Buchanan girls return to the top at CIF state cross country championships
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- Buchanan girls reclaimed the Division I state title, scoring 76 to win.
- Junior Molly Sundgren and sophomore Brooklyn Buckley led a strong pack.
- Team depth produced tightly packed scoring five within 36 seconds.
After placing second in each of the past two CIF state cross country championships at Woodward Park, the Buchanan High girls team reclaimed its spot atop the podium on Saturday.
The Bears totaled 76 points — outpacing runner-up Mira Costa (84) and third-place Trabuco Hills (120) — to earn the school’s fifth state crown in the Division I 3.1-mile race.
Leading the charge was junior Molly Sundgren, clocking in at 17:33.1 for a fifth-place overall finish, and sophomore Brooklyn Buckley, who placed eighth in 17:35.55.
Both athletes ran together in the lead pack for much of the race.
Just behind them, junior Layla Merancio surged to 11th (17:46.9), picking off several athletes in the final mile to help solidify Buchanan’s team total.
The Bears’ depth played a major role, with sophomore Aniston Welk (31st, 18:09.6), freshman Noelle Frantz (50th, 18:24.6), sophomore Gaby Gutierrez (55th, 18:30.7), and sophomore Kyzlee Buckley (62nd, 18:36.7), ensuring a packed scoring group.
Buchanan’s scoring five all finished within 36 seconds of each other.
“We’re very proud of them,” Buchanan coach Brian Weaver said. “The kids just believe in each other and continue to grow. Our pack running was the key. We have a lot of faith in our youth, and the way they stepped up was so impressive.”
None of Buchanan’s top four finishers are seniors, which bodes well for the team’s chances next season.
Weaver gave credit to the program’s pipeline at Alta Sierra Intermediate, led by coach Dustin Beauchamp, for preparing runners to compete at a high level.
Buchanan’s previous state championships came in 1994, 2019, 2021, and 2022.
Other top Fresno-area performances
Clovis North senior Conor Lott defended his Division I boys state title with a commanding wire-to-wire victory, surging to the front early and never letting go.
Lott’s time of 14:43.2 was more than five seconds ahead of the runner-up, and a significant improvement from his winning time of 15:05 in 2024.
Clovis North coach Jason Lienau said Lott’s signature win came in Portland in late September.
“After a few mid-season hiccups, he had been feeling incredibly fit and had worked on parts of the course at Tri-River Athletic Conference and Central Section championships at Woodward Park that he knew he could use to his advantage when needed today,” Lienau said.
“He was able to use those sections to put enough pressure on the field that, I think, enabled him to pull away over the final 800 meters or so.”
Lott is committed to running at Georgetown University next fall.
Bullard senior Isabella Ramirez continued her excellent season, finishing fourth in the Division I girls race with a time of 17:26.7. Ramirez ran with the leaders through the first two miles and closed hard to secure a podium spot.
Torres boys placed third overall in the Division II team standings with 148 points. Junior Benjamin Fernandez led Torres, breaking the 15-minute barrier with a personal-best 14:59.2, good for a top-10 individual finish.
Immanuel girls finished fourth in the Division V team race, scoring 160 points.
Fresno Christian girls placed eighth in Division V with 205 points, but the highlight came from boys junior Blake Bay, who earned individual state runner-up honors by finishing second overall in 14:55.6 — just three seconds behind the champion.
This story was originally published November 29, 2025 at 6:31 PM.
