On a course where Newbury Park HS reigned supreme for around half a decade, new champions are set to emerge. Last year we saw a big breakthrough from the athletes as they tackled the honest Woodward Park course in early October. On the boys' side, there were a handful of athletes that claimed a sub-15-minute performance, and just as impressively, a handful of girls running under 18 minutes on the tough course. Because of the depth that the invitational offers, it has drawn out-of-state schools and individuals in the past, a great way for the Golden State to test its depth against other regions.
For the boys', Evan Noonan (Dana Hills HS // SS) is both the top CA returner and top returner overall. He ran a 14:44.30 during last year's edition of the invitational and has recently debuted in the 5K this season running a 15:06.10 at the Nike XC Town Twilight. The next two runners on the list also ran under 15:00 minutes, which will be a good battle for Noonan. That being said, number ...