SJS Section Finals - Preview

Davis and Oak Ridge have been swapping section titles for years, and this season's no exception. They've gone back and forth with wins all year, and come Saturday, both should roll out fully healthy lineups for another thriller. Their top 7 runners stack up evenly, and every single one has cracked sub-19 for 3 miles at the Sierra Foothill League finals. Davis rides the momentum of Norah Feldt and Avery Wolk, who've shaken off early-season hiccups and are running with serious swagger. Oak Ridge counters with senior Adriana Ingargiola, who's already locked in her spot at UC Berkeley next fall.

The third state-qualifying ticket should punch through to Turlock, powered by sophomore standout Ellison Williams. Pleasant Grove is the only crew with a real shot to knock them off-they ran a smart, controlled tempo with their top 4 at sub-sections. Even if they manage to slide past Turlock's 2-through-5, they'll still need their #5 to have an absolute lights-out day.

At sub-sections, Oak Ridge and Davis snagged 9 of the top 10 spots, so the five individual state berths will be a dogfight. Brianna Williams from Cosumnes Oaks and any one of Pleasant Grove's top four have a possibility.

Division 1 Girls Individual Rankings - Top 15

The third state-qualifying spot should land with McClatchy, powered by juniors Hugh Heyer and Landon Warriner. They were looking unstoppable at last year's section finals... until one of their top runners tripped on the finger loop and cost them a State berth. Turlock snuck in instead. McClatchy's only real weak spot is the drop-off to their 6th guy, so fingers crossed their top 5 keep an eye on their feet this time.

Turlock and Folsom are long shots-they haven't beaten Davis, Oak Ridge, or McClatchy once all season. Turlock's got Larson Wejmar and Zayn Hamilton leading the charge (both top-10 at Subsections), while Folsom leans on Parker Whitemyer and James Ing but has been hit hard by injuries. Either way, both need their #5 runner to show up big.

Individually? Davis sat Elias Thronson at Subsections, but he's the clear favorite. Other guys fighting for state spots include Oliver Charkiewicz from River City and Daniel Barajas from Tokay.

Division 1 Boys Teams (Top 3 teams qualify for state)

Division 2 Girls

Whitney rolls in with Sophie Hutchinson leading the charge, after resting at subsections, will be ready to push the pace alongside Natalie Arriaza from Patterson, who loves going strong from the gun. Whitney's has tremendous backup too--seniors Jane Landon, Nina Soto, and Addison Ewers and a state title is very much on the table. Vacaville's been getting better every week, powered by Khloe Delatorre and Makayla Galvan. Their one weakness though they drop off quite a bit after their top 5.

Golden Valley's anchored by Fernanda Cortes, brings solid depth, and has been steady all season. Bella Vista should lock down that final 4th state team spot after dominating at CVC league finals. They're led by Zoe Corder and the steadily improving Sophia Pham.

Granite Bay's got a late start but is trending up, with Madeleine Olson out front. Vista Del Lago leans on Brenna Mannion and, despite some recent team struggles, should be primed to fight for that 4th qualifying spot.

Individually? This is the toughest race to punch a state berth. Pretty much every team mentioned has legit contenders, and they'll all be scrapping with Lena Llamas from Buhach Colony and Avery Carlson from Pitman.

The college commits in this field are wild: Jane Landon to CBU, Brenna Mannion, Addison Ewers, and Nina Soto to Cal Poly SLO, Zoe Corder and Sophie Hutchinson to Washington State, Lena Llamas to Wingate University, Avery Carlson to UC San Diego, and Natalie Arriaza going locally to Stanislaus State.

2024 Division 2 Team Champion: Whitney

2024 Division 2 Individual Champion: Grace Baxter

Division 2 Girls Teams (Top 4 teams qualify for state)

Division 2 Girls Individual Rankings - Top 15

Division 2 Boys Teams (Top 4 teams qualify for state)

Division 3 Girls

2024 Division 3 Team Champion: St. Francis

2024 Division 3 Individual Champion: Emmy Angelo

Division 3 Girls Individual Rankings - Top 15

Division 3 Boys Teams (Top 3 teams qualify for state)

Division 4 Girls Teams (Top 3 teams qualify for state)

Division 4 Girls Individual Rankings - Top 15

2024 Division 4 Individual Champion: Broen Holman

Division 5 Girls Teams (Top 2 teams qualify for state)

Division 5 Girls Individual Rankings - Top 10

Division 5 Boys Individual Rankings - Top 10