GIRLS
Sylvia Cruz-Albrecht (10) won the division title in the 1600 and ran 4:47 at Masters. (Lizette Adams photo)
Sprints/Hurdles
Tessa Green returns for Santa Margarita and is the defending Division 3 champion in the 200 meters (24.71). While she was the runner-up in the 100 meters (12.00w), she qualified for the Southern Section Masters in the event. Green (in white in Lizette Adams photo) also anchored her squad a year ago to a seventh place finish at the California 
State Meet in the 400 Relay. With six of the top seven all graduated from the 100 meter finals, Maya Hollien of Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) returns after her eighth-place finish. Moving to the 200, five of the top six from last year graduated with Green crossing with the title. Madison Dietz of Notre Dame and Laguna Beach's Majia Shaw both qualified to the finals in 2018 as freshmen. La Sierra's Deja Allain returns with the fastest time (24.66) under all conditions from a year ago.
In the 400 meters, one of the Southern Section's best returns as Bailey Umans of Chaminade will have her eyes set on competing with the best in California. Umans placed fifth at the Masters Meet and moved on 
to eventually place seventh at the California State Meet in a personal best of 55.40. While Umans (hip #8 at right in Lizette Adams photo) is also one of the best in the division for the 200 meters (24.91), she anchored her 1600 Relay squad to an eighth-place finish at the Southern Section Masters Meet last season. Notre Dame's Gabrielle Ellis was runner-up a year ago and won the Sunshine League title with a best of 55.92. Allain of La Sierra and Alemany's DaJahnae Jackson are the other two that eclipse the 57-second threshold in 2018. Meanwhile, Jackson's teammate, Ariana Rodriguez crossed in fifth place at last year's Division 3 finals.
In the hurdles, Chaminade's Jazmin Jackson comes in as the favorite in the 100 Hurdles, as she was the Division 3 runner-up in 2018. Her 14.87 effort was run into a -1.2 wind as she just missed qualifying for the Masters Meet. Leuzinger's Jailah Collins returns after her fifth-place finish (15.60) in the 100 Hurdles last year. With two other finalists moving over to Division 2, El Segundo's Lauren Davis was sixth a year ago. Her personal best is 15.57.
For the 300 hurdles, Corona del Mar's Paige Damron was the 2018 runner-up with a best of 45.23. El Segundo's Davis crossed in fourth place with a personal best of 46.52. But Monrovia's Inaya Jumal returns with the fastest 2018 mark as she burst forward with a 45.16 effort to win the Rio Hondo league finals.
Distance
The Oak Park duo of Sylvia Cruz-Albrecht and Sarah Shulze are two of the main headliners not just in Division 3, but for the Southern Section! Cruz-Albrecht is back from an injury that ended her cross country season and looking to defend her title in the 1600 meters. She placed second at the Southern Section 
Masters Meet (4:47.44) and returns as one of the best in California. Meanwhile, Shulze (in white in Lizette Adams photo) looks to defend her title in the 3200 meters, while she finished fourth at the Masters Meet with a personal best of 10:25.23. She finished 14th at the California State Meet. And, by the way, Cruz-Albrecht rolled to a 10:18.74 last April but opted to make the 1600 her primary focus in the postseason.
In the 1600, the top seven from last year's 2018 Division 3 Finals all return. Brea's Whitney Valenti (4:59.33) and Yorba Linda's Siena Palicke (5:03.02) both finished second and third respectively (#s 8 and 2, respectively, in Lizette Adams photo at top). Covina's Katelyn Vuong (4:56.91 best), La Canada's Ellaney Matarese and Santa Margarita's Kendall Saeger round out the top returners there. Palos Verdes' Samantha Steman is also one of the top returners. Harvard-Westlake's Natalia Quintero was runner-up to Shulze a year ago in the 3200 meters in 2018 but this season, she will be joined by freshman sister Daniela Quintero. The younger sibling captured the Division IV cross country title this past November. In that same event, seven of the top eight from last year's finals return. Also in the mix will be Palos Verdes' Steman, La Canada's Sarah Auther, JSerra's Nadia Tabrizi, Costa Mesa's Diane Molina and Covina's Vuong.
The 800 meters will also feature some of the best returning talent in the section. Three of the top four girls 
from last year's Division 3 finals return, with all three not being located too far from one another. The favorite going into the season is 2018 runner-up Gianna Beasley of South Pasadena. Her personal best is 2:14.44. La Canada's Ellaney Matarese (2:16.51) (2:17.50) of La Canada and Olivia Ruiz of San Marino were third and fourth. Meanwhile, adding to the mix will be Serra transfer, Maya Rush of Covina. Not only does she possess 58.39 leg speed from the 400 meters, but she posted a best of 2:16.46 last season.
At right, Matarese (9) runs with Lauren Turner of Laguna Hills during the 1600 race at the division finals (Lizette Adams photo). Matarese joined Palicke and Saeger from the freshman class who all placed among the top six in 1600 at divisionals.
Throws
Four of the top five in the 2018 Division 3 Shot Put finals graduated. The lone underclassman of the five was Cathedral City's Maijoy Wooten, who placed third and owns a personal best of 37-4. Ridgecrest Burroughs' Mariah Hansen recorded a best of 36-11 in 2018. Meanwhile, Asanti Johnson of Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) and Orange Lutheran's Emily O also had efforts out beyond the 35-foot mark in 2018.
In the discus, Emily O placed third a year ago and qualified for the Southern Section Masters Meet. With a best of 128-1, she has her focus on advancing that meet and onto the State Meet in 2019. Also returning, Antelope Valley's S'Coya Suilaman was fourth a year ago with a personal best of 124-7. Placing fifth a year ago, Emma Robbins of Esperanza will also be a factor as she has already bested her 2018 best with a 127-8 personal best back in December. Robbins' true focus is actually the Hammer throw, where she was USATF Southern Junior Olympics Champion last June and is off to Louisiana State University this upcoming Fall.
Jumps
Beginning with the pole vault, Division 3 runner-up, Kimberly Deming of Cabrillo (Lompoc) returns as the favorite as she comes into 2019 with a best of 11-1. Three girls return with 10-6 clearances from 2018. Santa Margarita's Isabella Ghio peaked best with her third-place finish at last year's finals. Meanwhile, Corona del Mar's Shannon Strassman placed fourth. Stephanie Rodrigez of Cabrillo cleared her best at the Los Padres League Finals. Brea Olinda's Shaelyn Tom and Portola's Natalie Ng both cleared 10-0 at last year's finals, as they finished in sixth and seventh, respectively.
In the long jump, the top three from the 2018 finals have all departed. Taking fourth a year ago, Sophia Hartwell (18-3 best under all conditions) is the top returner as she has transferred over from Pacifica (Garden Grove) to Orange Lutherna. Meanwhile Palm Springs' Maricela Wright was fifth a year ago. Coming in with the second-best mark in the division from 2018, Magnolia's Aryianna Faircloth measured out to a 17-8.5 wind-aided mark at the Division 3 prelims. She was sixth at the finals.
In the triple jump, Mayfair's Joy Umeh is one of the best in the Southern Section and moves in from her third-place finish at the 2018 Division 2 Finals. Her best is 38-8.5 (NWI) as she is now the favorite for the Division 3 crown. Umeh was 11th at the Masters Meet a year ago. Pacifica's Hartwell posted a best of 38-7.5 in April last year, but settled for a sixth-place finish, almost four feet short of her best. Havana Thomas of Alemany was third in 2018 and owns a best of 36-6.75. Lompoc's Aysia Simmons and Sa'Nya Banks of Bellflower have also bounded out beyond 35 feet and were fourth and fifth, respectively at the Division 3 Finals.
Finally, we saved the high jump for last. One of the most versatile jumpers in the section, Tierni Kaufman of Harvard-Westlake is the defending champ (Lizette Adams photo above). She placed fourth at the Southern Section Masters Meet and advanced onward to finish 11th at the California State Meet. She has a best of 5-8 from the Covina Invitational. Kaufman also qualified for the D3 finals in the triple jump and qualified for the D3 prelims in the long jump.
St. Joseph's (Lakewood) Ryann O'Bannon cleared 5-4 in 2018 and was runner-up to Kaufman (Lizette Adams photo at right). She also advanced to the Masters Meet, concluding with a ninth-place finish.
Notre Dame's Cheyenne Alacorn took fourth place in 2018 with a 5-3 clearance, and also advanced to the Masters Meet.
Three others cleared 5-2 in 2018, including the Orange Lutheran duo of Carter Bruning and Sydney Rumsey while Santa Margarita's Dominique Rubalcava also achieved the feat. The high jump is one of the most talented groups that Division 3 boasts going into the 2019 season.