#MTSACXC Saturday Varsity Previews

Division 1 Varsity Previews

Stuart Kendall (Foothill Santa Ana) takes on Michael Vernau (Davis) in a battle of both talent and height. Vernau gets the edge - he has run on tougher courses this year, and he also had a great race here at Foot Locker West last fall, and that has to give him confidence.  You can also expect Jhavahn Holston (Serrano), David Moreno (Quartz Hill), and Tristan Silva (Paloma Valley) to run well, although they aren't all in the same race.. Keep an eye on Edgar Villa (Vista Murrieta), who had several strong races earlier this season but struggled last weekend; he might have something to prove Saturday. El Toro is a team on the verge of really making some noise this season, and this would be a great place for them to take the next step forward, as they are favored among all the non-sweeps D1 teams. Highland and El Rancho are evenly matched, but could find themselves battling for second place in the division.

We keep hoping to see Kelli Hines back running for Mission Viejo, but this would be a rough course on which to return from injury. In her absence, Jacquelyn Hill (Etiwanda), Christina Rice (Dos Pueblos), and Hannah Hartwell (Carlsbad) could be in line to post the top times, albeit in separate races. Freshman Haley Kirsch (Valencia) could push Hill in Race #70. If Mission Viejo has Hines running, they're the favorite to win their race and post the top team time in the non-sweeps D1 races. If not, they could still be in the mix, but so will California, West Ranch, and a handful of other teams.