You don't often see a Division 4 team this high in our countdown, but this is no gimmick: Foothill Tech's girls are the real deal. The Dragons graduated only one girl from the 2017 squad that dominated their state championship race, winning by almost 80 points. Then, they went on to have a stellar spring: returning #6 Hanna Vrablik clocked 5:03 to lead 8 returners at 5:32 or better, and Lauren Kearney's 11:06 topped a list of 6 returners that broke 12:20. If Kearney is back to her 2016 form as it seems (she finished 4th in the D4 state meet before struggling just a bit last fall), this will be a team capable of going toe-to-toe with just about anybody in California. Foothill Tech's record of year-to-year improvement over the last three cross country season indicates this is a program that consistently gets better over the summer, so I feel comfortable saying this: in my mind, the question is no longer whether the Dragons can repeat as D4 champs, but whether this is a team that might actually get some consideration as a sleeper for NXN this fall.
| RANK | TIME | ATHLETE/TEAM | GRADE | MEET DATEPLACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18:36.60 | 2019 | ||
| 2 | 18:43.60 | 2019 | ||
| 3 | 18:47.40 | 2019 | ||
| 4 | 19:16.60 | 2019 | ||
| 5 | 19:21.50 | 2020 | ||
| 6 | 19:49.10 | 2019 | Clovis Invitational114th | |
| 7 | 20:32.20 | 2020 |
Team Statistics:
- 5K Improvement Rating: 15th
- 3 Mile Improvement Rating: 14th
- 5K Returning Rankings: 5th
- 3200 Returning Rankings: 8th
- 1600 Returning Rankings: 7th