'22 CROSS COUNTRY PREVIEW - Southern Section Boys

Three of the top eight teams from the 2021 Div. 3 final have relocated. The top eight finishers and 12 of the top 15 have since graduated. Add on that Dana Hills, Thousand Oaks, and West Ranch have moved into the division, and Div. 3 is ready for a major reshuffle in 2022.

The Eagles of Santa Margarita are ready to go after their first ever team title as they return their top four after stepping up for a runner-up finish in 2021. Junior Zachary Gibson is coming off a 9:18.00 track season while Liam Raney, Eddie Yunker, and Parker Herbert all packed up together to cement the state meet berth for the young crew.

Agoura and Dana Hills are slated to be the two in Santa Margarita's rear-view mirror.

Despite grading their top two from the sixth-place squad in 2021, Agoura comes into the season with the most returning depth. Seven underclassmen crossed under 16:45 on the Mt. SAC course last year. Junior Darrick Jacob and sophomores JP Glynn and Matthew Alpert are the Chargers' top returners.

Dana Hills, placing sixth in the Div. 2 final a year ago, is led by Jack Jones and his 15:41.7 lifetime best on the Mt. SAC course. Evan Noonan (16:20.2) and Garrett Woodruff (16:32.7) will also lead the Dolphins and what will be their 16^th consecutive trip to Fresno - the longest streak of any school in the Southern Section!

Dos Pueblos return Eamon Gordon and Luciani Koroshec, who both crossed together at 15:53 at last year's final in which they placed seventh to advance to the State Meet. Depth is a question mark here but up front, they are one of the top teams.

Dominick Garcia leads a Brea Olinda squad that advanced to its 12^th straight trip to the State Meet in 2021 and what should be another one this November. Four others return to compliment Garcia up front.

No, we did not overlook the defending D-III State Champions, West Torrance! They did graduate their top four from the 2021 postseason but are still slated for their eighth consecutive State Meet appearance. Jason Druten's squads reload as well as any program in the section as Yudai Shimizu is their top returner.  

With the addition of several talented freshmen, also watch for the Bille Issa-led West Ranch group. Cole Zepeda also returns with a 16:18.5 best from Mt. SAC last year.

Thousand Oaks, Buena, and Redlands East Valley also project to compete for one of those seven spots in the State Championships. On paper, the fight for those last several spots is up for grabs.

Individually, SM's Gibson is the top Southern Section returner (placing 27^th at the State Meet) with his 15:56.5 performance. But, for the Mt. SAC course, Savanna junior Matthew Galindo (pictured) qualified as an individual in 2021 with his 15:26.2 effort, just ahead of Sonora's Alexandro Vielma (15:29.2).

Buena junior Elias Wiggins owns a best of 15:28.4 at the Mt. SAC Invite.  West Torrance's Shimuzu returns with a 15:38.8.

But the one to watch will be West Ranch's Issa. Coming in with a 15:35.9 best at Mt. SAC, he is coming off a monster track season where he captured the 3200-meter Div. 2 title and advanced to the State Championships a week later with a best of 9:02.59.