PREVIEW: State Champions Headline Eastbay West Regional

Dec 03, 2021

The 2019 West Regional, then sponsored by Foot Locker, was held on the rain course at Mt. SAC. This year's race is expected to be held on the expanded 5000-meter version of the regular course with the top 10 boys and top 10 girls qualifying for the national finals Dec. 11 in San Diego. (Raymond Tran photos)

* * *

WALNUT - The name has changed but the challenge and payoff remain the same for top cross country athletes in the western United States who will be descending on the iconic 5K layout at Mt. San Antonio College on Saturday morning for the Eastbay Western Regional Championship.

The championship races of the 11-event schedule will qualify the top 10 runners for boys and girls to compete on Dec. 11 at San Diego's Morley Field at the Eastbay National Championships.

The meet, formerly known as Kinney and most recently as Foot Locker, takes on the new title sponsor - Eastbay - with the same goal of providing a platform for top high school cross country athletes to compete for a national championship.

Saturday's regional -- which begins with an open race at 7 a.m., grade-specific races, and the championship races at 10:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m., respectively -- is the last of four nationwide regionals. This one accommodates athletes from the following: Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, U.S. citizens in Overseas Military Installations, as well as California.

Scheduled to compete are 17 girls state champions and 10 boys state champions along with eight boys state runners-up.

Among that list are the following CIF standouts among girls from last Saturday's State Meet at Woodward Park:

- Anna McNatt, a junior from McClatchy (SJ), won the Division I title and was the top girl in the Class of 2023.

- Sophia Nordenholz, a senior from Albany (NC) headed to the University of Washington, won the Division IV title with the fastest time at the meet and one of the fastest in CIF-State Meet history.

- Revere Schmidt, a junior from Santa Fe Christian (SD), won the Division V title.

- Ellie Buckley, a junior at Campolindo (NC), ran No. 1 for the Division III team champion.

- Sadie Engelhardt, a freshman from Ventura (SS), placed third in the Division II race with the fastest time at the meet for girls in the class of 2025 and the second-fastest time by a freshman ever at the State Meet

- Ashlyn Boothby, a sophomore from Scotts Valley (CC), was third in the Division IV race with the No. 7 time in the overall merge as the No. 2 sophomore.

- Aishling Callanan, a junior from Peninsula (SS), who placed third in the Division II race, and ranked as the No. 3 junior at the meet

Boys standouts from the CIF-State Meet include:

- Kenan Pala, a senior at Francis Parker (SD) headed to Yale, won the Division V title in record time and returns to Mt. SAC where he fell seconds short of breaking the 2.95-mile layout record at the invitational in October.

- Max Sannes, a senior at Big Bear (SS) headed to the Air Force Academy, won the Division IV title a week after winning the Southern Section D-4 crown on the shorter version of the Mt. SAC course.

- Zachary Ayers, a senior from Davis (SJ), was the first non-Newbury Park boy across the line in the Division I race and ranked No. 6 in the meet merge.

- Conor Gibson, a senior at West Torrance (SS), placed second in the Division III race while leading his team to the title.

- Bryce Gilmore, a senior at Sage Creek (SD) headed to Wake Forest, placed second in the Division IV race behind Sannes.

- Sean Morello, a junior at Albany (NC), led his team to the Division IV title.

- Broen Holman, a freshman at Sonora (SJ), was the top freshman at the State Meet.