Storylines to Watch in the Central Section

The Ridgeview boys have dominated Division 3 in the Central Section but face new challenges in 2019. (Credit: DeAnna Turner)

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First in a series

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Six of the 10 division champions from the 2018 CIF-Central Section Cross Country Championships return for 2019, including a handful of the top runners in all of California. 

The Central Section's individual elite list begins with Clovis Buchanan senior Corie Smith. As a sophomore, Smith won the Division 1 title at the CIF-State Meet. While she won the Central Section's D1 title last fall, illness forced her to miss a chance to defend her title at the State Championships. 

Once healthy, Smith returned to place second in the 3200 at the State Track Championships and undoubtedly will be on the short list for CA Runner of the Year honors this fall. 

Bakersfield Ridgeview is led by returners Alex Cuevas (2020), Ased Adus (2020) and Gerardo Moreno (2021), who spearheaded a 1-2-3-4-10 finish for 20 points and and an 85-point route at the CS Final last November. (That was three fewer points than the Wolf Pack scored in a 92-point route in 2017!) With that trio again leading the way, Ridgeview carved out an 11-point victory over Campolindo to win the D3 title at the State Meet.

The Ridgeview boys again will be one of the state's best but the challenges at both the section and state level will increase quite a bit with the move to Division 2. 

Those are just two of the storylines in the Central Section this cross country season. Check out a few more in the pages that follow.