It's no surprise that one of the deepest teams in California is loaded again, and I doubt that Loyola is going to sneak up on anyone. But can we just take a moment to appreciate the sustained excellence of this program? Over the last 6 years they've been in the top 7 at the state meet every season, including two seasons in Division 1. The only thing that keeps the Cubs from ranking even higher in the countdown is that their Improvement Ratings aren't very good - which is probably due to us not having enough data on their young runners in years past (when a team has 3 or more seniors in the top 7 during the postseason, we have to go deep to generate accurate returning rankings). As if their history and returning XC talent weren't enough, Loyola had a monster track season, putting 6 returners under 4:30 and a whopping NINE under 9:50! 2016 #3 runner Shane Bissell posted an eye-opening 9:18 in the spring (a time I associate with a sub-15 3-miler), and rising sophomore Anthony Stone went 4:18 and 9:30. If the Cubs were back in Division 2, I would be ready to name them the title favorite right now - but they're projected to move to D-1 this fall, and the top 4 teams from that division are all back strong. Still, don't be surprised if Loyola ends up on the podium in November at Woodward Park.
2017 Returning Stats:
- 5K Ranking: 3rd
- 3 Mile Ranking: 5th
- 5-Year 3M Improvement Rating: 6th
- Team 1600 Ranking: 3rd
- Team 3200 Ranking: 2nd