BOYS TEAMS
Naturally, with three front-runners, La Costa Canyon would be unbeatable in a dual meet. But the state is not just two teams so depth is critical.
The Mavericks' No. 4 runner, junior Andy Pueschel, is perfectly placed just a half-minute or so behind the leaders with a 15:47.2 at Stanford but a No. 5 will need to step up and junior James Miramontes appears to be the most likely.
The No. 2 team in San Diego, Del Norte, is also in Division II as is No. 3 Poway.
El Capitan in Division III, Sage Creek in Division IV and Francis Parker in Division V are looking for strong showings at Mt. SAC to validate their hopes later in the season. Top-heavy San Pasqual deserves a mention, as does D-I San Marcos, and both have time to improve.