2021 Sophomore Girls MileSplitCA All-State Cross Country Team
Olivia Williams of Acalanes (NC) emerged as the state's top sophomore, winning the NCS title, running second in a blistering time at the State Meet, and qualifying for the Eastbay Nationals. (DeAnna Turner photo)
The 2021 MileSplitCA All-State Sophomore Girls Cross Country Team is based on results from the CIF-State Championships within the class. Contributions to top teams, and section divisional results, and other results are considered in the others "who rocked XC in '21" subjective section.
Athletes are listed alphabetically
FIRST TEAM
ASHLYN BOOTHBY (Scotts Valley/CC)
Second in the class at State (17:27.10 PR for 5K) in placing third in the Division IV race. Central Coast Section D-4 champion, running 18:15.30 and leading her team to the division title. Won seven races, including the league title by 85 seconds in 17:00.00 (a 3-mile PR), the Small Schools race at Clovis (17:57.20, second in the class behind Denise Chen), and the Varsity race at Bellarmine Terry Ward by nearly 20 seconds. Her SCCAL winning time ranks U.S. No. 6 for 3 miles. (Patrick Corsinita photo)
JIE YI DENISE CHEN (Claremont/SS)
Ranked fourth in the class at State (18:03.70) in placing eighth in the Division II race. Ranked third in the class in the Southern Section (17:38.50) in placing sixth in the D-2 race. Ranked first in the class at Clovis (17:54.90 PR for 5K). Her time from Cool Breeze (17:11.40) was the fifth-fastest 3-mile time in the class for the season. No. 1 in the class at Mt. SAC, running 17:36.40 for fourth in the D1-D2 Team Sweepstakes. (DeAnna Turner photo)
LYLA FEDIO (Redondo Union/SS)
Ranked No. 7 in the class at State (18:12.50 PR for 5K) in placing 17th in the Division I race. Ranked fourth in the class in the Southern Section Final (17:43.20) in placing seventh in the D-1 race. Runner-up in the Large School race at Cool Breeze (17:55.60). Ranked No. 4 in the class at Mt. SAC (17:48.20) for eighth in the Sweepstakes race. (DeAnna Turner photo)
PAYTON GODSEY (Oaks Christian/SS)
Ranked third in the class at State (17:35.30) in placing fifth in the D-IV race. Southern Section Division 4 champion. Ranked first in the class at the Southern Section Final (17:21.90). Won the rated race at Woodbridge in 17:00.10, which ranked third in the class and No. 7 U.S. for 3 miles for the season. No. 5 in the class at Mt. SAC (17:53.00) for second in the D3-D5 Team Sweeps. (Patrick Corsinita photo)
STEFANIA SESOCK (Buchanan/CS)
Ranked fifth in the class at State (18:06.50) in placing 14th (10th among team-scoring runners) in the Division I race, running third in helping Buchanan defend its team title. Ran No. xxx for the Bears at the Central Section finals. Ran No. 4 in helping Buchanan to a second-place finish at the RunningLane National Championships as the Bears secured a No. 3 national ranking by MileSplit. Her time of 17:40.27 ranked as the 10th fastest girl in the class at that race. (at right in Patrick Corsinita photo)
MIA TORRECILLAS (Bakersfield Highland/CS)
Ranked No. 6 in the class at State (18:10.20) in placing seventh in the D-III race as the top sophomore girl in that race. Central Section Division 3 champion, also on the 5K Woodward Course, running 18:24.14 to win by 18 seconds. That time ranked No. 1 in the class at the CS Finals. (Patrick Corsinita photo)
OLIVIA WILLIAMS (Acalanes/NC)
North Coast Section Division 4 champion, running the Hayward HS 3-mile course in 16:15.20, more than 18 seconds faster than runner-up and eventual State champion Sophia Norenholz, more than 63 seconds faster than D-3 and eventual State D-III champion Hanne Thomsen, and more than 97 seconds faster than anyone else in the class. CIF-State Division IV runner-up in 16:56.20, the second-fastest time ever for a sophomore and fourth-fastest time ever in Division IV at the State Meet. The fastest girl in the class at State and third-fastest at the meet. One of only 11 girls in State Meet history to run sub-17. Her time ranks U.S. No. 2 in the class for 5K. Water polo player new to cross country. Qualified at the Eastbay West Regional and represented the region at the National Cross Country Finals in San Diego. Her 16:58.90 for second at Mariner ranks U.S. No. 4 for 3-miles. (Patrick Corsinita photo)
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SECOND TEAM
Tessa Buswell (Poway/SD) -- Ranked ninth in the class at State (18:18.70) for 15th in the D-II race. Fourth in the class at the SDS Final (18:26.20) in placing second in the D-2 race. Time for 3 miles at Woodbridge (17:01.90) ranked fourth in the class for the season.
Grace Geyer (Oaks Christian/SS) -- Ranked 14th in the class at State (18:28.20) for 11th in the D-IV race. Ranked seventh in the class at the Southern Section Finals (18:10/40) in placing fourth in the D-4 race.
Samantha Liaty (Oak Ridge/SJ) -- Ranked 13th in the class at State (18:26.20) for 24th in the D-I race, running No. 2 as the team placed third. Ran No. 3 for Oak Ridge at RunningLane.
Katelyn Matarese (La Canada/SS) -- Ranked 12th in the class at State (18:24.90) for 10th in the D-IV race. Ranked 10th in the class at the Southern Section Finals (18:16.90) for sixth in the D-4 race.
Arielle McKenzie (La Canada/SS) -- Ranked 11th in the class at State (18:22.40) for ninth in the D-IV race. Ranked second in the class at the Southern Section Final (17:28.80) in placing second in the D-4 Final. Ranked sixth in the class at Mt. SAC (17:58.60) for third in the D3-D5 Team Sweeps. (at right in Patrick Corsinita photo above)
Renae Searls (Alhambra/NC) -- Ranked 10th in the class at State (18:19.70) for eighth in the D-IV race. Third-fastest in the class at the NCS Finals, placing third in the D-4 race (17:59.20). (at left in Patrick Corsinita photo above)
Scarlett Taylor (Torrey Pines/SD) -- Ranked eighth in the class at State (18:16.00) for 18th in the D-I race. Ranked first in the class at the SDS Final (17:35.20) for third in the D-1 Final. Ranked fifth in the class at Mt. SAC (17:41.30).
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THIRD TEAM
Jana Barron (Granada/NC) -- Ranked 19th in the class at State (18:36.30) for 25th in the D-II race. NCS D-2 champion (17:53.10, second-fastest in the class at the meet).
Melisse Djomby Enyawe (Corona del Mar/SS) -- Ranked 20th in the class at State (18:38.00) for 18th in the D-III race. Ranked sixth in the class in the Southern Section Finals (18:07.60) for sixth place in the D-3 race.
Angeline Gutierrez (Del Oro/SJ) -- Ranked 21st in the class at State (18:39.60) for 20th in the D-III race. Ran No. 2 (and the No. 1 sophomore) as Del Oro won the SJS D-3 team title and ran No. 2 as Del Oro placed second at State.
Makenzie McRae (Huntington Beach/SS) -- Ranked 15th in the class at State (18:29.20) for 27th in the D-I race. Ranked fifth in the class at the Southern Section Finals (17:59.70) in placing ninth in the D-1 race.
Makena Oliva (Anaheim Canyon/SS) -- Ranked 18th in the class at State (18:35.90) for 24th in the D-II race. Ranked 11th in the class at the CIF-SS Finals. Ran No. 3 as Canyon placed second to Mira Costa at both CIF-SS and CIF-State. (DeAnna Turner photo above)
Shea Volkmer (Campolindo/NC) -- Ranked 16th in the class at State (18:31.40) for 13th in the D-II race. Placed third in the D-2 race at NCS, ranking fourth in the class (18:03.30).
Natalie Wang (Palos Verdes/SS) -- Ranked 17th in the class at State (18:32.20) for 15th in the D-III race. Ranked eighth in the class at the Southern Section Finals (18:11.7) in placing seventh in the D-3 final.
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21 MORE SOPHOMORE GIRLS WHO ROCKED XC IN '21
Emily Allison (Granite Bay/SJ); Kiah Aitken (Lodi/SJ); Brooke Butler (Oak Ridge/SJ); Nicole Bridges (Liberty/CS); Kaitlyn Carmichael (University/SS); Karissa Chamberlain (Del Oro/SJ); Kirra Fisk (La Jolla/SD); Hannah Garrity (Clear Lake/NC); Alexa Gossett (Claremont/SS); Sydney Johnson (Laguna Hills/SS); Lucinda Laughlin (San Francisco University/NC); Scarlett Martin (Cathedral Catholic/SD); Morgan McKenna (Granite Bay/SJ); Sofia Melani (Menlo-Atherton/CC); Tauren Mitchell (Westmont/CC); Gabriela Nascimento (New West Charter/LA/Section D-5 champion); Brooke O'Brien (JSerra/SS); Tatum Olesen (Menlo-Atherton/CC); Alexandria Pena (Cathedral Catholic/SD); Makena Weberski (Campolindo/NC); Sierra Wight (Mammoth/CS/Section D-5 champion).