North Coast
Section
November 21,
2015-Hayward High School
NCS/Les
Schwab Cross Country Championships Race Schedule and Preview
Hayward High School will once again be the host for the 12th straight year! The three-mile course features multiple loops, which allows spectators to view much of the course from the middle of the grass fields.
Race Schedule (Same order as CA State Meet)
WALK THE COURSE 7:00am - 8:15am
8:30am Division III Girls' Race
9:05am Division IV Girls' Race
9:40am Division
III Boys' Race
10:10am Division IV Boys' Race
10:40am Division V Girls' Race
11:15am Division I Boys' Race
11:45am Division
II Girls' Race
12:20pm Division V Boys' Race
12:50pm Division I Girls' Race
1:25pm Division
II Boys' Race
The State CIF/NCS Divisions are as follows:
Division I 2,061 and up
Division II 1,576 - 2,060
Division III 1,121 - 1,575
Division IV 500 - 1,120
Division V 499
or less
NCS Preview:
Thank you very much to all the coaches and athletes who helped me break down each division. The following is my best attempt to predict the top 5-7 teams as well as a detailed view of the top individuals for each division (boys and girls) in today's section meet. The teams from this meet that will qualify for the State Meet at Woodward Park in Fresno on November 28th are noted for each division. The top 5 individuals from each race will also qualify to the state meet provided they are in the top 12 when 2 teams qualify, top 14 when 3 teams qualify, top 16 when 4 teams qualify, top 18 when 5 teams qualify, top 20 when 6 teams qualify and top 22 when 7 teams qualify.
The winning teams in each division will receive plaques. The top 2 teams in each division will receive pennants. The top 3 teams in each division will receive medals. Seven (7) medals will be provided per team of seven. The top 7 individuals in each race will receive medals.
Division I
Girls - (Top 2 teams advance to state meet):
1. Monte Vista
2. San Ramon Valley
3. Liberty
4. Amador Valley
5. Santa Rosa
The favorite to win the individual title this year is the EBAL 2nd place finisher, Monte Vista's Brooke Starn. She was on track to win last year but ended up finishing 3rd due to anemia. Now healthy, Starn has been quite impressive and ended up with the fastest time at the historically strong, Mt. SAC Invitational. Starn's teammate and the defending champion Meredith Corda will certainly keep her honest. 4-time NBL champion, Santa Rosa's Delaney White, MVAL champion, James Logan's Alexandra Newsom, Amador Valley's Melodie Leroudier, San Ramon Valley teammates Molly Neach and Kate Tavella, Liberty's Kai Bohannon and Emily Wylie as well as Dougherty Valley's Alexandria Tucker and Helen Guo all should be part of the chase pack. With Monte Vista and San Ramon Valley as the potential state meet qualifying teams, look for the above runners not on those teams to be in contention for the five automatic qualifying spots.
Boys - (Top 2 teams advance to state meet):
1. Monte Vista
2. Amador Valley
3. Santa Rosa
4. Dougherty Valley
5. San Ramon Valley/De
La Salle
Santa Rosa's strength and what gives them the best shot for qualifying to the state meet as a team is due to their two front-runners, Daniel Pride and Luca Mazzanti. Pride has been the team's leader throughout the year and will be aiming for the top spot here. Along with the Santa Rosa duo, you will see Neil Braganza of Dougherty Valley as well as the Monte Vista pack led by Timothy Chrisman and Tristan Miller. Ariel Monsalud of James Logan and Benry Sheehan of Heritage are veterans at this meet and will be aiming at collecting one of those 5 automatic individual spots.
Division II
Girls - (Top 3 teams advance to state meet):
1. Granada
2. Redwood
3. Maria Carrillo
4. Alameda
5. Dublin/Clayton
Valley Charter
The strong favorite to win the individual title will be Megan McCandless of Granada. She won last year, racing to a 17:48 winning time in less than ideal conditions. She was spectacular at her own league final as she finished with a time of 16:30.85, a new course record on the Shadow Cliffs course. In the history of the NCS meet at the Hayward course, only three girls (Amber Trotter, Carrie Verdon and Sarah Sumpter have dipped under the 17 minute mark and it looks like the weather will cooperate which will give McCandless a great chance to join that elite trio. The chase pack should include the top two Redwood girls (Glennis Murphy and Gillian Wagner), Casa Grande's Adria Barich, Granada's Taylor Lawsen and Colleen McCandless as well as Livermore's Kajol Maheshwari.
Boys - (Top 3 teams advance to state meet):
1. Redwood
2. Granada
3. Maria Carrillo
4. Dublin
5. Clayton Valley
Charter
Andy Ehrenberg of Redwood is the defending champion and will be the favorite here. He ran 15:15 at Mt. SAC and just won the MCAL meet over a tough Jeremy Leary of Sir Francis Drake. He will be chased by Granada's Leo Skellenger (EBAL champion), Anirudh Surapaneni of Dublin, Newark Memorial teammates Ian Hutchinson and Jordan Kirby as well as Maria Carrillo's top runner, Carson Kimball.
Division III
Girls - (Top 4 teams advance to state meet):
1. Campolindo
2. Bishop O'Dowd
3. Las Lomas
4. Albany
5. El Cerrito/Tamalpais
The race for the individual title should be an interesting one. All three contenders raced against each other in three separate races in the DFAL. Chloe Hansel, a senior from Las Lomas, is the defending section and state champion and was the victor in the first league meet. Miramonte freshman, Cassidy Haskell won the 2nd league meet while Campolindo senior, Hana Sun, won the league final. The winner should be one of those three runners. Piner freshman, Cynthia Rosales, Analy junior, Emma Douch, Campolindo sophomore, Hannah Ruane and Bishop O'Dowd junior, Grace Taylor should all be in the mix for a top 10 finish.
Boys - (Top 4 teams advance to state meet):
1. Campolindo
2. Las Lomas
3. Piner
4. Albany
5. Petaluma/San
Rafael
The race for the individual title should be a good one. John F. Kennedy senior, David Frisbie, will lead early and try to run away from the field. He will be chased by Cameron Gaskell of Acalanes, Jared Yabu of Campolindo, Nick Downs of Bishop O'Dowd as well as Tom Robey of Las Lomas. Also in the mix will be San Rafael teammates Blake Delaney and Munir Kabbara and Campolindo's #2 man, Jonathan Semenza.
Division IV
Girls - (Top 4 teams advance to state meet):
1. Piedmont
2. St. Mary's
Berkeley
3. McKinleyville
4. Cardinal Newman
5. Arcata/Justin-Siena
Morgin Coonfield is on track to win her 3rd NCS title as a senior after a 4th place finish as a freshman. She may also be chasing the Division IV course record held by Sarah Sumpter of Healdsburg (16:59 in 2007). The pack that will chase Coonfield will include Piedmont teammates Emma Seevak and Erin Hong, Cardinal Newman runner Kasey Braun and St. Mary's Berkeley lead runner, Ella Hymel.
Boys - (Top 3 teams advance to state meet):
1. Sir Francis Drake
2. McKinleyville
3. Piedmont
4. Arcata
5. St. Mary's
Berkeley/Moreau Catholic
Drake will go for the daily double as their lead runner, Jeremy Leary, will attempt to win his first individual section title. It will not be easy as the top 2 runners from last year's meet are both back to defend their positions. Arcata's Brandon Kelsey won the individual title in 2014 but he will not be the favorite heading into today's meet. Aside from Leary, last year's 2nd place finisher, Brian Schulz of El Molino, has been quite impressive this year including running a fine 9:18.14 at "The Night of the Two-Mile Madness", last Friday at Santa Rosa Junior College. Kelsey's teammate, Kellen O'Neill gives Arcata a tough duo up front and he will be in contention for an individual qualifying position if Arcata doesn't advance as a team. Wyatt Miceli of Drake, a very tough sophomore runner, gives Drake their own dynamic duo and is typically at the front end of most races. St. Mary's Berkeley runner, Faraz Khan, finished 2nd to Cooper Teare at his league final.
Division V
Girls - (Top 6 teams advance to state meet):
1. St. Joseph Notre
Dame
2. Branson
3. Lick-Wilmerding
4. University
5. College Prep
6. Urban/Head Royce/Sonoma Academy
Rylee Bowen won last year's NCS meet as well as the state meet, which is quite impressive for a freshman runner. She is the favorite once again but it will not be easy. St. Joseph Notre Dame teammates Kiera Marshall, Emily Perez and Beatrice Marshall will all be aiming for a top finish for their team. Others that will join the lead pack will include Branson's Grace Daily, BCL East champion, Brianna Bourne of College Prep, and BCL West champion, Coco Ocker of Urban.
Boys - (Top 5 teams advance to state meet):
1. Marin Academy
2. St. Joseph Notre
Dame
3. Lick-Wilmerding
4. University
5. Athenian/College
Prep
6. Sonoma Academy
While the team race seems rather murky, the race for the individual title is crystal clear. SJND junior Cooper Teare will run very fast and win this race. He was impressive at the Stanford Invite and at Mt. SAC and will contend for an individual title at the state meet. Henry Fleming appears to be the next best runner in this division and will come into this meet as the BCL West champion. Zach Connolly of Redwood Christian won the BCL East meet in a new course record just ahead of surging Alex Glavin of College Prep. Eli Horowitz of Stuart Hall was the 2nd finisher at the BCL West meet and will be in the mix as well. Athenian teammates Dawson Reckers and Anthony Ottati will also be up front attempting to lead their team to another state championship meet.