aldridge made a name for himself as an outstanding runner and now is in charge of one of the best combined programs in NCS.

The boys' division winners will have to go through Acalanes once again this year. They return the most ammunition from last year's 2nd place finisher but that does not always lead to an NCS title. At this point they are ranked 2nd in state and first in NCS based on their performance from last year and their impressive run in the DFAL this year. Time will tell whether they deserve their #1 ranking here.

The top individual in this division has been Joey Kochlacs of Campolindo who has proved himself against many of the top runners in the state. James Attarian of Dublin finished a close 4th behind Kochlacs' 3rd place finish at Stanford. Acalanes teammates Nate Beach and Connor Mooney will challenge for the individual crown. Greg Drosky of Las Lomas claimed 1st place at Clovis and should be not be forgotten.

Maria Carrillo's girls seem to be the team to beat at this point after defeating Campolindo in a head to head battle at Stanford. Las Lomas has impressed early with a very young and talented team. Close behind those three teams will be Miramonte who won the Lowell Invitational and have been known to peak well come November. Las Lomas got the upper hand over Miramonte as the Matadors will now have to regroup without their injured #1 runner. Should make for a very exciting and competitive race.

With Alexi Pappas of Bishop O'Dowd not running this year and with Miramonte's Elaine Tansky's season apparently over, the early favorite for the girls is Laurie Finnegan of Campolindo after her impressive run at Stanford. She will battle with Jenny Bergren from Miramonte as well as senior Kristen Sanzari of Maria Carrillo. Watch out for Campolindo's Murrillo at the end of year who always runs well comes championship time.

Division III Boys (Top 4 Advance to state)
1) Acalanes-Top 4 return to win first crown.
2) Maria Carrillo-Deep, competitive team that could upset.
3) Campolindo-Kochlacs has been impressive early.
4) Las Lomas-Young talented team.
5) Bishop O’Dowd-In a battle to hold this spot.
On the bubble: Miramonte, Redwood H.S.

Top 5 Individuals based on season so far:
Joey Kochlacs (12) Campolindo
James Attarian (11) Dublin
Greg Drosky (11) Las Lomas
Nate Beach (11) Acalanes
Calvin Thigpen (12) Maria Carrillo

Division III Girls (Top 4 Advance to state)
1) Maria Carrillo-Ready to battle best of DFAL.
2) Campolindo-Return strongest lineup to defend crown.
3) Las LomasImpressive victory at Clovis.
4) Miramonte-Not to be overlooked in this division.
5) Bishop O’Dowd-Tough sledding without Pappas.
One the bubble: Albany

Top 5 Individuals based on season so far:
Laurie Finnegan (11) Campolindo
Elaine Tanski (10) Miramonte (Could be done this year.)
Jenny Bergren (12) Miramonte
Kristen Sanzari (12) Maria Carrillo
Alia Gray (12) Maria Carrillo

Division II will will be posted shortly. Feel free to comment on above rankings.

N.C.S. Division IV Mid-Season Rankings

In day's past, teams would stay undercover until they ran in their league finals, section championship and then hopefully at state. That day has come and gone with the internet boom and the coverage from dyestatcal for California teams. With that in mind, we have some NCS Division IV teams who have managed to hide in the weeds which makes it tough to identify the top teams for ranking purposes.

So that leaves me with the unenviable task of ranking Division IV teams for NCS but here goes. Looking at the top boys' teams, without question, the hottest team to date has been St. Mary's of Berkeley. They are lead by Matt Duffy who is coming into his own as a Junior. With an impressive victory at the Stanford Invitational, Duffy lead the Panthers to a 3rd place finish behind the 6th and 7th state ranked teams, Carmel and Oaks Christian.

Who are the best teams behind St. Mary's of Berkeley? Piedmont has been the most consistent team in Division IV and they oh by the way won the state championship last year. Mark Ceraldi and Jesse Baldridge return giving the Highlanders a nice 1/2 punch. With a traditionally small field in the NCS Division IV final, Piedmont should have enough behind their top duo to make a return trip to state.

The final state meet birth should come down to a battle between Sir Francis Drake, San Rafael, and Arcata. Looking at the Stanford and Lowell Invitational results, the difference between those four teams is minimal at best. It should be interesting what happens in the next month as teams gear up for the post season.

The girls' division IV race should be quite interesting now that Arcata lost the majority of last year's NCS championship team. Before the season, it looked like Piedmont had the most returning firepower but at this point, they remain a mystery. So for now, San Rafael seems to be the team to beat with an impressive 6th place showing at Stanford.

The individual battle has a new contender as Sarah Sumpter of Healdsburg who turned in an eye popping 19:05 at Stanford to finish in 6th place. This is not a surprise considering all her early season times which make her one of the most improved runners in NCS, if not the state. Kelsey Ripp of San Rafael, Allie Maher of Arcata and Lora Morchini of Salesian all recorded top 15 finishes at Stanford. Brittany Escamila of El Molino will find this division to her liking as she moves into this division from the ultra competitive Division III battles.

Division IV Boys (Top 3 Advance to state)
1) St. Mary's Berkeley-Best Div. IV team so far this season.
2) Piedmont-Can they put it together again this year?
3) San Rafael-Dave Buscho leads the way for the Bulldogs.
4) Sir Francis Drake-Will challenge for state meet birth.
5) Arcata-Deep, competitive team that could upset.

Top 5 Individuals based on season to date:
Matt Duffy (11) St. Mary's Berkeley
Mark Ceraldi (12) Piedmont
David Buscho (12) San Rafael
Joe Withers (11) Cardinal Newman
Jesse Baldridge (12) Piedmont

Division IV Girls (Top 3 Advance to state)
1) San Rafael-Looking for their 1st State Meet berth.
2) Arcata They know how to run well in November.
3) Moreau Catholic-Consistent top program.
4) El Molino H.S.-Senior Brittany Escamila leads the way.
5) Ursuline H.S.-They have made state 3 out of the last 4 years.

Top 5 Individuals based on season to date:
Sarah Sumpter (11) Healdsburg
Kelsey Ripp (11) San Rafael
Allie Maher (9) Arcata
Brittany Escamila (12) El Molino
Lora Marchini (12) Salesian

Division III will be posted shortly. Feel free to comment on above rankings.

N.C.S. Division V Mid-Season Rankings

Stanford is always a good middle of the season barometer for many teams come late September or early October. NCS Division V teams (namely BCL teams) flexed their collective muscles this year as they claimed the top 4 teams in the boys race, 5 out of the top 6 individuals in the girls race as well as a 2nd place finish for the Crystal Springs Uplands girls' team.

Making a major statement at Stanford were the College Prep boys who handily defeated the 7 time defending NCS champions University HS by a score of 54 to 105. CPS is well on their way to their first NCS title with a deep and talented team. They will definitely be a player at the state meet with potential for a top 3 finish and a coveted podium appearance.

While their 11th NCS title might elude them this year, the UHS boys will still be formidable. Without Parker Brown (injured?), their 2nd place finish at Stanford puts them on track for another Fresno trip. The last two spots for the state meet will come down to a battle between Lick Wilmerding (nice tight pack), Berean Christian (rebuild nicely after graduation of the Todd twins) and Crystal Springs Uplands (not at full strength yet).

This year's boys individual battle should be the most competitive in recent memory. Leading the way should be Brian Cole of St. Helena who has the best track credentials of all the runners competing in this division. Challenging closely will be Hank Carl of South Fork and Matt Katz of CPS who will keep the race honest with his fearless front running style. Victor Ho of Chinese Christian, Sean Faulk of CSU and Mark Friese of UHS will all be in contention and could possibly upset the previously mentioned runners. The dark horse in the race will be Troy Calandra of International HS who makes his triumphant return to the BCL and NCS battles after attended Head Royce as a freshman. Calandra ran an impressive 2nd at the Lowell Invitational as well as a 12th place finish in a very competitive Ram Invitational.

The road to the girls' NCS title will once again go through CSU. After losing two seniors from last year's podium team, CSU still has the runners to compete with any Division V team in the state with potential for more as their freshmen round into form. Chasing CSU will be University and Marin Academy with their strong one-two punch of Alesandra Roger and Kimberly Volkman (currently injured?). UHS has yet to run their top 7 runners all together at a major meet so watch out for them come November. The last state meet birth should come down to a three way battle between College Prep (inspired by their boys?), Convent (always in the mix) and Lick Wilmerding (could upset teams ahead of them at this point).

Individually, Alesandra Roger and Andrea Imhoff will battle head to head multiple times this season and round 1 and 2 went to Roger as she defeated Imhoff in a cluster meet and by an impressive margin at Stanford. Behind those two will be the CSU duo of Maddie Rozwat and Alysha de Souza who both recorded top 5 finishes at Stanford. Berean Christian has their own duo with the Adamiec twins, Ruth and Marta. Convent's Michelle Gantos will be the closest pursuer following her impressive early season results.

Division V Boys (Top 4 Advance to state)
1) College Prep-On their way to a season for the ages.
2) University-Can this group regroup for another NCS title?
3) Lick Wilmerding-Close pack from one through seven.
4) Berean Christian-Sophomores lead way for possible state meet birth.
5) Crystal Springs Uplands-Has the runners to break into top 4.
On the bubble: Chinese Christian

Top 5 Individuals based on season so far:
Brian Cole St. Helena (12)
Hank Carl South Fork (11)
Troy Calandra International (11)
Matt Katz College Prep (12)
Mark Friese (12) University (12)

Division V Girls (Top 4 Advance to state)
1) Crystal Springs Uplands-Can they return to podium this year?
2) University-Soundly defeated MA in cluster meet.
3) Marin Academy-Without Volkman upended UHS at Stanford.
4) College Prep-Close pack will have to battle for last state meet spot.
5) Convent-Senior Gantis has run well as lead runner.
On the bubble: Lick Wilmerding

Top 5 Individuals based on season so far:
Alesandra Roger Marin Academy (11)
Andrea Imhof University (12)
Maddie Rozwat Crystal Springs Uplands (12)
Alysha de Souza Crystal Springs Uplands (11)
Ruth Adamiec Berean Christian (12)