Girls Coundown to XC Day 9: Mira Costa

The Mustangs had an excellent 2018 season, finishing on the podium in both the Southern Section Finals and the state meet. Mira Costa graduated three seniors from that squad, which would normally be a formula for taking a step backward. Several of their returning 5K times were run on the ultra-fast Master's College course, which inflates their ranking at that distance a little bit. With Dalia Frias up front, though, it's a little bit easier to reload for 2019 - she ran 4:51 and 10:49 this spring, showing that she is primed to All the Mustangs need is to develop a solid pack behind her, and they will be in position to make the state meet again. There should be a sense of urgency in that support group, as most of them are seniors this year and want to go out strong. I am guessing Mira Costa will be a little bit weaker than last fall, perhaps top 6 at the state meet instead of top 3, but I think it would be a mistake to expect too much of a dip in their team performance.