Top Returners From The 2023 CIF-State Championships (Girls)
| Rank | Athlete | CIF-State Championships (5K) |
| 1 | Sadie Engelhardt - Ventura (SS) | 16:40.7 |
| 2 | Rylee Blade - Santiago Corona (SS) | 16:48.5 |
| 3 | Holly Barker - Trabuco Hills (SS) | 17:05.0 |
| 4 | Chiara Dailey - La Jolla (SD) | 17:09.2 |
| 5 | Hanne Thomsen - Montgomery (NC) | 17:10.2 |
| 6 | Sydney Rubio - Huntington Beach (SS) | 17:26.5 |
| 7 | Jaelyn Williams - Eastlake (SD) | 17:31.4 |
| 8 | Summer Wilson - JSerra Catholic (SS) | 17:31.6 |
| 9 | Sophie Polay - JSerra Catholic (SS) | 17:32.9 |
| 10 | Braelyn Combe - Santiago Corona (SS) | 17:35.1 |
Rylee Blade (Santiago-Corona HS // SS): The senior has been bouncing between the #1 and #2 spot in California this year along with cross-section competitor, Sadie Engelhardt (Ventura HS // SS). Blade's progression this season has been impressive. With P.R'S in both the 3-mile and 5K, her recently minted 3-Mile High School Record has to make her a heavy favorite for the individual title at Prelims, Finals, and even State. She won the Div. I title at the CIF-State Championships last season but placed runner-up in the merge to none other than Engelhardt. She also led her team to an NXN berth after achieving a 2nd place team finish in the merged results, round two is looking very likely for the Sharks.
Jaelyn Williams (Eastlake HS // SDS): She's one of California's top runners, finishing 4th at last season's state meet in the Div. I race and placed 7th in the merge, thus securing a spot at the prestigious Nike Cross Nationals. Williams has been quite dormant this season after battling Achilles tendon issues at the start of the season, an injury that restrained her from racing in big-time meets against her former competitors. So far, she's raced in one scrimmage meet, three dual meets, and the Metro League Finals. Since her start in high school, Williams has been one of the San Diego Section's best runners, right along with Chiara Dailey (La Jolla HS // SDS). All things considered, Williams should be able to move onto the state meet and look to fight for a spot back to NXN.
Summer Wilson (Irvine HS // SS): We were used to seeing her don the black-on-black for JSerra Catholic, but now she's repping the kit for Irvine HS. Wilson is arguably the top Orange County athlete this season, and even though she has only gotten four meets under her belt due to the sit-out period, the junior has convincingly won all but one meet. She'll be a threat to the other individuals looking to extend their postseason now that she is a top individual runner as opposed to a team scorer like she had been in years past. Take a close look at the Div. III prelims coming up to gauge what the Div. III race in Fresno could shape out to be.