With a little less than two weeks to go before the start of the 2025 CIF high school cross country season, we wanted to preview the top returning teams and individuals from California's largest and most competitive section- the CIF Southern Section. Once again in 2025, it appears that the Southern Section teams and individual athletes are primed and ready to dominate the competition at the major fall invitational meets held throughout Southern California, culminating with the Southern Section Finals and CIF State Cross Country Championships to be held at Woodward Park in Fresno on the last Saturday in November.
It should be noted that the following does not constitute a pre-season ranking but rather an analysis of the anticipated teams and individuals who will be competing for championships in their divisions. With several verified exceptions, these lists do not account for athlete transfers, incoming freshman athletes, or coaching changes that might have occurred over the summer.