D4 Girls - 7:45 am

D5 Girls - 8:05 am

D4 Boys - 8:25 am

D5 Boys - 8:45 am

D1 Girls - 9:05 am

D2 Boys - 9:25 am

D3 Girls - 9:45 am

D1 Boys - 10:10 am

D2 Girls - 10:35 am

D3 Boys - 11 am

Defending division and CIF-State champions, JSerra has been perched atop our Southern Section overall rankings since the summer and is ranked 15th in the most recent MileSplit national rankings. Adding to their arsenal of talent with the frosh duo of Kaylah Tasser and Summer Wilson, sophomore Brynn Garcia has interchanged with those two in leading the charge. With the entire group clicking on all cylinders, nobody can catch them as JSerra seeks their seventh divisional title over the past 12 seasons.

But, with that, La Canada and Oaks Christian are also two of the best teams in the section and will take full advantage of any JSerra hiccups, as we witnessed in 2021. La Canada was runner-up a year ago, and despite the transfer of their top runner, have seen some of the best improvement of any in the section. The much-improved Maya DeBrouwer leads the Spartans.

Meanwhile, also looking to pull the upset, Oaks Christian is headlined by defending individual champion, Payton Godsey (ranked 14^th in the national individual rankings). With a fully healthy lineup, the Lions will threaten JSerra and La Canada up front. We project the top three teams to be in the top ten for the Southern Section once the morning is done.

With the division already projected to be more talented than we have ever seen, in came the addition of Palos Verdes! The Sea Kings are coming off three straight titles in Division 3 only to add greater depth to what was already a loaded line-up. In traditional fashion, the Natalie Wang-led squad is stepping up in the latter weeks, including capturing the Bay League title over two highly ranked squads in Mira Costa and Redondo Union.

The all-underclass crew, led by Abigail Errington, from South Pasadena, looks to improve upon their fifth-place finish from a year ago while a tough Bishop Amat group looks to advance for a second straight season. Emma Arredondo and her 17:43 clocking from the Mt. SAC Invite lead the Lancers, who should advance to the State Meet for the first time since 2017.

With this being the most talent ever assembled in the history of a uber-loaded Division 4, also watch for Harvard Westlake to advance onward to the State Meet as they did in 2021.

Individually, Laguna Hills' Holly Barker captured the Orange County Championships last month ahead of the JSerra athletes, while she was third in this race in 2021 before taking sixth at the California State Meet. Danielle Hollander of Beverly Hills placed seventh a year ago and has consistently been over 30 seconds faster on the same courses than she was in 2021.  

This will be a battle between four squads with Viewpoint projected to emerge with their first girl's title in school history. After a best of 17:49 from the Mt. SAC Invite, expect senior JiaLian Mackey to defend her title, although we do not expect her to earn as easily as she did in 2021 with a 43-second victory. With added support from Micah Gutman, Viewpoint comes in with a slight advantage.  

But do not overlook the traditional powerhouse and 2021 runner-up, St. Margaret's. Poised to advance to their sixth straight top-three finish and State Meet berth, freshman Joyce Li leads the way for the Tartans with added support from Sarah Bendzick.

With recent CBED adjustments moving them from uber-competitive Division 4, St. Lucy's is now a State Meet squad here in Division 5. Coming out of the Baseline League (where the top three squads all advanced to the Division 1 final), the group is accustomed to stiff competition with Alexis Corvese up front for Regents.

Xavier College Prep freshman Chloe Elbaz (18:12 at the Mt. SAC Invite) is the greatest threat to Mackey as those two are expected to leave the rest of the race by the mile mark. With XCP eyeing their first straight trip to the State Meet, Natalie Saas looked sharp at prelims as this group has been ranked fourth every week this season.

Beyond those four, expect a large team scoring gap to ensue back to the fifth-place squad. Chadwick, Cate, Providence (Burbank), and Flintridge Prep will all be fighting for those final three spots to next weekend's California State Meet. For Flintridge Prep, it would their 19^th trip to the State Meet since 2000.

Individually, Buckley's Lorelei Barrett (pictured) was a runaway winner at the Liberty League finals two weeks ago and impressed with an 18:51 effort at last week's prelims. Malibu's Tallula Murphree looks to match her performance from 2021 where she placed fourth and advanced to the State Meet as a freshman.

Where we have seen four different squads ranked atop the division in 2022, St. Francis of La Canada comes in with the hot hand in light of their Mission League championship over Division 1 foe, Loyola. Fifth place in 2021, Hayden Owen and Luke Metcalf have led the charge for the Golden Knights in one of the most improved teams in the section over the past several years.  

But, in what be the tightest four-team battle on the boys' side, Palos Verdes has come on strong as of late with Jake Typrowicz and Alex Naehu coming into form this past month. The Sea Kings just missed the State Meet a year ago while competing in Division 3, but will be right in the mix to capture the division title and match the one they claimed in 2018.

Right off the bat, Cathedral will be well ahead in the scoring with juniors Emmanuel Hernandez and Emmanuel Perez projected for a 1-2 finish. Respectively, the duo crossed at 14:52 and 15:00 at the Mt. SAC Invite last month. This will be the Phantom's eighth consecutive top-five finish as they seek their first title since 2017.  

St. John Bosco may not be 100% healthy for this one but with Aidan Aldana up front, this should be their third straight trip to the State Meet and fifth in the past six postseasons.  Depth could be a concern, but this squad has continually answered the challenges in big meets all season.

Meanwhile, the fight for those last three spots to the State Meet will be intense with five different squads -- Bishop Amat, Foothill Tech, South Pasadena, Harvard Westlake, and Oaks Christian -- all in line to claim those spots.  Harvard Westlake finished third place a year ago and has the inside track in this group to emerge with a top-five finish.

Individually, San Marino's Benjamin Hughes comes in with a 15:18 performance at the Mt. SAC Invite to his resume. Meanwhile, Jonah Billings of Foothill Tech crossed at 15:21 behind Hughes last month while Zion Ortiz of Burroughs (Ridgecrest) was in Billings' shadow at 15:22.

Of any race on the docket this weekend, the "you pick 'em" matchup is right here. On paper, not much separates Viewpoint, St. Margaret's, and Providence. Based on their relative depth, and ability to pack up as a group, the Patriots of Viewpoint come in as the slight favorite. In capturing the Gold Coast league over projected State Meet qualifier, Windward, they scored in an 18-second bubble.

After two consecutive third-place finishes, Viewpoint seeks their first-ever boys' title. But they will need to overcome St. Margaret's, who looks for its sixth straight trip to the State Meet. Everette Capelle is one of the best in the division for the Orange Coast league runner-up.

Can our defending champs, Providence catapult over those two favorites remains to be seen? With Henry Virtue and Aidan Urbina up front, the Pioneers will jump out to the early lead while their depth will have to be the difference to provide the upset.

Runner-up from 2021, Windward placed second to Viewpoint at their league finals two weeks ago and is primed for another trip back to the State Meet. But, in the most difficult division to get a true read on this season, Windward will need to watch for Woodcrest Christian and Hawthorne Math and Science Academy.

The Royals of Woodcrest look to kick off their scoring with sophomore Eyan Turk (pictured), who placed second as a freshman in 2021 (15:17) before moving on to place eighth at the State Meet. Our numbers indicate that this will be their 18^th time making it to the State Meet since 2000 while the team placed sixth in 2021.

Meanwhile, Hawthorne MAS placed ninth in 2021, and with everybody living up to the numbers, the Aviators are primed to make their first-ever State Meet appearance.

Webb, Flintridge Prep, and Valley Christian of Cerritos will be fighting for the last spot, advancing to Fresno next weekend. Flintridge advanced to the State Meet in every season from 1997 until that streak ended in 2019. The group looks to establish a new streak this weekend.

Individually, Prep League champion Joshua Thomas of Chadwick placed fifth in 2021 before taking 11^th at the State Meet.  Mary Star of the Sea sophomore Finn Babbitt impressed last week with a 16:11 effort at prelims while Crossroads' Hugo Guckert brings a 16:11 to the line from the Mt. SAC Invite.  

One of the top storylines in the Southern Section is the ascendance of the Rancho Cucamonga girls. A program that has never qualified for the State Meet now finds itself as the favorite to earn the divisional championship. Sophomore Nicole Alfred and freshman Madilyn Siana (pictured) drive the pace for the Cougars behind a consistent sub-25 second scoring gap which has elevated the team up to 23rd in the MileSplit national rankings and fourth in the California region.

Can Great Oak pull the upset - the same program that has advanced to the State Meet every postseason since 2008, including an unprecedented run of ten consecutive titles?  With Kelli Gaffney (17:33 - Mt. SAC Invite) up front, the Wolfpack will be off to a good start, but Rancho Cucamonga could very well place all five of their scorers in the top 20, making for a tall task to overcome.

Looking to also hoist that runner-up plaque up, watch for Trabuco Hills. Unheralded going into the season, it did not take long to see that the group presented much more than Danica Brinkman up front. Three freshmen have added firepower to the much-improved group that will advance to the State Meet for the first time since 2013.

Santiago and Redondo Union have been interchangeable all season, both led by two of the best in the division with Rylee Blade (17:51 - Clovis Invite) leading the way for the Sharks and Lyla Fedio (17:53 - Mt. SAC Invite) for the Sea Hawks of Redondo. While Redondo was fourth in 2021, Santiago qualified for its first-ever State Meet experience by taking seventh.

Overlooked in the preseason, this is the first time Santa Monica has sent a team to the finals in the 16-team format. Behind the strength of Phoebe Benun (Bay League champion), the Vikings are right in the mix for a top seven placing and their first State Meet squad in school history.  

On paper, that seventh spot is wide open for the taking as Long Beach Poly, behind Avery Peck's 17:38 from the Mt. SAC Invite, will be one of those looking to advance onward. Los Alamitos and Chino Hills will also be in the fight while also keeping your eyes on Vista Murrieta. The Broncos have quaified in the past 12 straight seasons and do not plan to end that streak!

Individually, Peck will look to advance but could very well find the rest of her squad also advancing once the scoring is concluded. Two-time State Meet qualifier Brianne Smith of Quartz Hill looked sharp at last weekend's prelims. She senior was sixth a year ago before placing seventh at the State Meet and comes in with a lifetime best of 17:39 on the Mt. SAC course. A fully healthy Mackenzie McRae of Huntington Beach will also be fighting for a top-five finish as she rolled to a 17:57 at the Clovis Invite last month.  Beckman's Joy Weber is also projected to advance as an individual.  

After taking a year to go claim the divisional title in Division 1 with an awe-inspiring 15-point sweep, Newbury Park is here to remind us that they claimed the Division 2 titles in 2018 and 2019. As they established a team scoring record a year ago, they are slated to score between 25-30 points in 2022 to set a record for Division 2. The 1998 Katella squad currently holds the mark at 43 points while under a four-divisional format, Mater Dei only scored 37 to claim the 1981 title in Division 3-A (equivalent to Division 2 today).

Committed to Stanford next fall, the nation's top two ranked individuals Leo Young and Lex Young, along with U.S. No. 14 Aaron Sahlman (committed to attending Northern Arizona University with his brother, Colin), will do what it takes to cruise through this round. As much as their talent dictates performances under 14:30, ranked on top of the national rankings, their eyes are firmly set on next weekend and beyond.

The battle for second place? A fully healthy Ventura squad could very well run away from anybody else and score less than 100 points on their own. With all gears in place, the Cougars and Micah Grossman will finish in a 30-second gap and advance to the State Meet, as they did with a third-place finish in 2021. With a healthy Anthony Fasthorse back, this would provide the Cougars a sizeable advantage while also, keep in mind for 2023, all five projected scorers are juniors!

Defending champions, Mira Costa, have been one of the toughest squads to peg down as 12 different boys have scored in their top five throughout the season. Andrew Martin (15:08 - Mt. SAC Invite) has been the consistent force for the Mustangs as they look to advance to Fresno once again.

A year ago, Ayala boasted the step-up performance of the meet, going in ranked seventh but running away with the runner-up plaque. Equipped with an interchangeable line-up

Both stemming from the Foothill League, Saugus led by Jacob Fredericks (15:17 - invite), will link up once again with Owen Ahten (15:23 at last week's prelims) and his Hart squad. Both project to push one another to the State Meet as for Saugus, this will be their first trip since 2017 with Hart placing fifth a year ago.

With 2021 State Meet qualifier Garrett Hartline leading the way, El Toro will look to earn that last team spot to qualify for the State Meet for the first time since 2018. The Chargers will not have to look too far in the rear-view mirror as Tesoro, Royal, and Santa Barbara are easily within striking range.

Individually, the Royal duo of Jonah Bazerkanian (15:00) and Noah de la Rionda (15:01) both shined at the Mt. SAC Invite last month and will look to break into Newbury Park's top group. With Ventura County monopolizing most of the spots in the top ten here, throw KC Barber of Westlake into that group as well. He came through with a 15:02, fourth-place finish at the Mt. SAC Individual Sweeps race. Walnut's Joshua Razo (15:12) was tenth in that same race.

Slated to be one of the largest scoring gaps on the girls' side, Dana Hills welcomed the move to Division 3 this past summer and now is the heavy favorite to claim the divisional title. Remaining most of their squad from a year ago, they placed fourth in Division 2 in 2021. Allura Markow (17:59.7 - Clovis Invite) will compete for the individual title while we have the Dolphins' five scorers placing in the top 25 and scoring under 70 points as a team.

South Torrance is ready to roll, finally running their full squad at the Pioneer League finals two weeks ago. With Chloe Esponda and Karissa Kira up front, the Spartans will advance to the State Meet for the fifth consecutive postseason as they placed third in 2021.

Beyond those two teams, not much separates all the squads vying for the final five slots in next weekend's State Meet. Corona del Mar, led by Melisse Djomby-Enyawe (18:00 - prelims) has progressed well over this past month into a squad that is poised to make the State Meet for the first time since 2017.

West Torrance is another squad that has consistently improved over the course of the season and is now in striking range of advancing to the State Meet since they placed fourth in 2018. Meanwhile, Yorba Linda has been as consistent as any other squad in the division, while Sydney Rome (18:05 - Mt. SAC Invite) is projected for a top-five finish.  

Santa Margarita, led by sophomore Sophie Polay (17:35 - Clovis Invite), is primed for another State Meet run after placing seventh in 2021. Meanwhile, in Division 3, never overlook the Wildcats of Brea Olinda. Rounding into form this past month, they are back in the conversation after placing second in each of the last two postseasons.

With expected nail-biting as some coaches wait for their fifth scorer, Moorpark has come on strong this past month as well while Oak Park looks to break into the top seven with their fifth State Meet appearance over the past seven seasons.

Individually, Marjourie Lopez of Shadow Hills (pictured) will drive the pace through the first mile like she did when she rolled to a 17:56 performance at the Mt. SAC Invite. West Covina freshman Becky Osorio impressed last week in her 18:28 qualifying effort while Barstow's Angelina Vasquez looks for another return trip to Fresno. With an 18:32 from the Mt. SAC Invite last month, she placed ninth in 2021 while competing in Division 4.

Coming into the season, we anticipated a great battle to ensue between Great Oak, San Clemente, and Crescenta Valley. But, after a tremendous three-week run in the middle of October, the Tritons of San Clemente firmly established themselves as the top team in California for the division. The gap between the trio of Juan Chantaca (14:55 - Mt. SAC Invite), Brett Ephraim, and Rory Catsimanes (both 15:03 - Mt. SAC Invite), and the rest of the team has closed, creating an even tougher task to match for the competition. Moving up to eighth in the MileSplit national rankings, this group could very well score less than 60 points against some of the top talents in the section!

Meanwhile, Great Oak and Crescenta Valley are also ranked in the top 40 and in the most recent California regional set, are fourth and fifth respectively. Gabriel Rodriguez and Mark Cortes will lead Great Oak to their ninth consecutive run at the CIF-State Championships and what should be their eighth straight top-three finish in the divisional finals. But, Crescenta Valley has cut into that margin in our latest forecast as they have added to their depth behind front-running Parker Simmons, who comes in with the top time (14:46) from the Mt. SAC Invite.

On paper, those last four spots to the State Meet should come down to Arcadia, Redondo Union, Trabuco Hills, and Santiago. Interchangeable all season, Brandon Chang leads an Arcadia squad that kept up pretty well with Crescenta Valley at the Pacific League finals. Meanwhile, Redondo Union may not be at 100% this weekend but their 16-second scoring gap to capture the Bay League title moved them up our rankings. Sophomore Adam Divinity has stepped in to lead the charge of late for the Sea Hawks.

Trabuco Hills is getting healthy at the right time. With only one senior in their top six, sophomore Carsten Williams has consistently headlined for the Mustangs all season. Hard to believe but this should be their first trip back to the State Meet since 2012 with all cylinders in gear, they could very well place in the top four.  

Meanwhile, Van Filek-led Santiago just missed advancing to their first State Meet a year ago by mission out by only one point. We have them in our top seven, but they cannot afford any hiccups as a strong race from Dylan Deloyola could cement the Sharks placing in the top seven.     

But...hold on as we have learned one thing - never dismiss Loyola! Led by Jake Ratkovich (15:05 - Mt. SAC Invite), the Cubs own the longest streak of State Meet berths in the Southern Section at 14. The streak is in jeopardy as they are currently slated outside the top seven. But that is why we run the race!  

Individually, Millikan's Jason Parra (14:54 - Mt. SAC Invite) and Long Beach Poly's Cameron Rhone (14:58 - Mt. SAC Invite) lock up against one another once again. Parra placed eighth in 2021 as a sophomore. Highland's Matthew Donis (10^th place in 2021) has produced well in high-level races, including running a 15:16 at the Clovis Invite. Santa Ana's Jimmy Dominguez cruised to the win in his prelims heat a week ago and toes the line with a 15:08 best from the Mt. SAC Invite.

Seeking their third title in as many seasons, Newbury Park returns to re-claim the Division 2 title as they did before taking the Division 1 plaque a year ago. Equipped up front with Ailish Hawkins (17:48 - Clovis Invite) and Tiffany Sax (17:53 - Clovis Invite) along with the addition of freshman Sophia Grant (18:25 - Clovis Invite), the Panthers are the favorites going into the weekend. The squad is currently ranked fifth overall in California.

More than any other division, the battle for the runner-up plaque is the most intriguing. Our projections have five different squads that could very well end up in that second spot with Ventura having the inside edge.

Ranked seventh in the nation by Milesplit, Ventura's Sadie Engelhardt scorched the Mt. SAC course last weekend with a 16:39 for the second-fastest time of a sophomore in course history. Ventura will take the early advantage with freshman Aelo Curtis (17:59 - Clovis Invite) projected for a top-ten finish.

Jie Yi Denise Chen (17:40 - Mt. SAC Invite) leads a Claremont squad that is on an upswing this past month and is projected to advance back to the State Meet for the ninth consecutive season. Will this be their seventh straight top-three remains to be seen but the Wolfpack have a trip to Fresno awaiting.  Meanwhile, El Toro has seen sophomore Dakota Danaher take control up front for the Chargers. If the group can keep a tight pack all throughout, this will assure them of their sixth straight trip to the State Meet.

Our defending champions, Mira Costa, could also very well find themselves in the second slot. Projected to advance back to the State Meet for a seventh straight year (and 13^th time in 15 seasons), Anna Chittenden (17:44 - Mt. SAC Invite) is in line for a top-five finish. Saugus' 15-year streak of advancing was broken in 2021, but they are back! Freshman Lucia Pearson leads a trio of scoring frosh that have moved the Centurions back into the State Meet hunt.

Whereas the top squads are familiar faces to the Division 2 scene, the newcomer to the group is Citrus Valley. With only one senior in their lineup, the Hailie Lomeli-led Blackhawks placed eighth a year ago as they seek their first-ever trip to the State Meet.

Meanwhile, the division with the most depth and overall talent here also includes a strong Peninsula squad, led by Makenzie Kordic and Aishling Callanan. Two squads that look to have put injuries behind them, Westlake and Canyon of Anaheim, will also be right there in the fight and could very well find themselves also earning trips to Fresno next weekend!  

Individually, Mackenzie Browne of JW North impressed last week with her 17:38 performance in her prelims heat. Now, a senior, the 2019 divisional champion is back! Meanwhile, Murrieta Valley freshman Arielle Avina shine with a solid 17:51 step-up performance last week to lead her squad to the final. Recently committed to the University of Michigan, also watch for Portola's Jadyn Zdanavage to advance to her third State Meet! She was seventh a year ago with a 17:54 effort.
  

Saving the best team battle for last, perhaps? Interchanging with one another atop the divisional rankings all season, Dana Hills and Santa Margarita will clash for the title.

Dana Hills is now energized up front by Evan Noonan, who has quickly ascended to one of the top sophomores in the nation, as evidenced by his 14:49 performance at the Mt. SAC Invite. On paper, they project to place all five scorers in the top 35 and place their seventh well ahead of Santa Margarita's fifth.  Led by Eddie Yunker and Zachary Gibson, the Eagles will have the advantage after four scorers but this one should come down to that last scorer.

Can West Torrance spoil the party for those two? With Aaron Cohen and Yudai Shimizu up front, the Warriors have a tradition of doing so over the past eight seasons which saw them advance to the State Meet that also included four divisional championships.

Like Dana Hills, Thousand Oaks also made the move to Division 3, and much like West Torrance, they are in a position to take full advantage of any hiccups from the favorites. Baptiste Garderes and Liam Papavasiliou will lead the Lancers to the State Meet after placing eighth in Division 2 in 2021. With Tyler Smith and Hunter Lee leading the way, one of the most improved squads in the division is Moorpark.  The Musketeers revealed their hands in October and have steadily moved up the charts since now looking to go back to the State Meet as they did from 2017 to 2019.  

Beyond those five, that fight for those last two spots will be settled by the likes of Agoura, Brea Olinda, Dos Pueblos, and West Ranch while Mission Viejo has flashed signs of also breaking the brackets and finding their way into one of those spots.  

Individually, West Ranch's Bille Issa had one of the top performances in California this season with his 15:04.4 performance at the Clovis Invite last month. Meanwhile, Dos Pueblos' Eamon Gordon shined on the Mt. SAC course with his 15:05 clocking at the invite. Emmanuel Wallace of Redlands East Valley was sharp in his 15:17 win in his prelims heat last weekend. Also, taking home the win in his prelim heat, Sonora's Alexandro Vielma comes in with a 15:39 effort from the Mt. SAC Invite.