Pre-Season NCS Division III XC Rankings (Girls)

NCS Division III Girls Preseason Rankings by Campolindo assistant coach, Andy Lindquist

Overview: In the before time of 2019, Campolindo rounded into superb form at the end of the season, blowing out the rest of the section to capture the team title and then rolling to a resounding win at the state championships the following week. With the majority of that team lost to graduation, Campolindo will face stiff competition from a vastly improved Maria Carrillo squad hungry for their first section title since 2013.

While most teams in the area were able to get in a relatively full track season this spring, it still remains to be seen how athletes and teams adapt to running big-time cross country in the fall. Track times are not always indicative of cross country success, however, the performances from this past track season are the best data points available, so they factored heavily into these rankings. 4 teams make it to state in this division so these rankings will be 4 teams deep.

1. Maria Carrillo: The Pumas are coming off an impressive track season in the middle distances in which they had 5 athletes all well under 5:30 for 1600. This type of depth means that Maria Carrillo is ready for another big jump this fall. Gracie Trenam was the breakout star for the Pumas this past spring, rolling to a 5:14 clocking in the 1600 with Ashley Busienei (5:16) and Rebekah Taylor (5:19) not too far behind. Vivian Mattice and Avery Hedden also made big jumps in the 1600 as well, giving Maria Carrillo one of the deepest squads in the state. While the Pumas did not focus on the 3200 all that much during the spring, projected #6 runner Brooke Cregan rolled to an impressive 11:55 performance in the event.

Division III is shaping up to be one of the deepest and most competitive fields state-wide, and Maria Carrillo is in a position to compete for not only a podium spot but the state title as well. The only glaring weakness is the lack of an outstanding frontrunner, but look for that to change this fall as this team continues to develop.

2. Campolindo: Since taking over as head coach in 2006, Chuck Woolridge has had a run of unpreceded success in winning 11 NCS team championships (including an active streak of 7 in a row) and 4 state championships. Prior to Covid-19 putting a halt to high school sports in the state, the Cougars were on a roll, coming off an 80-point blowout win at the 2019 state meet. Junior Ellie Buckley is the lone returner from that squad and is coming off a very strong spring track season, clocking personal bests of 5:08 and 10:55 in the 1600 and 3200. Backing her up are the sophomore duo of Makena Weberski (11:34 3200) and Shea Volkmer (11:24 3200), giving the Cougars an impressive 1-2-3. These 3 will be critical to Campo’s quest for an 18^th section title and a 6^th state title. The biggest issue facing the Cougars this summer is the big gap from their #3 to #4/5 runners. Daisy Penny and Caroline McCool had very productive track seasons, running 12:13 and 12:17 respectively in the 3200 but such a large gap will be costly in a big cross country race.

It seems like every season Campolindo manages to notch massive improvements, so while they start the summer as underdogs, don’t be surprised if they close down the gap come November.

3. Livermore: In his 35+ years of coaching at Livermore high, Eddie Salazar has become known for putting together many good teams seemingly out of nowhere, and you should expect the same this cross country season. While the Cowgirls don’t have a large contingent of returners, they had a very solid track season with Angelina Guzman (5:23 1600) leading the charge along with 4 other returners under 6:00 in the 1600. While it would take a lot of work to close the gap on the top 2 teams, Livermore is primed for a medal position at NCS and a trip to Woodward Park on Thanksgiving weekend.

4. Las Lomas: With only an abbreviated spring track season to look it, it can be hard to figure out where a lot of these teams stand and even harder to project how they will do during a full cross country season. Las Lomas raced sparingly during the spring but with 5 returners all running 6:15 or better for 1600, look for the Knights to contend for a top 4 spot.

On the bubble: Carondelet, Santa Rosa, Newark Memorial

More pre-season rankings including the rest of NCS as well as all the other sections in Northern California. If you would like to contribute to the pre-season rankings, please reach out to me at albertjcaruana@gmail.com.

Willie White Memorial

Former Berkeley coach Willie White recently passed away on June 29th and his memorial will be held next Saturday, July 24th at Berkeley HS at 10am.

You can find all info to the event at this link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/celebrating-coach-willie-l-white-tickets-162717184479

Here are a few articles about Coach White if you are interested in learning a bit more about one of the more legendary Track and Field coaches in California.

https://ca.milesplit.com/articles/280871/1974-coach-willie-white-had-berkeley-championship-ready
https://www.si.com/college/cal/other-sports/willie-white-obit
https://calbears.com/honors/california-athletics-hall-of-fame/willie-white/280
https://pac-12.com/article/2021/07/15/cal-hall-famer-willie-white-passes-away

Pre-Season NCS Division III XC Rankings (Boys)

 NCS Division III Boys Preseason Rankings by Campolindo assistant coach, Andy Lindquist

Overview: This fall season will be like no other in recent memory as we are coming off of nearly 2 years of covid-19 restricting high school sports in the North Coast Section. The last season that a full XC season took place (2019), was one of the greatest in section history, with Campolindo and Maria Carrillo finishing 1-2 at state. Much has changed since then as graduation losses and the upheaval caused by the pandemic have significantly changed the landscape for many teams.

While most teams in the area were able to get in a relatively full track season this spring, it still remains to be seen how athletes and teams adapt to running big-time cross country in the fall. Track times are not always indicative of cross country success, however, the performances from this past track season are the best data points available, so they factored heavily into these rankings. 4 teams make it to state in this division so these rankings will be 4 teams deep.

Maria Carrillo had an incredible spring track season and is loaded with talent, while upstart programs from Tamalpais and Newark Memorial have made astounding progress as well and will challenge for the title.

1. Maria Carrillo: The Pumas are one of the most consistently good teams in the entire NCS, especially over the previous few seasons. From 2017-2019, Maria Carrillo won 2 NCS team titles, had 3 top 10 finishes at state, and in 2019 landed on the podium with a 2^nd place team finish as well as having the individual state champion in Colton Swinth. The Pumas rolled to some fantastic performances during the spring track season with Jacob Donohue (9:19 3200) and Noe Vieyera (4:22 1600) impressing the most. Both runners seem poised for a big fall and having such an impressive 1-2 punch will make a big difference in close races. However, it was massive improvements from Adam McCorquodale (4:34 1600) and Oswaldo Rodriguez-Lopez (4:34) that have made the biggest difference for the Pumas, firmly stamping them as not only the favorites to win the section title but also challenge for that elusive state title as well.

The only missing piece for Maria Carrillo heading into the summer is the back end, as there is a bit of a drop-off after #4. Youngsters Sean Gubera and Jonathan Donohue looked solid during the spring track season and if they can continue to progress this fall, it will be tough for anyone to challenge Maria Carrillo for the top spot.

2. Tamalpais: During the previous 3 full XC seasons (2017-2019), this division went back and forth between Maria Carrillo and Campolindo, but that is expected to change in a big way this fall as Tamalpais has emerged as one of the most improved teams in the entire state.

It starts with junior Caden Carney, whose rapid improvement this spring was impressive as he clocked 4:16 for 1600, one of the fastest times in the entire section. If he continues on that trajectory, he will be the heavy favorite to win the individual title and provide that crucial low stick for the red-tailed hawks. However, what makes this team so dangerous has been the development of the 2-5 runners, as Thomas Sternfels (4:37), Ethan Lin (4:32), David Grijabla (4:43), and Sven Toernqvist (4:43) all massively improved in the 1600 over the spring. The challenge will be adapting that skillset to a 3-mile cross country race, but all the pieces are there for Tamalpais to challenge Maria Carrillo for the title and be very competitive at the state level as well.

3. Newark Memorial: Coach Tyler Jorgens has quietly built Newark Memorial into a very solid team with plenty of depth, making them the darkhorse to move up these rankings and surprise the favorites at the end of the season. The Cougars are led by the tandem of Tad Kawabata (9:45 3200) and Chance Tokubo (9:46 3200) who both had very solid track seasons. Talha Ahmed, Angelo Frese, and Diego Ochoa all ran under 4:50 in the 1600 during track season as well, so the cougar’s match up very well with other teams in this division at the critical 4^th and 5^th positions. For Newark Memorial to move up in these rankings they will need to focus on honing down their pack margin from 1-5 to counter the strong frontrunners from Tamalpais and Maria Carrillo. If they can do that, look for them to surprise come championship time.

4. Campolindo: For the past twenty years, “Campo” has been the standard in this division. The Cougars have won 11 section titles in that span in addition to 6 combined podium finishes at the state championships. When the CIF last held a full cross country season, Campolindo won the DIII Boys’ state title with a very low score of 47 points.

Two of those athletes return for the Cougars this fall in Alex Lodewick and Rhys Pullen, but after that graduation losses and the pandemic have ravaged the roster for Campolindo, making it very challenging for the Cougars to close the gap on the top teams in this division. While Lodewick was injured during the spring track season, when healthy he is one of the best runners in the state. His 15:47 clocking at Woodward Park as a freshman in 2019 is the fastest time in NCS for a frosh, so the talent is undoubtedly there. Pullen managed a solid track season, running a personal best of 9:49 in the 3200. Those two are good starting points but after that, there is a severe lack of varsity experience. Junior Blake Webster showed promise with a breakout track season, running 4:41 in the 1600 and 10:06 in the 3200. However, after that, there is a massive drop-off in track performances, with the Cougars only having one other athlete returning with a personal best under 5:00 in the 1600.

Coach Chuck Woolridge is known far and wide as one of the best motivators in the state, but he will have his work cut out for him this season. For Campo to be competitive on a section level, they will need to develop their younger athletes and work on closing the massive gap that exists between their #2 and the rest of the group.

On the bubble: Northgate, Alameda

Girls rankings will be posted tomorrow.

Donation to the Cross Country Express Site

If you have enjoyed all the Track and Field coverage this season, a kind donation would be appreciated.  You can do so with the link to the right.  If you don't do online payments, you can email me at albertjcaruana@gmail.com and I will send you an address where you can send a check.

This site will remain a free service but as you know, a lot of time and effort goes into the maintenance of this website.

Thank you very much to those of you that have already donated.  If I haven't done so already, you will hear from me in appreciation.

New Jesuit and CCS records set today in boy's 2 mile at Brooks PR

Today at the Brooks PR, Ajani Salcido of Jesuit and Nolan Topper of Bellarmine both ran record-setting 2 mile efforts. Salcido finished in 3rd place with a time of 8:46.32 with Topper in 6th at 8:51.83. Both times converted to 3200-meter times set new Jesuit and CCS records respectively. Salcido's time converts to 8:43.27 while Topper's time converts to 8:48.75.

You can check out the race at the following link:
https://brooks-pr-invitational.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=5619&do=videos&video_id=307932 

The previous Jesuit record of 8:44.95 was set by Eric Mastalir at the 1986 California State meet where he finished in 1st place. His twin brother Mark won 1600 that year in a time of 4:07.81.

The previous CCS record of 8:51.43 was set by Jessie Torres of Independence at the 1981 California State meet where he finished in 3rd place.

Cooper Teare After 4th Place at 2020 Olympic Trials in 5000jm

Seeking assistant coaches

Crystal Springs Uplands School: is looking for two cross country assistant coaches for the 2021 fall season. CSUS is located in Hillsborough and competes in Division 5. This is for the 2021-2022 school year. A zest for distance running, a positive attitude, and running experience is a plus. Practice will start on August 6th and will run until the end of November. A stipend is available. Interested individuals should send a resume with references to athletic director Bobby Long at BLong@csus.org and Albert Caruana at ACaruana@csus.org

Washington High School is looking for an assistant cross country coach for the upcoming season starting mid August and ending in November. Washington HS is located in Fremont and competes in the North Coast Section. A knowledge of running and wanting to make a difference in high school students' lives is a requirement. A stipend is available. Please send a resume with references to athletic director Regina Quezada at rquezada@fusdk12.net and to coach Ben Vose at bvose@fusdk12.net

College Park HS is looking for a Track and Field Head Coach to take over a thriving program. Please send your resume and letter of interest to Athletic Director Jim Keck keckj@mdusd.org
Cross Country, Girls	Head	College Park	Walk On	not at this time	Jim Keck	928-682-7670	keckj@mdusd.org	College Park HS is looking for a Cross Country Head Coach to take over a thriving program. Please send your resume and letter of interest to Athletic Director Jim Keck keckj@mdusd.org

Saint Francis High School (Mountain View): We had to say goodbye to two outstanding members of our XC Staff in the past 6 months. If you or someone you know is interested in joining our staff - please reach out to Athletic Director Michael Pilawski (michaelpilawski@sfhs.com) or complete the application linked below. Running experience is a must, coaching experience is a plus! https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=72605&clientkey=E3795B76E44B3B061471C2B2029DEC76&fbclid=IwAR0BL2_y4qWk0RNkGMwrXtB7XZ4XfxcBW_zBaz1WPJjCJajtpG9KSXDdZEM

Sequoia High School is seeking a head cross country coach. Candidates should have previous coaching experience at an appropriate level. We are looking for an enthusiastic and positive coach who will support the development of our student-athletes and support the goals of our athletics program.

The coach selected must get fingerprinted, have a current CPR/AED, First Aid, Fundamentals of Coaching, Concussion in Sport, and Sudden Cardiac Arrest certifications.  The school will help facilitate this.  The season runs from August through October.

Please contact athletic director, Melissa Schmidt (mschmidt@seq.org) if you are interested or have any questions.

If you are also searching for coaches, please send the information to me at albertjcaruana@gmail.com and I will add it to this post.

Central Coast Section results and meet recap

Central Coast Section results

Central Coast Section meet recap
https://ca.milesplit.com/articles/299378/after-one-year-hiatus-ccs-meet-full-of-outstanding-efforts

Central Coast Section Finals Preview

https://ca.milesplit.com/articles/299013/preview-cif-central-coast-section-finals

2021 CCS Track and Field Prediction Contest

DEADLINE IS Friday, Midnight-Post predictions in the comment section below.
GRAND PRIZE:  Public adoration!

If you would like an opportunity to win the above prize, post your predictions below. Please include the top 3 finishers for all events (running and field/boys and girls) as well as your predictions for the team champions along with their scores. If there is a tie, the team champions and scores will break those ties.

Your entries should look like this
Name: John Aki Bua Uganda HS Athlete (or coach/parent etc.)

Listed in order of finish (1st through 3rd)
Girls' 400m. Relay-James Logan, Long Beach Poly, St. Francis
Boys' 400m. Relay-
Girls' 1600m.-Jordan Hasay, Mary Decker, Yunxia Qu
Boys' 1600m.-
Girls' 100m. Hurdles-
Boys' 110m. Hurdles-
etc.
Don't forget the field events.

Feel free to also mention what races/events you are most anticipating. Who are the biggest favorites? Who will pull off the biggest upset? What will be the most competitive event?

The winner will be announced on Sunday, June 20th.