The best in the state will compete at the CIF cross country championships. List of locals
Many high school cross country runners will try to lay claim as the best in California on Saturday when the state championships return for the 33rd consecutive year.
Buchanan star Corie Smith is a favorite to win the Division I girls race, her last high school cross country race. She won it as a sophomore in 2017 but didn’t compete as a favorite in 2018 because she was sick hours before the start of the race.
Smith has won all nine of her races she’s competed in this season.
She’ll be pushed by senior Carlie Dorostkar of Canyon Crest Academy-San Diego who has the best 3-mile time in the state this season, 15 minutes 57.5 seconds at the 46th Dana Hills Nike Invitational.
Smith’s best 3-mile came at the Woodbridge Classic on Sept. 21 when she crossed the finish line in 16:04.8.
But in the 42nd Clovis Invitational, on Oct. 12 on the same Woodward Park 5,000-meter course as Saturday’s state meet, Smith won in a personal-best 16:53.90 and Dorostkar was fifth in 17:26.30.
The D-I girls team race figures to be a battle between Buchanan and seven-time defending champion Great Oak-Temecula.
Other top girls competing Saturday figure to include Vista Del Lago-Folsom sophomore Alexandra Klos (Division II), Palos Verdes senior Savannah Scriven (D-III) and St. Helena junior Harper McClain (D-V).
On the boys side, Nico Young of Newbury Park set the national 3-mile record, 13:39.7, at the Woodbridge Classic. The senior is considered by some to be the nation’s best boys runner; he’ll be defending his D-II title Saturday.
Clovis North senior Isaiah Galindo (D-I) and Central senior Abel-Rudisha Teffra (D-III) are among the area’s top contenders.
Great Oak’s boys are the five-time defending D-I champs.
If you go
The Division II girls race will kick things off at 8:30 a.m., with the Division I boys race last at 1 p.m.
General admission is $10 and $5 for children/students (ASB card)/seniors. Presale tickets are available at Woodward Park on Friday from noon to 4 p.m. and online at GoFan.co.
The spectator entrance is off Friant Road at Fort Washington Road with parking available throughout the park.
The start/finish area is in the center of the park, with good viewing areas on the hill on the north side of the park. The state meet has never been held anywhere else since its first year at Woodward in 1987.
Saturday’s schedule:
Division II Girls 8:30 a.m.
Division III Girls 9 a.m.
Division II Boys 9:30 a.m.
Division III Boys 10 a.m.
Division IV Girls 10:30 a.m.
Division V Boys 11 a.m.
Division I Girls 11:30 a.m.
Division IV Boys noon
Division V Girls 12:30 p.m.
Division I Boys 1 p.m.
Runners from the area
Here are the boys and girls entries from the central San Joaquin Valley:
Buchanan — Kaylee Elliott, Grace Hutchinson, Morgan Hutchison, Mia Jauregui, Caroline Mendyk, Corie Smith, Sydney Sundgren, Brenton Maddox, Bo Olsen, Ronnie Barrett, Kelly Brewer, Wyatt Edwards, Robert Kirkman, Sebastian McGehee-Adams.
Central — Enirque Guerrero, Guillermo Lopez, Aaron Teffra, Abesolom-Bekele Teffra, Alex Canales, Mordecai Garza, Abel-Rudisha Teffra.
Chowchilla — Connor Borba, Andrew Castaneda, Ryan Diaz, Michael Eggert, Jayce Harvey, Angel Ramirez, Isaak Rivera.
Clovis North — Miliana Perez, Thomas Allen, Andrew Cape, Nicholas Carter, Isaiah Galindo, Joshua Ochoa, Spencer Mueller, George Yamashita.
Clovis West — Kaeli Aoki-Chance, Tyler Lamborn, Benjamin Reyes, Brayden Costales, Pierson Lamborn, Matthew Morgan, Jacob Pace, Gabe Perez.
Coalinga — Cameron McFarlin.
Corcoran — Gabriella Avila, Makyla UJones, Arlene Magana, Brandi Valdez, Paulina Guerrero, Sherlyn Hernandez, Andrea Hernandez.
Central Valley Christian — Josiah Leever.
Edison — Sara Dubon, Kennedy Jennings, Joanna Ruiz, Emily Chavira, Gaby Chielpegian, Maria Lara-Alcala, Sarah Renberg.
Fresno — Lily Baloian, Dalia Garcia, Kayla Madrigal, Elizabeth Melendez, Briana Mondragon, Natalia Mondragon, Rhiannon Walker.
Golden West — Franco Bermudez, Nathan Herrera.
Liberty-Madera Ranchos — Kassidy Afonin, Angelina Gastelum, Rebecca Loquaci, Sophia Napier, Meg Pentorelli, Ryan Avila, Quaid Copher, Dylan Devine, Gavin Gladders, Eduardo Gonzalez, Michael Rivera, Israel Rivera.
Madera — Unique Ford, Linda Perez.
Madera South — Dariana Miramontes.
Monache — Marina Barragan, Chanel Bradley, Aryanna Guzman, Sophia Mendoza, Alexa Queenan, Salma Ramons, Aislin Taylor.
Porterville — Joshua Jimenez, Luis Ortiz, Dominic Welsh, Misael Lopez, Josh Meneses, Ethan Rangel, Jorge Sanchez.
Riverdale — Emily Moreno, Bryan Gonzalez, Dylan Morgan.
Sanger — Nia Lamas, Jessica Recinos, Sienna Bianchi, Kaley Cardenas, Rebeca Coronado, Anayacsi Diaz, Jennifer Recinos, David DeLoera, Emanuel Salas.
Sunnyside — Jessica Valles, Diego Gonzalez.
Tulare Western — Nadia Salcedo.
Yosemite — Clover Cicoletti, Ali Contreras, Emily Rich, Abigail Rumohr, Audrey Scott, Jocelyn Stansberry, Jaiden Stansberry, Turner Williams.
