State Meet Preview: Division IV

JSerra's Anthony Grover looks to become just the fourth boy in the history of the State Meet to win three consecutive titles when he takes the line for the D-IV championship. (Credit: Raymond Tran)

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Boys Division IV Preview

• Runner to beat: Anthony Grover (JSerra)
• Teams to beat: Sir Francis Drake (NC) & Foothill Technology (SS)
• Entries

Individual competition

All signs point to Grover as the favorite; after all, he has won twice before! Now fully healthy and coming off a masterful performance in his section final, the JSerra senior is looking to become just the fourth male in California history to earn three CIF State titles. He won by 10 seconds over Mateo Bianchi (Laguna Beach) last weekend, with Foothill Tech's Josh Villasenor less than a second further back. Amir Barkan (Sir Francis Drake) may also be a contender, but after him the times start to drop off. That should make for a tight competition at the bottom end of the individual podium team, with three Sac Joaquin runners poised to be in that group: Godebo Chapman, Adin Dibble, and Cristian Martinez. You can definitely include some Southern Section standouts in that lead pack, such as Oliver Pick, Big Bear sophomore Max Sannes, Bryce Hill (Burroughs Ridgecrest), and Arend Verfaillie (El Segundo SS).

Team competition

We've had Sir Francis Drake as our No. 1 team in Division IV all season, and that's based on both their success and on the persistent feeling that we haven't seen their best yet this year. The Pirates did lose one top 7 runner to injury this season, hurting their depth, but they still have the firepower to bring home a title with a good race. Having said that, you would be foolish to bet against Foothill Tech and coach Ken Reeves, who is a master of having his team prepared to race their best at the State Meet. I'm calling these teams co-favorites coming into the meet - both can wind up on top Saturday.

The battle for third place could be equally intense, as there are several quality teams coming off strong performances at section finals. Cathedral (SS) performed very well to take second in the Southern Section, and their depth gives me confidence that they can keep that up for one more weekend. If either of the top two teams have an off day from one of their lead runners, Cathedral could be there to pick them off. Laguna Beach also emerged from the CIF-SS finals as a podium contender, and they feature a loaded front four that could put them in contention. The Central Coast sends a pair of teams with podium credentials in King City and Scotts Valley -- the former having won the section title, and the latter looking for revenge after that narrow defeat two weekends ago. We may even see Crawford (SD) sneak into the top five this weekend; don't forget that their section final is on the tough Morley Field course, making Woodward Park a breeze by comparison.

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Inserted photo by Jeffrey Parenti 

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State Boys 5K Individual Leaders in Division II (Full list)

State Boys 5K Team Leaders in Division IV (Full list)