'22 CROSS COUNTRY PREVIEW - Southern Section Boys

The main headline that came out of the summer was defending team champion, Newbury Park, had moved into Division 2. With that, Great Oak comes into the 2022 favorite to resume to the top of the proverbial awards stand with what projects to be an intense battle for those other six slots to November's State Championships.

Great Oak is primed to return to the top after placing second a year ago, ending their streak of five consecutive team titles. Ramses Cortes (pictured) and Mark Cortes return with State Meet success with the former coming into the season with a 15:30.9 best from the Woodward 5k course. Nick Gaffney had his best race come at the 2021 State Meet (15:45.7) while Austin Elkins headlines a deep group that returns seven boys that ran under 16:20 at Mt. SAC in 2021.

San Clemente placed fourth at the 2021 State Championships but we have them placing even higher in 2022. Returning four of their five scorers, Juan Chantaca and Brett Ephraim are two of the top returners in the division. Rory Catsimanes and Grant Sestak also return with veteran success while the Tritons were the fourth-best squad in the state for underclassmen in the 1600 meters.

Loyola graduated most of their squad but keep in mind that the program has advanced to the State Meet in the past 14 postseasons! With continual reloading like no other in California, they were eighth in California for a combined five for underclassmen in the 3200 meters. Loyola reached the podium for a third-place finish and was led by Jake Ratkovich, Harrison Lavery, and Henry Payne, look for that streak to reach 15!

Redondo Union, led by Aaron Thomas and Shane Murphy, comes into the season with the firepower to return back to the State Meet. The Sea Hawks placed seventh at the 2021 CIF-SS Final. Five of those boys return from that squad but watch for sophomore Adam Divinity to play a vital role by the postseason as he ran 4:23.70 for 1600 meters this past Spring.

Crescenta Valley projects also to be fighting for a top-three finish this November. Parker Simmons stepped up for an 11^th-place performance at the 2021 State Meet to lead the Falcons to a seventh-place team finish.  Luke Cheney and Harrison Connors will also play significant roles.

Hard to believe that it has been ten years since Trabuco Hills last advanced to the State Meet. Despite possessing one of the youngest squads in the field, they have what it takes to compete for a top-five finish. As a freshman, Carsten Williams led the Mustangs in 2021, and expects the same, especially after his 9:31.58 track season.

Others to watch for include Arcadia, Millikan, Long Beach Poly, Santiago, and Rancho Cucamonga.  

Millikan's Jason Parra individually returns with the fastest time from the Mt. SAC championship course at 15:05.6 as he qualified, individually, as a sophomore in 2021. He returns off an impressive Track campaign that yielded him an 8:54.17 best for the 3200 meters along with earning a sixth-place medal at the State Championships.  

A relative unknown beforehand, Highland's Matthew Donis burst onto the scene last November with his 10^th-place, 15:07.6 finish to also advance to the State Meet. He is the fifth-fastest returner from the State Meet. Santa Ana's Jimmy Dominguez was also an individual qualifier a year ago.

But Crescenta Valley's Simmons is the fastest returner from the Southern Section with his 15:17.4 performance at last year's State Meet while San Clemente's Chantaca will also compete for the individual divisional title.