Boys #CountdownToXC Day 10: Trabuco Hills



Rarely have I ever seen things fall apart quite as spectacularly as they did for Trabuco Hills last fall. Entering the Southern Section prelims with a solid chance to eventually advance to the postseason, the Mustangs finished 5th in their heat to make finals...and then collapsed the next week. The absence of Josh O'Neill in their last race certainly made an impact, but doesn't completely explain the team's 21st-place finish. So why is Trabuco all the way up at 10th in the countdown? A combination of two things: solid returning 3 Mile times and even better team track results. The Mustangs are one of only 8 teams in California to put 6 or more guys under 10 minutes in the 3200, with Trevor Tirrell coming in as the 5th-best #3 runner in the state this spring. There's a ton of depth in the pipeline, with 19 returning boys that broke 5 minutes for the 1600 (including 6 at 4:40 or better). Those aren't world-beating numbers, but they are the numbers I would expect for a state meet caliber team, and in Division 1 that's saying something. Throw in a dash of senior leadership with at least 4 in the top 7, plus a serious case of motivation (not to mention the near certainty that they can't have the same horrible luck again). I'm calling Trabuco Hills as my Major Sleeper Team of the 2017 season!


2017 Returning Stats:


  • 5K Ranking: 22nd
  • 3-Year 5K Improvement Rating: 20th
  • 3 Mile Ranking: 18th
  • Team 1600 Ranking: 9th
  • Team 3200 Ranking: 8th