Girls Coundown to XC Day 14: Poway

Experience is often the key that sorts between talented contenders at the state level, and Poway returns a ton of it. The Titans finished second in the San Diego Section D2 race and advanced to the state meet in 2018, where they finished 14th. They have all seven runners back from that squad, including four rising seniors that should provide leadership and serious purpose this time around. This team is the epitome of "solid" - they don't have an individual that stands out (they have two tightly packed groups in their projected top 7), and they rank well but not exceptionally in all three metrics used for this countdown. Here's the information that really bumped them up in my mind: returning #7 Sophia Chittle broke through in the spring, running 5:13 and 11:21 to rank 1st and 2nd on the team, respectively. If she can continue to run with MacKenzie Rogers, Katie Downs, and Eva Rethmeier up front, Poway will have one of the better front fours in the state. The goal should be to move well into the top 10 in the Division 2 state meet this year, and I could see the titans threatening for the top 5.