Girls Division III Preview
- Runner to beat: Savannah Scriven (Palos Verdes/SS)
- Team To beat: Campolindo (NC)
- Entries
Individual Competition
Yes, we picked Scriven over defending champion Riley Chamberlain, the wunderkind soph from Del Oro. Yes, we did.
Scriven, a senior, has had a stellar season. She was sixth at Woodbridge while running her 3-mile PR (16:28.90), was fourth at Clovis running her 5K PR (17:24.40), and just won the Southern Section title while leading her team to the section title. Scriven is also the state leader among girls in D-III for both 5K and 3 miles.
Chamberlain, on those rankings, is No. 2 for both, having gone 16:52.90 for her 3-mile PR at Woodbridge, and a season-best for 5K of 17:29.10 for second at Capital Cross. Chamberlain also is coming off a Sac-Joaquin Section title and has an extra week of rest to benefit. The lineup of girls right behind in the distance rankings is very likely what we will see on the course on Saturday, with Yorba Linda junior Siena Palicke, Mission Vista junior Bella Longo, Palos Verdes senior Samantha Steman, the Brea Olindo duo of Whitney Valenti and Mia Douge, and Portola freshman Jadyn Zdanavage among those expected to be digging deep late for podium spots.
Longo was fourth last year with Scriven and Steman fifth and sixth.
Palicke is the only other girl in this group to run sub-18 for 5K this season and she did it on the State Meet course at the Clovis Invitational the second week of October. The 5K season-best list drops off substantially after Steman.
Team Competition
A week ago, this may have played out differently. But, as they say, what a difference a week makes.
What was a slow climb toward the top hit the after-burners on Saturday as Campolindo put on a clinic at 
the North Coast Section Championships while our previous No. 1, Brea Olinda, had an off race at the Southern Section Finals.
the North Coast Section Championships while our previous No. 1, Brea Olinda, had an off race at the Southern Section Finals. Those results dictated the obvious shuffling in the rankings but also in the thinking of how the State Championship might play out.
Campo put up a 90:16 team time with a 57-second split. Campo had four of the top six across the line and all seven across before anyone else had four. That team had three seniors up front and two freshman scoring, one, Ellie Buckley, as the runner-up to teammate and champion Paloma Hancock. If those ladies can repeat what they did Saturday at Hayward, the Campo train will be tough to stop.
Palos Verdes was second in 2018 with Campo third behind Vista del Lago (SJ), a team now in D-II. PV rode its two senior stars but will need step-ups from the others to challenge Campolindo and also to hold off the likes of Brea Olinda, San Diego champion Cathedral Catholic, and a Riley Chamberlain-led Del Oro quintet that crushed the competition at the Sac-Joaquin Final.
State Girls 5K Individual Leaders in Division III (Full list)
| RANK | TIME | ATHLETE/TEAM | GRADE | MEET DATEPLACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17:24.40 | 2020 | ||
| 2 | 17:29.10 | 2022 | ||
| 3 | 17:59.20 | 2021 | ||
| 4 | 18:00.00 | 2021 | ||
| 5 | 18:01.20 | 2020 | ||
| 6 | 18:28.10 | 2020 | ||
| 7 | 18:30.90 | 2020 | ||
| 8 | 18:32.36 | 2021 | ||
| 9 | 18:33.60 | 2020 | ||
| 10 | 18:35.40 | 2023 |
State Girls 5K Team Leaders in Division III (Full list)
| 1 | Campolindo High School (NC) (CA) | 134 | ||
| 1) Ellie Buckley | 18:35.40 | 10 | ||
| 2) Alicia Hober | 18:41.30 | 12 | ||
| 3) Paloma Hancock | 19:14.20 | 32 | ||
| 4) Sophia Webster | 19:17.20 | 34 | ||
| 5) Emma Smith | 19:31.10 | 46 | ||
| Average Time: 19:03.84 Total Time: 1:35:19.20 1-5 Split: 55.70 | ||||
| 6) Ellie Guthrie | 20:03.20 | 88 | ||
| 7) Mia Travis | 20:08.70 | 96 | ||
| 2 | Cathedral Catholic (SD) (CA) | 144 | ||
| 1) Trang Woolridge | 18:45.00 | 13 | ||
| 2) Elizabeth Houk | 19:03.00 | 23 | ||
| 3) Lexi Arambulo | 19:03.00 | 24 | ||
| 4) Maxine Arambulo | 19:15.00 | 33 | ||
| 5) Madelyn Basinett | 19:38.00 | 51 | ||
| Average Time: 19:08.80 Total Time: 1:35:44.00 1-5 Split: 53.00 | ||||
| 6) Sophia Kisir | 19:44.00 | 57 | ||
| 7) Ariella Pacheco | 19:49.00 | 63 | ||
| 3 | Brea Olinda High (SS) (CA) | 174 | ||
| 1) Whitney Valenti | 18:28.10 | 6 | ||
| 2) Mia Douge | 18:30.90 | 7 | ||
| 3) Kendra Painter | 19:27.80 | 42 | ||
| 4) Emily Wernli | 19:30.70 | 45 | ||
| 5) Clarice Margo | 19:56.50 | 74 | ||
| Average Time: 19:10.80 Total Time: 1:35:54.00 1-5 Split: 1:28.40 | ||||
| 6) Cassie Apahidean | 20:19.50 | 110 | ||
| 7) Gwen Maddox | 20:35.60 | 130 | ||
| 4 | Highland High Bakersfield (CS) (CA) | 284 | ||
| 1) Haley Ulloa | 18:57.90 | 19 | ||
| 2) Lianna Guerra | 19:07.43 | 26 | ||
| 3) Ysabel Gamon | 19:24.90 | 41 | ||
| 4) Neyda Martinez | 19:57.90 | 78 | ||
| 5) Crystal Torrecillas | 20:26.10 | 120 | ||
| Average Time: 19:34.85 Total Time: 1:37:54.23 1-5 Split: 1:28.20 | ||||
| 6) Addison Johnson | 21:25.68 | 250 | ||
| 7) Caitlyn Brewster | 21:26.16 | 251 | ||
| 5 | Palos Verdes High (SS) (CA) | 291 | ||
| 1) Savannah Scriven | 17:24.40 | 1 | ||
| 2) Samantha Steman | 18:01.20 | 5 | ||
| 3) Anna Terrell | 19:50.30 | 65 | ||
| 4) Claire Hardesty | 20:18.40 | 107 | ||
| 5) Maya Whitcomb | 20:21.80 | 113 | ||
| Average Time: 19:11.22 Total Time: 1:35:56.10 1-5 Split: 2:57.40 | ||||
| 6) Natalia Gagliano | 20:32.80 | 127 | ||
| 7) Grace Bonvechio | 21:12.60 | 224 | ||