Great Oak's Tori Gaitan (left), Oak Ridge's Maddy Denner, and La Costa Canyon's Emma Abrahamson each made their school's historic 4x1600 relay dream team. (Photos by: Frank Bellino, Clark Kranz, Kirby Lee/Image of Sport)
Next up in our Dream Team Series is the top 50 ranked girls 4x1600 units
What is this?
Take the four fastest 1600m runners in your school's history, add their four-lap PR times, and that total is your school's 4x1600 Dream Team ranking! That's what we did here, calculating 1600/converted-mile times from nearly 100 of the top distance schools in the state.
Atop The Girls 4x1600m Dream Teams ...
Great Oak's 'Fantastic Four' averaged 4:44.53 while their 'B' team is among our top 10! Meanwhile, the Wolfpack 'C' squad would have landed among the Top 50 on this list!
Great Oak's 'B' team includes two under 4:50 and two others under 4:52. Altogether, the program boasts 13 girls that have gone under five minutes with nine under 4:55! To emphasize the impact Great Oak has had - ALL of these efforts came in the past nine seasons!
Our second best 'B' unit came from the girls of Edison (Huntington Beach) as they averaged under 4:56.00, just ahead of second units from Saugus and La Costa Canyon. Buchanan and Aptos were the other two programs with 'B' teams that averaged under than five minutes.
Strongest family ...
The Abrahamson trio -- Ellie, Emma and Sarah -- all broke the five-minute barrier, averaging under a stunning 4:54!
Strongest Sister Duo's ...
Our best comes from Irvine Woodbridge High as Christine and Molly Babcock combined for an aggregate 9:26.81. In recent memory, the twins, Maddy and Elena Denner of Oak Ridge threw down a combined 9:28.92 in 2018! Fiona and Olivia O'Keeffe of Davis combined their best at 9:29.29 while (going old school here), Becky and Jessia Spies of Livermore brought home a 9:30.51.
In conclusion ...
Scrolling down, you will notice a HUGE resurgence of talent for the event in the past 15 seasons! Depth wise, there is a definite increase in girls breaking 4:55 for the 1600 than what we had witnessed beforehand.
To gain a spot on this list, your top four had to average under a 4:56.93. Yep, a 4:57+ average leaves you off the list!
GIRLS 4x1600 DREAM TEAM TOP 50
| TEAM | No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 3 | No. 4 | TIME |
| 1) Great Oak (SS) | 4:40.34 | 4:44.60 | 4:45.41 | 4:47.48 | 18:58.13 |
| Destiny Collins ('15) | Haley Dorris ('14) | Fatima Cortes ('19) | Tori Gaitan ('18) | ||
| 2) Saugus (SS) | 4:39.77 | 4:42.50 | 4:47.81 | 4:50.01 | 19:00.09 |
| Mariah Castillo ('18) | Shannon Murakami ('07) | Stephanie Bulder ('11) | Shelly Hazlett ('81) | ||
| 3) Oak Ridge (SJ) | 4:38.15 | 4:42.77 | 4:45.15 | 4:55.73 | 19:01.80 |
| Alex Kosinski ('07) | Maddy Denner ('18) | Elena Denner ('18) | Danielle Domenichelli ('05) | ||
| 4) Livermore (NC) | 4:43.30 | 4:45.11 | 4:45.40 | 4:52.83 | 19:06.64 |
| Cheri Williams ('78) | Becky Spies ('91) | Jessica Spies ('82) | Diana George ('07) | ||
| 5) La Costa Canyon (SD) | 4:45.46 | 4:45.73 | 4:47.81 | 4:48.20 | 19:07.20 |
| McKenna Brown ('18) | Emma Abrahamson ('14) | Kristen Fahy ('19) | Kelly Lawson ('11) | ||
| 6) Davis (SJ) | 4:42.71 | 4:45.58 | 4:47.45 | 4:53.37 | 19:09.11 |
| Olivia O'Keefe ('18) | Fiona O'Keefe ('15) | Chelsea Reilly ('07) | Lauren Chetelat ('08) | ||
| 7) University (SS) | 4:33.65 | 4:45.00 | 4:55.43 | 4:56.17 | 19:10.15 |
| Polly Plumer ('82) | Julie Seliene ('83) | Allison Marquand ('98) | Judy McLaughlin ('83) | ||
| 8) Corona del Mar (SS) | 4:39.94 | 4:45.39 | 4:51.49 | 4:54.95 | 19:10.77 |
| Annie St. Geme ('06) | Shelby Buckley ('07) | Allison Damon ('07) | Hilary May ('07) | ||
| 9) Redondo (SS) | 4:46.63 | 4:49.65 | 4:50.19 | 4:51.74 | 19:18.41 |
| Chloe Curtis ('10) | Lyndsey Mull ('10) | Margaret Spotts ('81) | Cara Uluzio ('13) | ||
| 10) Woodbridge (SS) | 4:33.82 | 4:52.99 | 4:55.37 | 4:58.52 | 19:20.70 |
| Christine Babcock ('08) | Molly Babcock ('12) | Sherri Smith ('87) | Jenny Sears ('02) | ||
| 11) Aptos (CC) | 4:42.45 | 4:51.00 | 4:52.04 | 4:55.36 | 19:20.85 |
| Nikki Hiltz ('12) | Claire Peabody ('13) | Marissa Ferrante ('08) | Marea Zlatunich ('15) | ||
| 12) San Lorenzo Valley (CC) | 4:43.24 | 4:48.11 | 4:53.17 | 4:56.84 | 19:21.36 |
| Alejandra Barrientos ('01) | Anna Maxwell ('12) | Taylor Johnson ('08) | Rachel Barrientos ('00) | ||
| 13) Huntington Beach Edison (SS) | 4:48.52 | 4:49.10 | 4:51.67 | 4:52.14 | 19:21.43 |
| Shelley Taylor ('82) | Sharon Hulse ('78) | Leslie Pratt ('83) | Hilary Hayes ('08) | ||
| 13) Torrey Pines (SD) | 4:41.54 | 4:52.30 | 4:53.36 | 4:54.23 | 19:21.43 |
| Alli Billmeyer ('11) | Erin Gillingham ('09) | Megan Morgan ('10) | Dani Schuster ('02) | ||
| 15) Campolindo (NC) | 4:43.96 | 4:48.57 | 4:51.80 | 4:58.86 | 19:23.19 |
| Brighie Leach ('15) | Lisa Sandel ('80) | Carrie Verdon ('11) | Sarah Riley ('89) | ||
| 16) Harvard Westlake (SS) | 4:38.02 | 4:48.86 | 4:57.51 | 4:59.05 | 19:23.44 |
| Cami Chapus ('12) | Amy Weissenbach ('12) | Anna Farias-Eisner ('04) | Lizzy Thomas ('13) | ||
| 17) Tesoro (SS) | 4:38.63 | 4:54.53 | 4:54.95 | 4:55.89 | 19:23.90 |
| Amanda Gehrich ('15) | Nicci Corbin ('11) | Briar Brumley ('15) | Ashley Elliott ('13) | ||
| 18) Gunn (CC) | 4:44.07 | 4:50.44 | 4:54.85 | 4:55.20 | 19:24.56 |
| Sarah Robinson ('14) | Gillian Meeks ('16) | Esther Berndt ('82) | Ruth Graham ('02) | ||
| 19) Buchanan (CS) | 4:43.61 | 4:51.46 | 4:53.72 | 4:56.17 | 19:24.96 |
| Meagan Lowe ('19) | Hannah Benoit ('14) | Macy Bricks ('11) | Hagen Reedy ('12) | ||
| 20) Simi Valley (SS) | 4:42.52 | 4:49.33 | 4:52.61 | 5:00.98 | 19:25.44 |
| Anna Sperry ('07) | Sarah Baxter ('12) | Liberty Miller ('10) | Erika Barr ('11) | ||
| 21) Mira Costa (SS) | 4:50.05 | 4:51.47 | 4:51.57 | 4:54.84 | 19:27.93 |
| Lynn Dixon ('00) | Dalia Frias ('19) | Laura Cattivera ('84) | Lynne Maltinski ('76) | ||
| 22) Esperanza (SS) | 4:50.47 | 4:53.02 | 4:53.74 | 4:54.93 | 19:32.16 |
| Courtney Pugmire ('95) | Christine Adams ('09) | Allison Costello ('03) | Shalice Pugmire ('02) | ||
| 23) Granite Bay (SJ) | 4:40.88 | 4:55.00 | 4:57.86 | 4:58.56 | 19:32.30 |
| Caitlin Chock ('04) | Caitlin Clark ('07) | Alexandra Beitia ('17) | Christine Zavesky ('10) | ||
| 24) Carondelet (NC) | 4:46.24 | 4:50.71 | 4:53.25 | 5:02.54 | 19:32.74 |
| Kristen Gordon ('97) | Noreen deBettencourt ('83) | Nicole Hood ('07) | Heather Cerney ('07) | ||
| 25) Mission Viejo (SS) | 4:50.19 | 4:50.37 | 4:55.47 | 4:58.25 | 19:34.28 |
| Chloe Barry ('16) | Kelli Hines ('16) | Ashley Johnson ('17) | Alyssa Brown ('06) | ||
| 26) Newport Harbor (SS) | 4:43.75 | 4:53.02 | 4:59.52 | 4:59.59 | 19:35.88 |
| Amber Steen ('01) | Maggie Henson ('86) | Whitney Blue ('05) | Taylor Bryson ('06) | ||
| 27) Newbury Park (SS) | 4:44.47 | 4:55.21 | 4:56.01 | 5:00.49 | 19:36.18 |
| Denise Ball ('82) | Melissa Sutton ('87) | Fiona Hawkins ('19) | Shannon Byrne ('10) | ||
| 28) Santa Ana Foothill (SS) | 4:49.57 | 4:49.66 | 4:58.21 | 5:00.21 | 19:37.65 |
| Stacy Kneeshaw ('80) | Jennifer Abraham ('83) | Amy Cox ('84) | Sierra Vega ('10) | ||
| 29) Mountain View (CC) | 4:47.52 | 4:47.65 | 5:00.74 | 5:02.10 | 19:38.01 |
| Shannon Clark ('84) | Allison Sturges ('11) | Mary Reynolds ('09) | Melissa Reed ('13) | ||
| 30) Fountain Valley (SS) | 4:47.42 | 4:56.54 | 4:57.40 | 4:58.01 | 19:39.37 |
| Bonnie McGlinchey ('80) | Catherine Martinez ('11) | Crystal Reed ('06) | Bethany Nickless ('02) | ||
| 31) Maria Carrillo (NC) | 4:49.63 | 4:55.11 | 4:56.91 | 4:58.07 | 19:39.73 |
| Jenny Aldridge ('00) | Lauren Curtin ('08) | Kristen Sanzari ('07) | Leanne Fogg ('07) | ||
| 32) Silver Creek (CC) | 4:46.74 | 4:54.72 | 4:59.14 | 4:59.35 | 19:39.95 |
| Nanette Garcia ('86) | Angela Stearns ('85) | Deborah Bleisch ('94) | Cherie McPherson ('03) | ||
| 33) San Clemente (SS) | 4:52.50 | 4:55.00 | 4:56.23 | 4:56.55 | 19:40.28 |
| Alex Dunne ('09) | Hana Catsimanes ('17) | Melissa Eisele ('14) | Kelsey Carroll ('15) | ||
| 34) Rancho Bernardo (SD) | 4:49.64 | 4:53.75 | 4:57.69 | 4:59.41 | 19:40.49 |
| Molly Grabill ('10) | Jacey Farmer ('19) | Lindsay delaMontaigne ('05) | Bryanna Fuller ('15) | ||
| 35) Marina (SS) | 4:48.86 | 4:53.83 | 4:58.45 | 5:00.19 | 19:41.33 |
| Laura Hollander ('12) | Emily Taylor ('12) | Kylie Nishisaka ('12) | Sara Van Dyke ('11) | ||
| 36) Northwood (SS) | 4:42.29 | 4:56.34 | 5:01.34 | 5:01.77 | 19:41.74 |
| Bethan Knights ('14) | Erika Adler ('16) | Rachel Ngu ('08) | Sami Murphy ('15) | ||
| 37) Dana Hills (SS) | 4:53.66 | 4:55.15 | 4:56.38 | 4:57.56 | 19:41.75 |
| Paige Canterbury ('13) | Heather Balbier ('09) | Monica Rothenburger ('04) | Alaina Alvarez ('09) | ||
| 38) Thousand Oaks (SS) | 4:44.90 | 4:55.81 | 4:59.62 | 5:02.17 | 19:42.50 |
| Kim Mortenson ('96) | Caitlin Turner ('12) | Alie Lopez ('09) | Stacey Auer ('92) | ||
| 39) El Toro (SS) | 4:51.89 | 4:52.98 | 4:56.89 | 5:00.93 | 19:42.69 |
| Ashley Messineo ('18) | Hannah Tobin ('17) | Hanna Edwards ('11) | Gianna Velasquez ('09) | ||
| 40) Anaheim Canyon (SS) | 4:51.01 | 4:54.67 | 4:57.31 | 5:00.64 | 19:43.63 |
| Emma Hadley ('19) | Rianna Goins ('13) | Sara Leonard ('18) | Olivia Goins ('11) | ||
| 41) Los Gatos (CC) | 4:52.49 | 4:53.99 | 4:58.16 | 5:00.49 | 19:45.13 |
| Danielle Katz ('14) | Ashley Caldwell ('02) | Heather Hennessay ('00) | Cecily Johnson ('14) | ||
| 42) Crescenta Valley (SS) | 4:50.39 | 4:53.30 | 4:59.74 | 5:01.79 | 19:45.22 |
| Claire Collison ('07) | Rachel Lange ('08) | Chris Troffer ('76) | Megan Melnyk ('15) | ||
| 43) Canyon Crest Academy (SD) | 4:51.39 | 4:55.72 | 4:58.01 | 5:00.16 | 19:45.28 |
Kelly Bernd ('15) | Anne Charles ('12) | Carlie Dorokstar ('19) | Claire Bernd ('16) | ||
| 44) University City (SD) | 4:49.53 | 4:56.77 | 4:59.49 | 4:59.62 | 19:45.41 |
| Laura Chapel ('86) | Jessie Ooms ('03) | Rebecca Bostwick ('05) | Jessy Hansen ('12) | ||
| 45) Santa Cruz (CC) | 4:47.89 | 4:54.16 | 5:01.18 | 5:02.37 | 19:45.60 |
| Mari Friedman ('18) | Cate Ratliff ('15) | Lila Roake ('19) | Anaya Ward ('17) | ||
| 45) Orange Lutheran (SS) | 4:49.95 | 4:56.07 | 4:59.38 | 5:00.20 | 19:45.60 |
| Staci Foster ('97) | Ava Kent ('11) | Taylor Williams ('11) | Barbara Boisvert ('92) | ||
| 47) Santa Rosa (NC) | 4:42.79 | 4:58.32 | 5:01.95 | 5:02.62 | 19:45.67 |
| Julia Stamps ('97) | Delaney White ('16) | Trina Cox ('98) | Nika Horn ('91) | ||
| 48) Los Altos (CC) | 4:51.24 | 4:53.62 | 4:58.81 | 5:02.55 | 19:46.22 |
| Vicky Bray ('77) | Kerry Brogan ('81) | Lauren Soobrian ('20) | Naomi Donovan ('17) | ||
| 49) Presentation (CC) | 4:52.24 | 4:57.60 | 4:57.94 | 4:59.48 | 19:47.26 |
| Mary Mendoza ('87) | Melissa Grelli ('03) | Christine Stavalone ('94) | Gianna Mendoza ('20) | ||
| 50) Fremont (CC) | 4:49.25 | 4:51.59 | 5:02.37 | 5:04.51 | 19:47.72 |
| Francie Larrieu ('70) | Beth Bartolomew ('89) | Arleen Mears ('73) | JJ Escalera ('16) |