'22 XC RUNNER OF THE WEEK POLL
Katie Kopec won the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 2 title for the second year in a row and led her team to the title, a performance that made her the voting favorite as MileSplitCA Girls Cross Country Runner of the Week. (James Leash photos)
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Congratulations to last week's top vote-getter, Katie Kopec of Whitney (SJ)!!
Kopec, a senior, was the fastest girl on the course at the Sac-Joaquin Section Championships, running 18:17.30 to defend her Division 2 title while leading her team to victory over the 5,000-meter course at Willow Hills Reservoir in Folsom.
Katie received 42 percent of the vote in a statewide poll. Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura (SS) was second in the voting with 25 percent of votes.
This week we are putting seven top cross country performers on the line for you to choose the overall CA XC Runner of the Week. Our objective each week will be to select top performers from across the state.
Be sure to vote in the MileSplit Picks window below the candidate list. Voting closes each week on Friday at 9 p.m.
week's candidates (listed alphabetically by last name)
Ellie Buckley (Campolindo/NC) - Ellie, a senior, ran the second-fastest time at the North Coast Section Championships, 17:04.79, while leading her team to defense of its Division 3 title on the 3-mile course at Hayward HS.
Kelli Gaffney (Great Oak/SS) - Kelli, a senior, ran 17:29.10 to win the Southern Section Division 1 title while leading her team to the championship on the 3-mile course at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.
Payton Godsey (Oaks Christian/SS) - Payton, a junior, was the fastest girl at the meet in winning her second-consecutive Southern Section Division 4 title, running 16:54.20 on the 3-mile course at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.
Jacqueline Holman (Lowell/SF) - Jacqueline, a senior, won her second consecutive San Francisco Section All-City championship, running 19:04.83 to win by 62 seconds on the 5K course at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
Hanne Thomsen (Montgomery/NC) - Hanne, a sophomore, won her second consecutive North Coast Section Division 3 title, running the fastest time at the meet, 16:30.60, on the 3-mile course at Hayward HS.
Mia Torrecillas (Highland/CS) - Mia, a junior, won her second consecutive Central Section title, running 18:15.31 to win the Division 2 race and lead her team to the title a year after winning the Division 3 race, on the 5K course at Woodward Park in Fresno.
Meztli Velazquez (Granada Hills Charter/LA) - Meztli, a sophomore, a year after placing 14th, won the Los Angeles City Section Division 1 title, running 18:22.00 to win by 16 seconds while leading her team to the division championship on the 3-mile course at Pierce College in Woodland Hills.
