State Meet Preview: Division I

Defending champion, Jesuit senior Matt Strangio, comes in as the favorite especially considering that he broke 14:50 on the same course back in October while not 100% healthy!  

The Great Oak barrage that should place all of their scorers in the top 20 should include Chris Verdugo, Cole Sawires-Yager and Gabriel Abbes all gunning for top-10 finishes. 

But the favorite to earn the runner-up medal is Isaiah Galindo of Clovis North.  In breaking 15:13, he placed seventh at last year's State Meet.  Right behind him for eighth place in 2018, Dublin's Christopher Middleton-Pearson will put away memories of the Clovis Invite, where he competed sick and unable to break his 15:15 Woodward Park course best.   Bellarmine Prep junior, Colin Peattie is also projected for a top 10 finish. 

In a minor upset, Upland's Jeremiah Castellano pulled away for the Southern Section victory with 400 meters to go last week.  Right behind him, and also a surprise, Redondo Union sophomore Christoph Waligorski earned runner-up honors. 

Also, watch for Crescenta Valley's Dylan Wilbur and the Roosevelt duo of Raul Chavez and Michael Sahagun.  Keeping it closer to home, Paso Robles' Damian Gavilan impressed in breaking 15:20 on this course at the Central Section Finals.  

The men of Great Oak are not only the overwhelming favorites but since their come-from-behind victory over Newbury Park on this same course six weeks ago, they have been perched atop the national rankings. The Wolfpack should earn their sixth consecutive Division I team title as they rest their top six last week in capturing another Southern Section title.  

Clovis North, the hometown favorite here, is all too familiar with the course but they will have to hold off fast charging Crescenta Valley and Roosevelt from the Southern Section.  Roosevelt had not been on anybody's top 10 team rankings (we had them 11th) going into last weekend as they also bring veteran experience from their runner-up squad from 2017. 

The Falcons of Crescenta Valley were eighth as a team last year.  San Diego Section champion Torrey Pines will be in the mix for a top-five finish while Burbank's consistency continues to impress, as evidenced by its fourth place finish at the SS Finals last Saturday.  Finally, Amador Valley, runner-up to Dublin at the North Coast Section Finals, and Long Beach Poly from the Southern Section, will fight for top-10 finishes.  Don't be surprised if La Serna, in its very first State Meet appearance, leapfrogs into the top 10 as well as Davis, the Sac-Joaquin Section runner-up.