PREVIEW Oakland Section Cross Country Finals

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Date: November 16, 2022

Location: Lake Chabot Golf Course

Course

This year, the Oakland Section Finals will be held at the Lake Chabot Golf Course. This is a course that has never been run before so it remains to be seen how fast a course it is, but it seems like it should be on the slower side. There are plenty of hills in the course and three major climbs. The terrain is a mix of grass, dirt, and loose gravel.

BOYS Preview

Oakland Tech has been on a tear this year. Led by Miles Jones (pictured above), who has a 3-mile PR of 15:11, and with all of their scoring five running 18:05 or better in the 5K, Tech has been dominant within the section this year and put up some solid performances outside, most notably a third place in the D-3 Varsity Blue race at the Mt. SAC Invitational. They also just won the OAL league title, beating Skyline. Also look for their Nos. 2 and 3, junior Alexi Leduc and sophomore Gus Schafer, to mix it up toward the front and compete for the medals. Skyline is the other contender for the team title and the defending section champion, although only three runners are returning from last year's winning team. Skyline has had a less consistent season than Tech, but they did recently win the Yoshanny Rahm Invitational in Ukiah. Senior Andy Ixtabalan Argueta (photo below), the defending section champion, leads Skyline with a 3-mile PR of 15:23. Expect him and Tech's Jones to be the main players for the individual title. Ronan Cavanaugh also has a shot at the final medal spot, but competition will be fierce from Leduc and Schafer as well as junior Yosef Amaha of Oakland High. Amaha has run a 16:24 3-mile time this season and will hope to qualify to State and maybe get on the medal stand. The two team dark horses are Oakland High and Leadership Hayward. Oakland High finished third in OAL with Amaha sitting out while Leadership Hayward are the BACSAC league champions.

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Top 25 Oakland Section Boys for 3 Miles

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GIRLS Preview

Skyline is the defending champions as well as the favorite for this year. Two juniors lead them, Charlotte Seven (pictured below) and Jessica Vogel with Vogel having run 20:42 in the 5K this year and Seven having run a 19:45 3-mile. Their No. 3, junior Karina Larrieta Ceron, is also in the hunt for a medal. The team won the Yoshanny Rahm Invitational and, more recently, the OAL league championship. They also feature the lowest spread in the section. Oakland Tech is the other heavyweight in the team competition. Their No. 1, freshman Chloe Leduc (pictured above), has put together an extremely impressive season, with only one race not resulting in a win this entire season. Her most remarkable performance to date was an 18:21 3-mile at the Mariner Invitational. She is the massive favorite for the individual title. The rest of the team is less consistent than Skyline, but will be hoping that the firepower at the top can carry them to victory. AIMS College Prep also has an outside chance at doing some damage, being the BACSAC league champions. They are led by Abigayl Habte who has a 5K PR of 20:40, and finished fourth at this meet last year. She will be hoping to improve on that performance and medal this year. Other individuals to look for are senior Roselin Saavedra-Silva of Castlemont and junior Trisha Ho of Oakland Charter. Saavedra-Silva is the defending bronze medalist from last year with a 20:37 5K PR. Ho was the top BACSAC runner this year taking home the individual title in the league. 

Top 25 Oakland Section Girls for 3 Miles