Great Oak, which has now won a combined 13 CIF-State team titles, once again will send both of its boys and girls "Temecula XC Club" teams to Portland for Nike Cross Nationals. (Ben Crawford photo)
Here are the team auto-qualifiers and at-large entries from California for the Nike Cross Nationals meet next weekend. Added below are the confirmed automatic individual qualifiers also headed to the December 1 meet in Portland.
Confirmation that Buchanan junior Corie Smith is among the individual at-large invitees among the girls came Monday morning. Smith is the only at-large invitee among CA girls. CA was allotted five auto qualifying individuals per gender.
Among the auto qualifying individuals:
Redwood senior Liam Anderson, a two-time CIF-State Division III champion, was third at NXN 2017. Jesuit junior Matt Strangio, the State Division I winner, was 15th last year in Portland. Rubidoux senior Kevin Ramos was 51st. Ramos was runner-up to Anderson in D-III at State.
Buchanan's Smith joins teammate Meagen Lowe, Oak Park's Sarah Shulze, Ayala's Mikaela Ramirez, Walnut's Chloe Arriaga -- all seniors -- and Del Oro freshman sensation Riley Chamberlain as individual girls representing CA.
Smith won the State Division I title as a sophomore but woke up sick on Saturday and was unable to defend her title on her home Woodward Park course. She posted on social media Sunday morning that she had received a bid to extend her season this Saturday in Portland.
NXN: The basics
NXN brings together top teams and individuals from nine regions across the U.S. There are eight NXN regional qualifying meets plus the top teams from the CIF-State Meet.
When: Saturday, December 1, 2018
Where: Glendoveer Golf Course, Portland OR
Time:
- 10:05am: Girls Race
- 11:35am: Boys Race
Related:
Liam Anderson (left) of Redwood was third at Nike Cross Nationals in 2017. (Ben Crawford photo)
CALIFORNIA AUTO TEAM QUALIFIERS
BOYS:
1) Temecula XC Club (Great Oak)
2) Stevenson Ranch XC Club (West Ranch)
GIRLS:
1) Temecula XC Club (Great Oak)
2) Claremont XC Club (Claremont)
AT-LARGE TEAM QUALIFIERS
BOYS:
1) Newbury Park XC Club, CA (Newbury Park)
2) Highlands Ranch XC Club, CO
3) South Spokane XC Club, WA
4) La Costa XC Club, CA (La Costa Canyon)
GIRLS:
1) Boise XC Club, ID
2) Murrieta XC Club, CA (Vista Murrieta)
3) Liverpool XC Club, NY
4) Niwot XC Club, CO
CA AUTO INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS
BOYS:
- Liam Anderson (Redwood, senior)
- Matt Strangio (Jesuit, junior)
- Kevin Ramos (Rubidoux, senior)
- Ethan Danforth (Canyon Country Canyon, senior)
- Loic Scomparin (Dublin, senior)
GIRLS:
- Riley Chamberlain (Del Oro, freshman, State Division III champion)
- Meagen Lowe (Buchanan, senior)
- Sarah Shulze (Oak Park, senior)
- Mikaela Ramirez (Ayala, senior)
- Chloe Arriaga (Walnut, senior, was a member of the West team at Foot Locker Nationals as a junior)
AT-LARGE:
- Corie Smith (Buchanan, junior)