Footlocker XC meet no longer after 45 years of competition

Jesuit HS Meeting of the Marauders results

The Jesuit boys were the top-ranked team in California last year, qualifying for NXN. They return all their varsity runners from last year and add transfer Connor Bilodeau from Granite Bay. According to Tullyrunners.com, Jesuit HS is the 2nd ranked team in the nation behind only defending NXN champions, Niwot. You can check out those pre-season rankings HERE. The results below are from the Meeting of the Marauders, which has traditionally been their first race of the season.

https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/257824/results/all

Pre-season NCS Division II rankings

The starting gun is about to fire on a new cross country season, and the landscape of the North Coast Section Division II has been completely reshaped. Last year's champions have graduated, and the teams with returning powerhouse runners are ready to seize the moment. Forget everything you thought you knew—these are new races, and here's how they're shaping up!

Boys Division II

Team Outlook

• De La Salle (Favorite): Coming off a runner-up finish at NCS and a top-10 showing at State, De La Salle returns excellent depth. Dillon Gaber leads the way after running ~16:00 at State and 9:24 for 3200m along with Heath Salter. With multiple sub-17 returners, they enter as the team to beat.

• Amador Valley (2nd): A strong, consistent squad with excellent pack running. Sattvik Raju anchors the group after a ~16:00 State run and 4:28/9:46 track season. Their balance across the lineup, including Thomas Hekl (4:28), Aiden Versteeg (4:29), and Gavin Shimojima (9:48), gives them podium stability.

• Granada (3rd): A talented roster headlined by Nicolai Barron, the section’s best individual. Barron’s 15:42 at State, 4:15 1600m, and sub-1:54 relay split make him the top returner. If the back end (Matthew Bertrand, Neil Ajesh, and Taino Mesa), who all have 3200m times under 9:47, develop, Granada could push higher.

• College Park (4th): Last year’s NCS champions still have front-end talent in Grayson Langford (~16:10 at State) and Noah Tungpalan (~16:20). They will need improved depth to stay in the top four.

• Monte Vista (5th): The Mustangs will be led by Mateo Cafaro, who ran an excellent time last year at the state meet and posted a 4:23 and 9:12 during track. This is a very fast time and indicates that if their other runners can stay close, they could move up the rankings. The good news for them is that they have a lot of depth and will look for answers from Cooper Lowe, Kai Grondona, Kevin Vadackumcheril, and Rohan Kotamraju.

• Heritage (6th): Heritage has three solid returning runners, and their fourth is not far behind (Aadit Nair, Brady Lockrem, Sanjog Sooch, and Jared Cabico). They are well-positioned to finish in the top part of the field. Heritage has a strong frontrunner and several other runners who are all under the five-minute mark for the 1600m, giving them a solid group.

• Redwood (7th): Redwood has a full squad of strong runners with a very consistent pack of runners, all under 4:50 for 1600m, led by Gabriel Cavanagh (4:28) and Liam McCaw (4:30). Redwood has the speed and depth to remain a top-five contender. Redwood's consistent performance across all three data sets (XC, 1600m and 3200m) keeps them within reach of the top 5. Their depth and consistency will serve them well this coming season.

Top Individuals to Watch

1. Nicolai Barron (Granada) – 15:42 at State, plus 4:15/1:54 track range. The preseason favorite for the NCS individual title.

2. Mateo Cafaro (Monte Vista) – 15:35 at State, the fastest returning mark at Woodward Park. A legitimate contender for the individual crown.

3. Sattvik Raju (Amador Valley) – Consistent frontrunner, ~16:00 at State and strong 4:28/9:46 track credentials.

4. Dillon Gaber (De La Salle) – ~16:00 at State, 9:34 for 3200m. A reliable low-stick for the Spartans.

5. Connor Buscho (Foothill) – ~16:10 at State as a sophomore, 4:30/9:34 track range. A breakout candidate for 2025.

Next Tier

• Grayson Langford (College Park) – ~16:10 at State, improving track range.

• Noah Tungpalan (College Park) – ~16:20 at State, consistent varsity scorer.

• Jack Moore (Napa) – Developing frontrunner with sub-17 potential.

• Aiden Versteeg (Amador Valley) – Strong XC background, adds key depth to Amador’s lineup.

Girls Division II

Team Outlook

• Redwood (Favorite): With two low-sticks up front in Sydney Middleton and Kate Kozubik, Redwood enters as the team to beat. Both athletes own sub-11:00 3200m track strength and finished in the NCS top 10 last fall. Sophomore Rose Mueller (sub-5:20 1600m) provides added scoring punch.

• Monte Vista (2nd): The defending champions remain dangerous, led by Kaylie O’Connell (6th at NCS as a freshman) and Nadya Makarova. The big story is Ava Padilla, who ran 4:54 for 1600m and 2:09 for 800m to qualify for the CIF State 800m final as a freshman. With Padilla’s rise, Monte Vista has the star power to threaten Redwood.

• Granada (3rd): Headlined by individual favorite Sade Bumpus (17:56 at NCS, 5:01/11:00 track range), Granada has a strong front three but will need improvement at the 4–5 spots to challenge the top two.

• San Ramon Valley (4th): A depth-oriented squad led by Alexandra Smith (5:16/11:11) and Margot Schultz. They’ll need a true frontrunner to climb higher.

• Heritage (5th): Heritage is a team on the move. They are returning the majority of their top runners from last season and have the talent to surprise people. Their consistent top five, anchored by Brynn Faulkner and Isabella Rinaldo, will keep them in the mix and allow them to potentially move up the rankings.

Top Individuals to Watch

1. Sade Bumpus (Granada) – Defending NCS runner-up, 17:56 at NCS, and 5:01/11:00 on the track. The individual favorite.

2. Sydney Middleton (Redwood) – Consistent frontrunner, sub-11:00 3200m, top-10 NCS returner.

3. Kate Kozubik (Redwood) – Nearly identical to Middleton in both XC and track, forming a powerful 1–2 punch.

4. Ava Padilla (Monte Vista) – Breakout star, 2:09 800m State finalist and 4:54 1600m. A massive upside athlete.

5. Kaylie O’Connell (Monte Vista) – 6th at NCS as a freshman, reliable sub-18 contender for 2025.

Next Tier

• Nadya Makarova (Monte Vista) – 15th at NCS, steady mid-19s performer.

• Alexandra Smith (San Ramon Valley) – 11:11 3200m, potential top-10 NCS breakthrough.

• Margot Schultz (San Ramon Valley) – Dependable scorer, consistent varsity presence.

• Rose Mueller (Redwood) – Sub-5:20 1600m sophomore, adds strength to Redwood’s depth.

• Catherine Buechter (Clayton Valley) – Closed 2024 strong, possible top-15 NCS finisher.

Crystal Springs Clean Up Day 2025

Below is the Google Form and Flyer for our Crystal Springs Clean Up day on Saturday, August 23 from 8:00-12:00.  

We can move it back to 8:30 if teams want to get a workout in first, prior to working on the course.

PLEASE spread the word!

Thanks,

Google Form Sign Up

Clean Up Day Flyer

Mr. Jim Marheineke

West Coast XC EP34 California's Mt Rushmore of High School Distance Runners

Pre-Season NCS Division I Rankings

Boys
10 of last year’s top 14 graduated, so this year will be a reset for most of the teams – only two will move on to state this year, so it will be an absolute dogfight for the top two positions

1 - Dublin graduated 4, 5, 6 yet returns 7 runners under 16:35 over 3 miles and top 8 between 4:28 and 4:41.

2 - Dougherty Valley was hit hard by graduation, losing 5 of their top runners, but has 6 returnees who ran under 16:54, and their top 8 are between 4:38 and 4:46. They will have to step up to challenge Dublin.

3 - California graduated top 3 runners from last season, and their top two returnees ran 16:22 and 16:43 – 4:35 to 4:54 top 7.  They are always a threat to contend for the two state spots.

4/5 - Castro Valley graduated top 2 runners – top runner 16:54 - 17:53, and James Logan seems evenly matched – top runner 16:52 – 17:38

6 – Berkeley, a recent champion of this division, has to rebuild after losing all 7 of their scorers to graduation

The top runners may be loaded between Dublin and Dougherty Valley squads

·       Daniel Santhiapelli, Dublin (4:30, 15:43)

·       Jorge Martinez-Fernandez, Dublin (4:34, 15:52)

·       Justin Feng, Dublin (4:30, 15:55)

·       Lucas Lipman, Dublin (4:28, 16:05)

·       Akash Jain, Dublin (16:11)

·       Laksh Kamboj, Dougherty Valley, (4:39, 15:36)

·       Zachary Lee, Dougherty Valley (4:38, 15:48)

·       Aayaan Al-Quraishi, Dougherty Valley (4:43, 15:48)

·       Jair Garcia, Dougherty Valley (4:42, 16:05)

1 - Berkeley has been the class of Division 1 girls the last two years – They will have to replace 2 scorers #3 and #4 (Hougan and Koch), but still appear to be the team to beat.  They are led by two-time NCS champion Carina Nottingham and Dakota Saenz, who posted the best times in the section last Spring on the track.

              TF – Carina Nottingham 4:54, Dakota Saenz 5:02, Elsa Dietz 5:31, Zoe Kohlmeyer 5:35, Kaitlyn Fischl 5:39

2 - Castro Valley – graduated four of their scorers 2, 3, 5, 7 (Dughi, Dughi, Murry and Choy). Iliana Nierengarten could challenge for the individual title and is backed up by Mika Gomes.  They will have to reload their squad with some of the solid performers from track season

              TF – Iliana Nierengarten 5:08, Paige Pacheco 5:26, Mika Gomes 5:28, Maria Kryuchkova 5:28, Isabella Rodriguez 5:35

3 - Dougherty Valley returns all 7 of their 2024 squad that finished 3^rd in last year’s NCS meet.  They’ll need solid performances from their 3-5 runners to challenge for the higher podium spots

              TF – Neha Chhabra 5:09, Ananya Kumar 5:21, Sara Richards 5:35, Alyssa Shah 5:46, Varshaa Nuthi 5:47   

4 - California graduates #5 runner – Like Dougherty, their success depends on their 3-5 runners having banner years

              TF – Emily Bellinger 5:13, Madison Tran 5:24, Alicia Pombo 5:47, Freya Darvell 5:47, Nithya Kuchibotla 5:48

5- Dublin graduated three of their top 7 (Prenton, Balupari and Johnson)

              TF – Isabella Geraghty 5:35, Kiran Nayyar 5:38, Leila Reddi 5:50, Kylene Wong 5:55, Kaitlin Yu 6:00

Individual runners

·       Carina Nottingham, Berkeley – two-time NCS champion (4:54, 10:54, 17:37)

·       Dakota Saenz, Berkeley (5:02, 10:54, 18:30)

·       Iliana Nierengarten, Castro Valley (5:07, 11:31, 18:11)

·       Neha Chhabra, Dougherty Valley (5:09, 11:27, 18:38)

·       Emily Bellinger, Cal (5:13, 11:42, 18:33)

·       Ananya Kumar, Dougherty Valley (5:21, 11:34, 17:56)

·       Alyssa Shah, Dougherty Valley (5:19, 18:43)

·       Madison Tran, Cal (5:24)

NorCal Cross Country and Track and Field College Commitments

Ani Stieg Archie Williams (NCS) Cal Poly SLO 

NCS DIII Girls Rankings by Campolindo assistant coach, Andy Lindquist

Overview: After playing second-fiddle to Campolindo for decades, Northgate came up big last year to win its first-ever NCS team title. With the Broncos returning 6 varsity runners from that squad, they're firmly in the driver's seat to capture another section title and vie for a podium spot at state.

1. Northgate 

The Broncos had everything finally come together at the rain-soaked NCS championships last year, winning the team title and beating Campo in the postseason for the first time in decades. Northgate carried that momentum into the track season, where they had 8 returners break 6:00 in the 1600 and 5 break 13:00 in the 3200. Camilla Terrazas, Olivia Joseph, and Natasha Cohen are interchangeable at the front, with each of them running between 5:28-5:30 in the 1600 and 11:42-11:53 in the 3200. The Broncos have loads of depth and plenty of talented middle-distance runners who could break into the varsity lineup and make a huge impact. 

The only thing lacking here is a legitimate frontrunner to contend with all the other teams on this list. Campolindo and Las Lomas both have multiple runners better than Northgate's projected #1, so getting the pack farther up in races will be critical to the Broncos repeating as section champions. 

2. Campolindo 

Campo's 10-year NCS championship streak was snapped last year, but the Cougars return the bulk of that team this season, putting them in position to reclaim the crown. Campo returns 6 of their 7 top from last season and added Ohio transfer Jillian Randolph during the spring track season. Considering she ran 11:17 in the 3200, she should be a significant factor for the Cougars. 

Returners Amalia Contreras and Kiona McCasland both have sub-19:00 credentials at Woodward Park, so that gives Campo a great front end to work with. Add in senior Anya Houston, who ran 19:30 at state last year, and you have the makings for another strong team. After that, there is a big drop-off, compounded by inconsistency and injury, which is why the Cougars are ranked second here. 

At full strength and health, the Cougars should have one of the best lineups in the section, if not the state, but that's a big if. Neela Whatley, Claire Andrzejek, and Kaitlyn Kinsey all missed big stretches of the past year in cross country and track. Inserting them into the lineup would vault Campo past Northgate. But for now, they're just a little bit behind as the season begins. 

3. Las Lomas

The Knights lost a decent amount due to graduation, but a series of rapid improvements by their younger athletes during the spring track season points to great potential this fall. Ella Malick rolled to a 5:05 clocking in the 1600 and looks to carry that momentum into cross country. Behind here, Lorelei Fairclough and Ananda Simon both cracked 5:30 in the 1600 at the frosh-soph level, showing that they have the potential to step up to varsity-level competition. All in all, Las Lomas returns 8 runners under 5:50 in the 1600, so there's plenty of depth to pull from. Getting to race Northgate and Campolindo all season in the Diablo Athletic League will help as well. 

4. Maria Carrillo 

The Pumas missed out on state for the first time in decades last year, and look to get back to Clovis this season. Joslyn Tribbey appears to be the frontrunner for Maria Carrillo based on her 5:17 performance in the 1600 last track season. The Pumas return 7 runners sub 6:00 in the 1600 but will need them to make the transition to 3 miles/5k quickly. 

5. Tamalpais 

The Red-Tailed Hawks return a solid group and are a dark horse pick to land in the top 4 and make it back to state. Ava McMahon burst onto the scene in the spring, running 5:09 in the 1600 as a freshman. If she can continue that upward trajectory this fall, that will give Tam a strong frontrunner. Behind her, the Hawks have 5 returners who broke 6:00 in the 1600, but there is a pretty big dropoff after that. If Tam can continue to progress and develop more depth at the backend scoring positions, a top 4 finish is likely. But for now, they're just a few steps behind Maria Carrillo. 

6. Newark Memorial

The Cougars advanced to the state championships for the first time ever last season, but grabbing another spot to Clovis will be much harder this year. Newark lost a lot of runners due to graduation and will need to rebuild quickly. Alice McCarty gives the Cougars a strong #1 runner who will be at the front of most races, but after that, there is a massive drop-off. That puts Newark a bit out of the picture as the season starts, but given the success this program has had in recent years, don't count them out at the end of the season. 

Individual rankings:

With 4-time NCS champion Hanne Thomsen of Montgomery now at Stanford, there's going to be a new individual winner for the first time since 2019. Track times do not always translate to cross-country performances, but Alice McCarty of Newark Memorial has the best 3200 time of any returner, which places her as the slight favorite for now. 

1. Alice McCarty - Newark Memorial 

2. Gretchen Yakaitis - Carondelet

3. Ella Malick - Las Lomas

4. Ava McMahon - Tamalpais 

5. Jillian Randolph - Campolindo 

6. Kiona McCasland - Campolindo

7. Amalia Contreras - Campolindo 

NCS DIII Boys Rankings by Campolindo assistant coach Andy Lindquist

Overview: Campolindo's young talent matured very quickly last season as the Cougars rolled to a harrowing NCS victory in the mud over Tamalpais, then followed that up with a resounding CIF DIII state championship the following week. With Campo returning the bulk of that team, they're heavily favored to win every race they're entered in this season. With only 4 teams making it to state in this division, the competition for the other 3 spots will be pretty intense. 

1. Campolindo 

Campo courts one of the most talent-laden teams in the entire state of California, regardless of division. Caden Ehrhorn effortlessly made the jump to varsity-level competition and wound up as the best freshman in this division last season. Look for him to make a big jump this season. Behind him is a "Murderers' Row" of talent as the Cougars return 7 runners with sub-10:00 credentials in the 3200 and 5 at 9:50 or better. Clark Gregory is arguably just as capable of being the frontrunner in any given race, giving Campo a nasty 1-2 punch. 

Throw in varsity returners Gavin Gunn, Jack Durden, and Cody De La Cruz, and the Cougars are unbeatable when at full strength. And with the massive improvements from backend scorers like juniors Drew Shogan, Samuel Hern, Carter Cook, and Nikola Van Delft, you've got the makings for the best team ever from one of the area's legendary programs. Now that's saying something! And the best part (worst for all the other teams in this division) is that De La Cruz is the only senior in the projected top 7, so this lineup could be one of the nation's very best in 2026. 

2. Maria Carrillo 

The Pumas return a solid contingent of talent, with Austin Petrik and Cameron Jones both having productive track seasons in clocking 4:24 in the 1600. Maria Carrillo returns 4 runners who broke 4:35 in the 1600, and that's a good place to start. Track times don't always translate into cross-country performances, but the Pumas are one of the most consistent teams in this division so they should have no trouble turning into a competitive team come season's end. 

3. Tamalpais 

Few programs have made such a big jump in performance as Tam over the past few seasons. Last year, the Red Tailed Hawks had their best season in team history, barely losing to Campolindo at the NCS championships and then notching a 7th place finish at state. While they graduate the bulk of that team, Tam has plenty of depth and up-and-coming talent to make it back to state and improve upon last season's finish. 

Finn Harrington had a massive breakout during the spring track season, running 9:18 for 3200, an incredible feat for someone who was not even a regular varsity scorer last fall. Behind him, seasoned veterans Lucas Ruark and Atticus Siedman will look to continue their upward trajectory. Tam returns 9 runners under 5:00 for the 1600, so they have a decent amount of depth and talent. While it would be hard to catch Campolindo, Tam is positioned for another strong season and could move up these rankings. 

4. Newark Memorial 

The Cougars return the defending NCS DIII individual champion in Kenji Kawabata, but behind that depth is a big concern. While Mohammed Lulu and Cruz Villa have flashed plenty of potential, Newark lacks the backend scoring depth of other teams on this list. That will make it difficult for them to stay in contention with the 3 teams ranked ahead of them, and it opens the door for one of the lower-ranked teams to snag the final qualifying spot to state. 

5. Windsor

Through 3 runners, Windsor matches up very favorably with Campolindo. Corbin Prost, Michael Ervin, and Xavier Surgeon all had breakthrough track seasons with the trio all running 9:43 or better in the 3200. Prost had the best performances, running 4:18 in the 1600 and 9:28 in the 3200 to stamp himself as a contender for the individual title. There's a huge drop-off after the front 3, so any improvement from the backend could vault the Jaguars much higher up on the list. If there's any team with the potential of keeping it close against Campo at the NCS meet, it's this one. 

6. Analy

The Tigers are more of a middle-distance focused squad, as evidenced by their qualification to state in the 4x800 last track season. Still, there's plenty of talent here, with 5 returners who ran 4:45 or better in the 1600. Owen Dawson gives Analy a legit frontrunner to keep the team score low in every race, and behind him, Quince Holman and Logan Dickson are more than capable of contending with any other team's 2-3. Some teams find the track to XC transition difficult, but Analy will be in contention for a berth to state, as the 4-6 teams in these rankings are all pretty close together. 

Individual rankings 

On paper, this should be one of the closer races in recent memory, but it's equally likely that someone here will have a breakout season and win by a large margin. 

1. Kenji Kawabata - Newark Memorial 

2. Finn Harrington - Tamalpais 

3. Caden Ehrhorn - Campolindo 

4. Clark Gregory - Campolindo 

5. Corbin Post - Windsor 

6. Owen Dawson - Analy 

7. Michael Ervin - Windsor

CCS Pre-season rankings thanks to Hank Lawson and Claude.AI

You can check out those pre-season rankings at this link:
https://lynbrooksports.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2025/ccs-pre.htm (some teams are in the divisions that they were in last year and that will be corrected shortly. In the meantime, enjoy the rankings.)

I will be posting NCS rankings next as well as other pre-season rankings. If you have any suggestions for other content, feel free to let me know in the comment section below.