Boys #CountdownToXC Day 20: Long Beach Poly



The Jackrabbits are the perfect example of a younger team that fell short at the end of the 2016 season, but has made demonstrated and significant progress since then. Poly has all 7 runners back from the squad that finished 15th in Division 1 at the Southern Section Finals, which puts them 11th among all returning Southern Section teams. (It's worth noting here that nearly all the team's top 7 had their best time at the finals, which is a good sign as well.) That by itself is enough to at least make the countdown somewhere, but when you look at track times you can see why I'm strong on this team: Poly ranks 16th in California in both the Team 1600 and Team 3200. That shows a team commitment to year-round running, and it also shows a few individuals that may have made a big step forward heading into summer training. For example, returning #4 runner Hank Anderson ran 4:23 in the spring, while #2 & #3 returners Jack Raymond and Thomas Fleming both posted 9:48 3200's. If those four have closed on leader William Frankenfield, and if the team can cultivate some depth, a state meet berth could be within the Jackrabbits grasp...and when you can make the state meet out of the Southern Section in Division 1, you're good.


2017 Returning Stats:


  • 3 Mile Ranking: 17th
  • 3-Year 3M Improvement Rating: 25th
  • Team 1600 Ranking: 16th
  • Team 3200 Ranking: 16th