The Northern Section qualifies teams for the CIF State meet in Division 3, 4 and 5. The section does not field teams in Divisions 1 and 2.
From the section meet, one boys team and one girls team advances to the State meet from Division 3, three boys teams and two girls teams from Division 4 and one of each from Division 5.
The formula for individual qualifiers is based off of the number of team qualifiers per gender per division. The top five from non-qualifying team(s) must place among the top eight for Divisions 3 and 5, and the top 12 for girls Division 4 and among the top 16 for boys Division 4.
The section doesn't make the live qualifying process simple by running all 45 schools in the section in the same race, regardless of division. On one hand, it does produce a true section individual and team champ. That's cool. But on the other, it makes sorting through the schools by division to uncover the state qualifiers quite cumbersome.
Boys Division 3
Charlie Giannini, a junior from Chico, is your overall Northern Section boys champion, covering the three mile West Valley HS course in Cottonwood in 15:44.80.
Giannini was third in the section in 2016 but was the top returning finisher. He was 44th in the State final last year.
Chico won the five-school Division 3 team title and is the section's lone qualifier to State. Behind Giannini was senior Ty Thompson (11th overall in 16:41.50), junior Bretten Farrell (12th in 16:43.70), junior Rory Monninger (14th in 16:49.20) and junior Riley Farrell (18th in 16:59.25).
Pleasant Valley junior Kyle Johnson, fourth overall (16:17.30), was the top individual qualifier in D3. He will be joined in Fresno by teammates Donovan Freer (16:38.34) and Xavier Simms (16:39.38) as the only individual qualifiers from this division.
Boys Division 4
Three teams advanced from the 15-school division: Section champion Yreka, runner-up University Prep and Paradise Valley.
Isaac Fernandez, who was 34th at the State meet last year as a junior, won the division title in placing second overall here in 16:06.50. He led three Yreka finishers in the top 19 -- Senior Blake Chitwood was sixth (16:30.00) and sophomore Elijah Higelin was 19th (17:00.21).
Individually, West Valley senior Eric Morefield had the meet's third overall time (16:15.40) and Las Plumas senior Brian Hastings was fifth (16:23.60). Hastings' teammate Dymond Kostenko was eighth (16:33.60). Seniors Avery Grady of Enterprise (16:45.25) and Austin Mishoe of Corning (16:53.42) also punched their tickets for Fresno.
Boys Division 5
Hamilton City is the team champion of this 25-school division led by individual division champion Geoffrey Chavez, who was 46th overall (17 58.96).
Willows junior David Gonzalez is the top individual qualifier (18:03.01) and was 50th overall. Other qualifiers for State are Brandon Taylor of Fall River, James Reese of Providence Christian, Joshua Hohberg of Providence Christian and Griffin Hamann of Mt. Shasta.
Top 15 Boys
Three Mile Run
| 1 | Charlie Giannini | 11 | Chico High School (NS) | 15:44.80 | 1 | ||
| 2 | Isaac Fernandez | 12 | Yreka High (NS) | 16:06.50 | 2 | ||
| 3 | Eric Morefield | 12 | West Valley High School (NS) | 16:15.40 | 3 | ||
| 4 | Kyle Johnson | 11 | Pleasant Valley High (NS) | 16:17.30 | 4 | ||
| 5 | Brian Hastings | 12 | Las Plumas High (NS) | 16:23.60 | 5 | ||
| 6 | Blake Chitwood | 12 | Yreka High (NS) | 16:30.00 | 6 | ||
| 7 | Justin Matties | 11 | University Preparatory School (NS) | 16:33.30 | 7 | ||
| 8 | Dymond Kostenko | 12 | Las Plumas High (NS) | 16:33.60 | 8 | ||
| 9 | Donovan Freer | 11 | Pleasant Valley High (NS) | 16:38.30 | 9 | ||
| 10 | Xavier Simms | 12 | Pleasant Valley High (NS) | 16:39.40 | 10 | ||
| 11 | Ty Thompson | 12 | Chico High School (NS) | 16:41.50 | 11 | ||
| 12 | Bretten Farrell | 11 | Chico High School (NS) | 16:43.70 | 12 | ||
| 13 | Avery Grady | 12 | Enterprise High (NS) | 16:45.20 | 13 | ||
| 14 | Rory Monninger | 11 | Chico High School (NS) | 16:49.20 | 14 | ||
| 15 | Austin Mishoe | 12 | Corning High School (NS) | 16:53.40 | 15 | ||
For the full boys varsity individual and team results, click here.