DIVISION 1
Just How Much Will Great Oak Dominate?
No team is more favored to claim a title in the five divisions than Great
Oak. With endless depth and top-tiered talent as always, to go along with a division in flux (featuring most squads on
the rise or trying to manage graduations) do not be surprised if Great Oak captures
their fifth straight title by over 100 points at 
the divisional finals. Keep in mind that they graduated their top
three finishers from the 2018 divisional finals. But, despite that, their
B squad would still be the favorites for the divisional crown and that is with
no disrespect to their fellow Division 1 counterparts. With
Gabriel Abbes (14:17 at the '18 Woodbridge Classic) fully healed, he looks to reunite
with Chris Verdugo (15:03 at the '18 finals) and Cole Sawires-Yager (15:03 at
the '18 prelims) up front. Junior Mateo Joseph (14:57 on the Riverside / Southern Section Championship Course and 15:12 at the State Meet), now back from
taking the track season off to heal, was absolute money down the stretch for
the Wolfpack as he crossed as their top gun in their final two contests. With that, they still have seven
others that have run a 15:10 or below on three-mile courses! With Dana Hills moving to Division 2 and West
Ranch trying to fill the void of graduating two of California's best, we will
see a new crop of squads vying for that other six spots to the State Meet.
RELATED
- Great Oak Preseason Interviews: Gabe Abbes | Mateo Joseph | Chris Verdugo
What squads are chasing that runner-up spot?
On paper, it looks to be a tight battle between Martin Luther King and Roosevelt while Burbank is in position to qualify for the California State Meet for the first time since 2011. King and Roosevelt will fight one another for the Big VIII League title while both return the bulk of their squads, with King only graduating one from last year's 13th place squad. Roosevelt is led by Raul Chavez (4:18/9:21 this past Spring) and Michael Sahagun, while King counters with junior Edgar Ortega and Austin Fortenberry. While the Mustangs have the advantage up front, King possesses more back end depth. It is difficult to believe that Burbank, who did not qualify for the divisional finals of 24 squads in 2018, is in the conversation for a top-three finish but that is, indeed, the case. Victor Goli is coming off a strong track season and will join junior Andres Leon up front. But the Pacific League will not be handed over just yet to the Bulldogs just yet. Crescenta Valley head coach, Mark Evans, does as fine a job at getting his squads prepared for November as any other. Off the preseason grid a year ago, they placed fifth at last year's divisional finals and we will not overlook them for a second straight season! Dylan Wilbur is one of the state's best and is coming in off a 4:12 track season this past Spring. Wilbur placed 12th at the 2018 divisional finals with a time of 14:51. Crescenta Valley and Great Oak may be the only two squads in Division 1 that will return back to the State Meet.
Who can break up that second-tiered group?
La Serna finished the 2018 season in that eighth-place slot, just missing the
State Meet by being leapfrogged by two upstarts, Mira Costa and California. This season, with Pioneer transfer Nathaniel Estrada moving over in 2019, the Lancers add up-front depth with the Division 4 State Meet qualifier. Coming off a solid track season of development, Vista Murrieta has quietly improved into the conversation for the State Meet as well. Daniel Rodriguez-led Highland finished a distant 22nd
place at the 2018 finals but return most of their squad that is bouncing back
from a successful spring on the oval. Meanwhile,
West Ranch and Arcadia will initially be on the outside but looking to break
back into the State Meet hunt by the postseason.
Other top Returning Individuals:
- Ronan McMahon-Staggs of Long Beach Poly was a distant 22nd place at the 2018 finals, but yet is eighth fastest returner from that race. When combining his efforts from the 1600 and 3200 this past spring, he had the best credentials combined with 4:18 and 9:18 efforts, respectively.
- West Ranch's Dylan Gatua was one of the top sophomores in California before losing his track season to injury. He was the only underclassmen (14:49 on the Riverside course) to finish in the top 10 at the 2018 divisional finals before placing 14th at the State Meet. He was the second-fastest sophomore at the Division 1 State Meet finals (behind Great Oak's Mateo Joseph).
- Roosevelt's Raul Chavez qualified for the State Meet as an individual with his 15th place finish in 2018. He was very impressive this past May, posting 4:18.00 and 9:21.34 career bests at the Division 1 prelims. He posted a 14:47 on the Riverside course last October and returns with the top time in the division on that course.
- Aliso Niguel's Ben McKenna was 16th at the 2018 finals with a 14:53 clocking while qualifying as an individual to the State Meet. On the track, he is coming into the season with a 4:15.80 in the 1600 meters this past Spring.
- Highland junior Daniel Rodriguez just missed qualifying for the State Meet by one spot in 2018 with his 15:00 effort. He then advanced onto the Division 1 finals for the 1600 meters with a surprising 4:16.19 effort, which ended as the second-fastest time in California for the event for sophomores.