XC 2022 CLOSER LOOK - CENTRAL COAST SECTION
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The Central Coast Section will have a very different look this coming season with many teams moving divisions from years past following the proposal that was made by the Peninsula Athletic League and passed by the CCS Board of Managers. Although Division I will still field some of the top teams in the section for both boys and girls, the depth and level of competition in the rest of the divisions will be much improved as you will see below.
In years past, Central Coast Section teams were at a huge disadvantage at the California state meet going up against much larger schools in each division. That will no longer be the case and the next couple of years should give us a better idea of how CCS teams will fare at the state meet with the new changes.
The divisions that will be affected the most are Divisions II and III. Those are the divisions that will get schools that were placed in higher divisions due to the lack of true Division I teams in the section. Making the state meet in those divisions just got more difficult but the end result will be stronger teams now representing the section at the state meet.
On the girl's side, it appears that the Los Altos girls will wield the best team as well as the best runner in the section in senior, Lauren Soobrian (pictured above). After a solid junior cross country season, Soobrian posted 4:51.13 and 10:17.17 personal records along with a section title and podium finish in the 3200m.
On the boys' side, the Palo Alto boys ended Bellarmine's streak of seven section titles in a row with a sixth man tie-breaker defeat at the 2021 section final. This season, the team will once again be led by junior Grant Morgenfeld. He led the team to the section title last season with a 3rd place individual finish and qualified to the California State Track and Field meet in the spring in the 3200m with a best of 9:08.39 set at the Arcadia Invitational.
Division Changes for 2022 -- Too many to list!
CCS Championship -- Saturday, November 12 at the world famous Crystal Springs Course (confirmed)