XC PREVIEW Southern Section Division 2

Mira Costa moved in? 

Yep!  Anybody that followed this past track season witnessed just how well the Mustangs performed and upon inspection, to learn that they were all underclassmen transforming them into one of the top teams in California as we look toward the upcoming cross country season!  

Groomed to be their best team in school history, keep in mind that since 2007, head coach Renee Smith has led her teams to 11 State Meet appearances. Despite five top-three finishes, that title has eluded the program. Dalia Frias (pictured) is coming off one of the best track seasons of any Californian prep ... ever!  When she burst home with a 2:09.43 for the 800 meters, it cemented her legacy as she had already posted 4:46.34 and 10:15.61 lifetime bests in the previous month. 

But Frias has an incredible supporting cast that makes them the runaway preseason favorites.  Anna Chittenden follows in her siblings' success as she motored to a 10:50.65 at the Division 1 finals for the 3200 meters, but had to outkick her teammate Ella Parsley (10:50.80)!  With unmatched depth in the division, the squad presents three others that have gone under 5:30 and 11:45.

Claremont, under head coach Bill Reeves, has consistently produced when it counted most.  With sophomore Denise Chen (4:57.40/10:46.56) emerging as one of the top freshmen in California this past track season, she will lead the group up front.  Let's not forget though that the 2018 Division 2 individual champion, Maddie Coles is back as well along with sophomore Alexa Gossett, who impressed this past spring.

South Orange County will be well represented in that fight for top-five finishes in that El Toro, Dana Hills, and Tesoro bring very similar numbers into the 2021 cross country season.  But our best bet lies with the Chargers of El Toro.  Ken Chai had churned out squads that have qualified for the State Meet the past four postseasons and with Carly Miller and Kasey Lynd leading the way, El Toro will be strong as always. 

Dana Hills is headlined by junior Allura Markow (pictured). On paper, the Dolphins match up evenly with El Toro and if you recall, when we last saw Markow as a freshman in 2019, she placed 12th at the divisional finals only to explode to an eighth-place finish at the State Meet (17:51.2).  As always, they present incredible depth while Tessa Anderson looks to lead the supporting cast behind Markow.

Tesoro makes the move back into Division 2.  We had them projected to compete for a State Meet spot before the 2020 shutdown, but now in the new division, we project to be in the fight for a spot in 2021.  Talia Richland, Joy Yassa, and Kate Benade, and if we witness some of the impressive depth step it up (seven others under 5:55) - Tesoro will battle for a top-five spot.  

Westlake, Northwood, West Ranch, and Ayala will also be in the hunt for a State Meet spot come November. 

Westlake presents a solid trio up top, while Northwood is a wild-card of sorts as they are coming off of a great track season but need to short up depth concerns.  West Ranch and Ayala are strong in their first two scoring slots and if they continue to improve in their other scoring positions, they will also contend. 

Serrano has qualified for the State Meet in seven of the past eight postseasons. The greatest factor in that success was head coach Ken Quinn, who has since stepped down.  With that, the talent is still there and will contend. 

Individually, Mira Costa's Frias is one of the nation's best and placed second at the 2019 Division 1 finals while also adding a Footlocker National Finalist onto her resume.  But, there is somebody else emerging from the junior high ranks that may very well steal the headlines in November.   

Youth star Sadie Englehardt (pictured) has already established herself as one of the nation's best as she begins her freshman year at Ventura High.  Where to start and where to end is our personal challenge here as she rolled to a 4:40.16 for the mile in June and is already a seasoned veteran having taken on high school runners in open races and been out front in national youth events. Do not mistake her for only being a 'miler' as she captured the USATF Junior Olympics Cross Country championship by a huge 16-second gap.  

Frias will battle her every inch of the way, no doubt while expecting Mira Costa's supporting cast to be in the top 10 in November.  

Claremont's duo of Chen and Coles (who placed seventh at the 2019 finals) will be major factors as well. Dana Hills' Markow placed 12th at the 2019 finals with Canyon's Hadley not too far off in 14th. 

Peninsula's Aishling Callanan, West Ranch's Hayden Washington, Northwood's Elizabeth Odom, and Murrieta Valley's Isabel Rosales could play spoilers and compete for those individual spots to the State Meet as well.