DIVISION V GIRLS
TIER 1
Flintridge Prep - The five-time defending champs will have to overcome the loss of three graduates, especially their top girl, Sophie Gitlin. But they will also have to overcome the retirement of longtime head 
coach Ingrid Herskind. Despite that, this should be the 20th straight season that Flintridge Prep has qualified for the State champions. Sasha Codiga and Haley Allen are projected to finish within the division's top 10. Codiga is coming off a 2:17/5:14 track season. Meanwhile, Allen improved down to an 11:43 for the 3200 meters. Jenna Mijares returns with a 19:47 from last postseason Hope Codiga will look to give her squad another girl under 20 minutes. Caroline Wreszin returns with a 20:30 on the Mt. SAC course. These five seniors are looking to for another title and if there's a knock on Flintridge Prep this season, they may well graduate all of their scorers this year.
St. Margaret's - The Tartans return six from their state meet crew from a year ago. The divisional runners-up could make it very interesting for Flintridge Prep this November, at least on paper where these two teams appear evenly matched. This should be their sixth straight trip to the divisional finals and third consecutive November trip to Clovis for the State final. This program had a run of six consecutive trips to the State meet from 2005-2010. Andi Carnell returns with the second fastest time in the division from the Riverside Championship course at 18:00.7. Carnell, a senior, is the top returning Southern Section finisher at State and the No. 4 returner overall. She also excelled this past track season with a 5:09 at the divisional finals. Charlotte Jones also broke 19 minutes at last year's finals. Jones came away from the track season with a 5:23 best. Madeleine Arundale, Audrey Larson, Julia Martin, and Claire Mullen all return with state meet experience. The quartet put in a solid track season and may very well be the reason why St. Margaret's could bring home their first title.
Thacher - The same three teams we have competing for the title on the boys' side double back here for the girls. The Toads return all seven from last year's state meet squad that took 4th at the division finals. On paper, Thacher returns more depth but lacks the frontrunners that the other two in this tier do. Tess Edwards is the senior veteran that will lead this crew once again. She posted a best of 19:27 last postseason. Meanwhile, fellow senior, Lily Harding actually ran her best race at the state meet along with Barkley Bennett. Caroline DelVecchio is another that also dipped into the 19's last postseason. Reyna Kleemeier, Karina Anderson and Jina Zhao round out their varsity seven from a year ago. Anderson is coming off a solid track season that her run 12:20 as a CIF qualifier. Aside from an off year in 2016, this should be their eighth time in nine seasons of making the trip to the state meet. Thacher did win the divisional title back in 2012 and be right up in the mix here in 2018.
TIER 2
Pomona Catholic - The Pacers displayed some impressive development a year ago, thus, the 5th place finish, moving up from 18th place back in 2016. The state meet team from 2017 returns five of six. Brook Burciaga and Lilianna Garcia both excelled last year running in the 19:50's on the Riverside Championship course. Meanwhile, the Unger sisters, Tristan and Dakota, along with Yasmine Valjalo all ran within a minute of Burciaga. With state meet experience and seven girls with postseason experience returning, this crew will be in the mix once again for their second straight state meet berth and third in the past six seasons.
Xavier Prep - The Saints return five of their top six from the 7th place squad a year ago. Advancing to the 
state meet for the sixth time in the past nine seasons, head coach Aron Lyons is most impressed with the group's attitude this summer (even in 110+ degree heat?!?!)! Molly May was one of the top freshmen in the division on the state level and will be in the mix for a top-five spot at this year's divisional finals. While May has become the leader already, twin sister Savana May along Katelyn Salas, Jaylen Perez and Taylor Schlicht have all put in a solid summer. All in Mia Limon, who was their No. 2 scorer at the state meet, this will be a squad of all underclassmen. Lyons referenced their title in 2011 to go along with two runner-up plaques in 2010 and 2012. With that, he indicated that this group plans on carving out their own niche in their history books.
Pasadena Poly - The Panthers have finished in the top 10 the past four seasons and this should be their ninth straight trip to the division finals. They return six from last year's postseason group. Sophie Phinney qualified for the state meet as an individual in 2017 and returns as one of the best in the division. Olivia Schleifer, Vivian Wheeler, Shaya Naimi, Martha Gluck and Alessia Checcone round out the returners from last year. Those five are only 30 seconds apart when comparing their marks from last year's postseason. That pack, along with front-running Phinney, put this squad right where they need to be in trying to make the state meet for the second time in three seasons.
Mammoth - The Huskies return their top six from a year ago. This could be only the third time in the last 13 seasons that Mammoth has qualified for the finals. But this year, they very well could be on the cusp of 
advancing onto to the state meet for the first time since 2004. Jordyn Harper returns after qualifying for the state meet as an individual last year. She owns the seventh fastest time of any girl in the division on the Riverside Championship course. Lizzetta and Emma Dardenne-Ankringa are looking to break 20 minutes by the postseason and along with Rhona McChesney and Robin Romignano, this crew should be right there to make the trip to Fresno to join Harper, but as a team.
TIER 3
Academy of Academic Excellence - They are looking for a third straight divisional finals berth. AAE has placed 17th and 10th each of the last two season and is right on the cusp of competing for one of those seven state meet spots in 2018. AAE returns all seven from a year ago, led by Alyssa Lovett. Kimberely Page, Caitlyn Lovett and Ashley Valdovinos all excelled at last year's finals. Ysabella Sardillo was their No. 5 scorer. While they return everybody, where they lack is that true front-runner that the squads ahead of them possess. If they can pack together better and steadily improve, like they have past two seasons, they will be knocking on the door for a trip to Fresno.
Village Christian - When we witnessed freshman Mia Barnett cruise comfortably to an 18:25 solo effort at the Riverside Invitational, we knew instantly that she had much more in her. Well, she then came back to easily capture the Division V individual title in 17:43. Barnett has since established herself as one of the best runners in the state and was one of the fastest in the nation for the 1600 meters this past track season. Five others return from a team that placed 11th a year ago. Twins, Katelyn and Michaela Mattos, along with Catherine Ausherman all finished within a second of each other at the 2017 finals. If Emme Mattos can join her sisters in that pack and with some nice improvement, Village Christian could very well be a top 10 squad. One thing we do know is that Barnett should be an automatic point fter one scorer.
Sage Hill - Looking for their fourth straight trip to the state meet, the Lightning are coming off their 3rd place finish from a year ago. They did graduate two of their top four, including one of the division's best in Brooklyn Button. On paper, depth is a concern as they have a drop off after their top three returners. Seniors Maya Jaffe and Alice Warden both return with sub-20 minute credentials from last postseason. Kate Miller will try to move up to those two. In the meantime, Sage Hill will have to see some solid improvement to secure another trip to the state meet.
Sacred Heart of Jesus - This should be their seventh straight season advancing to the divisional finals. While this team placed 13th last year, they must make up for the graduation of Stephanie Ramirez-Garcia. In returning five others, three of their scorers last year ran much faster at the prelims. Gema and Paulina Buelna, Anarely Hernandez, and Alexa Zaragoza are their top four underclassmen from last year. Based on the 2017 postseason, only 40 seconds separates these four. With one of the larger girls' programs in the division, if the Comets develop that pack mentality and improve up into the sub-20's, they will have a squad that could rise to the top of this tier.
Viewpoint - The Patriots return four from that team that placed 6th and earned a trip to the state meet. As is the case with a lot of small school programs, depth and numbers is always a challenge but more so with the Viewpoint girls team. They have finished in the top 10 three times in the past four seasons but it will be a challenge here in 2018. Frontrunner, Elizabeth Scott will vie for a top ten spot at the divisional finals as she rolled to a 19:24 last year. Aside from Amanda Hogan's 20:41, they were the only two underclassmen to break 21:30. If they shore up their depth, Viewpoint should work their back to another spot at the divisional finals.