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Our expert, Mark Gardner, breaks down each of the 10 races as they unfolded on Saturday during the 2022 CIF-State Cross Country Championships on the 5,000-meter course at Woodward Park in Fresno. This article has been edited and updated as of 7:10 p.m.
DIVISION IV GIRLS (8:30 am)
AT THE MILE MARK:
Coming through the mile mark, employing their traditional race strategy, JSerra is out of the gates and ahead of Oaks Christian with a 90-111 advantage. In a pace, much more conservative compared to a year ago, La Jolla freshman Chiara Dailey (La Jolla/SD) and pre-race favorite, Payton Godsey (Oaks Christian/SS) have moved away from the pack with a 5:26 pace.
WITH A MILE TO GO:
Can Oaks Christian pull off the upset!?! They are only down by 12 points to JSerra! The top seven teams are ALL from the Southern Section!
Godsey made her move on the back part of the course to move away, by herself, to a seven-second advantage over Dailey! Godsey, at 11:42, is still within range of a 17-minute performance! Laguna Hills' Holly Barker (SS) and Maya DeBrouwer of La Canada (SS) running third and fourth.
AT THE FINISH LINE:
Godsey comes onto the grass with no one in sight and a run-away solo victory at 17:00.1! Dailey is runner-up at 17:27.3 with Barker placing third at 17:43.7!
Oaks Christian gave them a scare but JSerra will defend its title! Sophomore Brynn Garcia (17:57.6), fast-charging Summer Wilson (18:19.5), Kaylah Tasser (18:27.2), Brooke O'Brien (18:49.1) and Anastasia Snodgrass finish (18:55.0) off the scoring!
JSerra 71 (92:29), Oaks Christian 82 (91:53), La Canada 133 (94:43) - The Southern Section takes the top five spots.
DIVISION V GIRLS (9:00 am)
AT THE MILE MARK:
Through the initial mile, Crystal Springs Uplands (CC) with a slight lead over a huge pack, 164-175 over Immanuel (CS). Pre-race favorite, University of San Francisco (NC) in third at 198 points.
Lorelei Barrett of Buckley (SS) and Kaiya Brooks (CC), who seems to be cruising, lead a huge pack at the mile (5:38).
WITH A MILE TO GO:
Like the best usually do at Woodward, they take control on the back part of the course! Harvard-bound Brooks of Crystal Springs Uplands has opened up a dominating lead (12:11.7) over Barrett (12:31.8).
But, in the team scoring, as anticipated, University has taken control of the race but Crystal Springs Uplands maintaining contact, only behind by 10 points, 142-152! Viewpoint (SS) and Lick Wilmerding (NC) fighting for that third spot on the podium.
AT THE FINISH LINE:
Pulling off, what will be, one of the upsets of the 2022 State Championships, Crystal Springs Uplands takes the crown! Overcoming a 10-point deficit with a mile to go, the freshman duo of Anna Salter and Kira Dye move up 10 spots EACH, to lead the Gryphons to a 129-131 victory over University of San Francisco!
Brooks runs away from a solid field at 17:54.2. Sienna Faidi (Convent & Stuart Hall/NC) comes up for second place (18:18.6), just ahead of Branson's Adeline Johnson (18:19.0) -- reversing their order at the North Coast Section Finals. Surprisingly, Buckley's Barrett is the Southern Section's top finisher for fourth at 18:23.7.
Loaded talent for this one! The pack decides to stay together with Sean Morello (Albany/NC), Emmanuel Hernandez (Cathedral/SS), Broen Holman (Sonora/SJ), and Jacob Moffett (St. Mary's/SJ). Eight boys are coming through in a one-second bubble at 4:43!
Team scoring sees Cathedral with a slight advantage, 99-104 over CIF-SS champs, St. Francis of La Canada. NOW - the race begins as they go through the second mile!
WITH A MILE TO GO:
We have ourselves a race! Now, it is Perez up front with Morello and Holman right in his shadow as they come through at 10:20-10:21!
North Coast Section champs, Albany with a ONE-point advantage over the Southern Section champs, St. Francis, 97-98! Cathedral in third at 123.
AT THE FINISH LINE:
For the second week in a row, Perez comes through with a huge race as he holds off Morello, 15:05.4-15:08.8. Holman places third (15:12.4) while San Marino (SS) senior Benjamin Hughes moves up eight spots over the last mile to place fourth (15:26.0).
St. Francis opens it up over that last mile for a decisive, 93-114 win over fellow Southern Section foe, Cathedral! Albany holds on to third at 118 with St. John Bosco (SS) placing fourth at 132 points.
Familiar with one another, Micah Sanchez (Liberty Charter/SD) and York Bourgeois (Francis Parker/SD) came through right at 4:47. The Pretre brothers, Justin, the senior, and Landon, a sophomore, seemingly through cruising at 4:49.
Top-ranked Yosemite (CS) and Menlo (CC) tied at 87 with Crystal Springs Uplands (CC) at 104 in third.
WITH A MILE TO GO:
Sanchez opens it up to a six-second lead over Justin Pretre at 10:21! Can they push one another under 15:10!
But, team-wise - Wow! Can Crystal Springs of Uplands pull off ANOTHER upset?!?! They now hold a 71-83 advantage over Menlo ... with the favorite, Yosemite, back in third with a distant 123 points!
AT THE FINISH LINE:
Sanchez for the win! He races home to the 15:13.6 title! Justin Pretre places second (15:24.6) ahead of Woodcrest Christian (SS) sophomore Eyan Turk at 15:28.1.
And, yes! They did it again! Crystal Springs Uplands stealing the headlines early this morning!!! Overcoming the Pretre brothers earning only six points at the top of the scoring, they come through with a 73-77 victory to SWEEP both Division V State titles! Yosemite earns a spot on the podium for third at 120 points.
Can Buchanan create some history!!??!! The talent dictates a NEW Woodward Park course record. Buchanan (CS) with six girls in the top 15 with freshman Kynzlee Buckley leading the pace (5:28.2) for a HUGE group of talent! Only one second separates that top 10 early on.
Buchanan is in absolute control with only 27 points at the mile with Rancho Cucamonga (SS) leading the way for that runner-up plaque at 158 points! 131 points separate the top two - wow! Clovis North (165) is third, just ahead of Santiago (184), Del Norte (186), and Oak Ridge (186).
WITH A MILE TO GO:
Buchanan senior Grace Hutchison opens up a decisive gap of 10 seconds (11:49.8) over sophomore teammate Elliana Lomeli (12:00.7) and Poway (SD) junior Tessa Buswell (12:00.7) with less than a mile to go! Santiago (SS) sophomore Rylee Blade is right there as well, along with Buckley!
Buchanan with four in the top SIX! One of the top teams in the nation has shown up to put on a clinic as they are only at 21 points with a mile to go! Clovis North (161), Torrey Pines (174), Oak Ridge (176) and Rancho Cucamonga (176) are all fighting for those last two spots on the podium!
AT THE FINISH LINE:
Buswell of Poway pulls off the upset and is your 2022 State Champion! With a huge push at the end, showing off her stellar 800-meter speed, she crosses in 17:25.0, ahead of Hutchison at 17:30.3. Blade is third (17:36.5), with Eastlake (SD) freshman Jaelyn Williams comes up with a big finish for fourth (17:38.9).
Buchanan crosses with the sixth-fastest team time performance for the Woodward Park course (89:32) and breaks their previous Central Section record from the 2019 State Meet. They score only 40 points to establish a new State scoring record for Division I. This despite Lomeli falling with 400 to go and walking across the finish line in 158th place, and senior stalwart Sydney Sundgren running No. 5, crossing 26th overall, 20th among scorers.
And again it was Buchanan's young depth coming up huge as sophomore Sierra Cornett closed strong in 17:41.57 for fifth place (third among scorers), and freshman Tayler Torosian came in ninth (7th) in 17:47.80, just ahead of Buckley, who faded over the last mile but still placed 11th overall (9th) in 17:58.62.
A tight team for second place saw Oak Ridge (SJ) prevail with 158 points, just ahead of Clovis North (161), Del Norte (166), and Great Oak (172).
The Newbury Park (SS) crew, the top team in the nation, choosing to cruise through the first mile with Leo Young and Lex Young, with Aaron Sahlman, coming through at 4:31-4:32. Beyer (SJ) junior Jackson Olsen sandwiched in between the group as well.
No surprises here but Newbury Park leads with 19 points. Granada (NC) is second at 82 points with Ventura (SS) at 109. The next squad, Santa Barbara (SS), is over 100 points back in fourth at 217.
WITH A MILE TO GO:
Oh my!!!!! Leo and Lex have unleashed, coming through with a mile to go at 9:51!!!! Sahlman comes through at 9:58. The Young twins are almost 10 seconds FASTER than they were a year ago at this same point in the race!
Newbury Park is on the verge of establishing a new team scoring record (like the Panthers did in 2021 for Division I), as they come through with only 16 points!!! Granada at 96 with Ventura at 127. Whitney (SJ) moves up well over the middle mile to place fourth at a distant 199.
AT THE FINISH:
History uncorked! They establish a new Division II team scoring record while Lex Young prevails over the last mile with a 14:27.9 State Meet title! Leo Young crosses in second (14:38.4), with Sahlman in third at 14:41.1! Dev Doshi (15:17.2) and Brayden Seymour (15:29.1) close out the scoring for the Panthers. Their 74:34 is also a new Division II team time record! Their 2019 squad held the previous record at 75:04.
Ventura junior Anthony Fasthorse comes up for a fourth-place finish (15:08.5) to lead his team to a third-place finish.
Montgomery (NC) sophomore Hanne Thomsen and La Costa Canyon (SD) junior Gioana Lopizzo take us through at 5:23 with seniors Marjourie Lopez (Shadow Hills/SS) and Allura Markow (Dana Hills/SS).
Favorites coming in to defend their title, Campolindo (NC) already holds a sizable advantage at 59 points over Cathedral Catholic (SD) at 112 points. Southern Section Champs, Dana Hills giving chase at 140 points.
WITH A MILE TO GO:
Thomsen (11:43.5) moves into another gear and opens up a commanding 13-second lead over Lopizzo and Campolindo senior Ellie Buckley (11:56.2).
Campolindo continues to hold a sizable advantage over Cathedral Catholic, 63-111.
AT THE FINISH:
Pre-race favorite Hanne Thomsen motors home to a 17:12.8 finish to defend her State D-III title! LCC's Lopizzo comes in at 17:41.5 with Buckley leading her victorious Campolindo squad with a third-place finish (17:53.9).
Campolindo runs away with another State title at an overwhelming 63 points, well ahead of Cathedral Catholic at 128 points. The San Diego Section also sees University City earn a spot on the podium with 130 points.
Millikan (SS) junior Jason Parra takes us through under 4:40, with Daniel Gonzalez of Lincoln (SJ) right with him! The pack content to sit back at 4:45-4:46!
Tight team battle early on, with the Southern Section occupying the top four spots as anticipated. San Clemente (108), Great Oak (109) with Trabuco Hills coming through at 122 points.
WITH A MILE TO GO:
Southern Section champ, senior Matthew Donis of Highland takes control in the middle of the race, much as he did a week ago. He comes through at 10:12.2 but senior Parker Simmons of Crescenta Valley (SS) and Parra are not too far behind at 10:15.
The Central Section trio of Christopher Caudillo (Clovis), Milo Skapinsky (San Luis Obispo), and Carter Spradling (Clovis East) will have to play catch-up to steal the individual title!
Do we have an upset brewing? Great Oak (SS) delivering its best race thus far with a 70-91 advantage over the favored San Clemente (SS)! Trabuco Hills (SS) in line for a spot on the podium with a 143-166 lead over Crescenta Valley (SS).
AT THE FINISH:
There was no denying Donis as he delivers his second monster performance in two weeks with a 14:51.3 finish! Caudillo settles for second at 15:03.9 with Simmons crossing in third at 15:09.7.
HUGE UPSET!!!! The men of Great Oak ascend back to the top of the Division I podium with a 67-80 victory over the heavily favored San Clemente team!
Crescenta Valley leapfrogs Trabuco Hills to earn the last spot on the podium with a 167-172 advantage while San Luis Obispo -- D-II State champs in 2021 -- ties at 172 as well.
As expected, sophomore Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura (SS) driving the pace and opening a sizable lead AT 5:16 early on. Los Altos (CC) senior Lauren Soobrian, solo, in second at 5:23 with the large chase pack coming through at 5:28. Those two up top,
Los Altos, the Central Coast Section champs, out to an early lead with a 94-100 gap just ahead of the Southern Section champs, Newbury Park. Ventura is in third at 122 points.
WITH A MILE TO GO:
Sadie Engelhardt continues to manhandle the course, coming through with less than a mile to go at 11:31! Like she did a week ago, her teammate, freshman Aelo Curtis, moves into second place (11:58.4) but Anna Chittenden of Mira Costa (SS) is within striking range at 12:02.5.
In trying to pull off an upset, Newbury Park nudges into the team lead over Los Altos, 74-81. With Venture falling off, team scoring wise, St. Francis (CC) takes over that third spot at 112 points, ahead of Palo Alto (CC) at 149.
AT THE FINISH:
Unpressed all throughout, Engelhardt rolls to the fastest time of the day at 16:57.9! Just ahead of her time from 2021, this is the third-fastest sophomore time in State Meet history. A carbon copy of what we witnessed at last weekend's CIF-SS Finals, Chittenden of Mira Costa rolls to a runner-up placing (17:32.0) ahead of Curtis (17:42.1). Newbury Park (SS) senior Ailish Hawkins comes up for fourth (17:48.1).
The team battle was tight all throughout, but Los Altos prevails over the last mile with the 80-91 victory over Newbury Park. Los Altos came through with their fifth scorer crossing 23 spots ahead of Newbury Park's last scorer for the difference.
St. Francis impresses with a third-place 106-point finish ahead of CC rival Palo Alto at 132. The Central Coast Section earned three of the top four spots!
Junior Joshua Bell of Templeton (CS), Campolindo (NC) senior Alexander Lodewick, and Oakdale (SJ) senior Dax Daley take the group through at 4:41 but everybody is there!
Oakdale with a slight 97-104 advantage over Campolindo at the mile
WITH A MILE TO GO:
Oakdale, doing what they did at the Clovis Invite, asserting control over the middle mile, opening a sizeable 66-92 lead over Campolindo! Dana Hills giving chase but is third with a distant 132 points.
Individually, it is anybody's race with six boys all within range of one another! Will sophomore Evan Noonan of Dana Hills (SS) -- the Southern Section champion -- bring it home, like we have seen this past month?
AT THE FINISH:
Indeed, it is Noonan, who destroys the field over the last mile. This time it brings him a CIF-State title in 15:04.3!
Oakdale dominates the final mile with a dominating 56-109 victory over Campolindo! Dana Hills earns a spot on the podium with a third-place performance!
MERGING THE TOP 40 BOYS' SQUADS
1. Newbury Park (SS) - 42
2. Great Oak (SS) - 165
3. San Clemente (SS) - 205
4. Granada (NC) - 236
5. Oakdale (SJ) - 264.5
6. Ventura (SS) - 324
7. Crescenta Valley (SS) - 410
8. San Luis Obispo (CS) - 415
9. Crystal Springs Uplands (CCS) - 416
10. St. Francis, La Canada (SS) - 434.5
11. Trabuco Hills (SS) - 440
12. Whitney (SJ) - 466
13. Cathedral (SS) - 482
14. Campolindo (NC) - 506
15. Albany (NC) - 523
16. Tesoro (SS) - 524
17. Menlo School (CC) - 525
18. Redwood (NC) - 526
19. Arcadia (SS) - 527
20. Mira Costa (SS) - 533
21. Dana Hills (SS) - 540
22. St. John Bosco (SS) - 597
23. Clovis (CS) - 600
24. Westview (SD) - 607
25. Loyola (SS) - 636
1. Buchanan (CS) - 107
2. Los Altos (CC) - 251
3. Campolindo (NC) - 261.5
4. J Serra (SS) - 267
5. Newbury Park (SS) - 291
6. Oaks Christian (SS) - 291
7. St. Francis (CC) - 351
8. Palo Alto (CC) - 361
9. Clovis North (CS) - 408
10. Oak Ridge (SJ) - 430.5
11. Del Norte (SD) - 450
12. Great Oak (SS) - 461
13. Rancho Cucamonga (SS) - 471
14. La Canada (SS) - 484
15. Torrey Pines (SD) - 488
16. Ventura (SS) - 494
17. University City (SD) - 507
18. Cathedral Catholic (SD) - 516
19. Menlo-Atherton (CC) - 533
20. Bishop Amat (SS) - 544
21. Whitney (SJ) - 552
22. South Pasadena (SS) - 599
23. Granite Bay (SJ) - 599.5
24. Santiago, Corona (SS) - 604
25. Scotts Valley (CC) - 606
Mark Gardner is a former coach, in-demand announcer, and a regular contributor to MileSplit
Photo by Jeffrey Parenti