The CIF State Cross Country Championships return to Woodward Park this weekend, bringing together California's fastest teams and individuals for one final showdown.
Beyond state bragging rights, performances here could shape the national stage at Nike Cross Nationals and the Brooks XC Championships. Who will rise to the top?
Fastest Boys Returners to 2024 CIF State XC Championships
Fastest Girls Returners to the 2024 CIF State XC Championships
Dream Race in D2
At the CIF State XC Championships, the Division 2 race is a dream come true for any California high school running fan, as it features the three best in the state competing against each other.
Summer Wilson from Irvine holds the recent 3-mile XC course record at an impressive 15:14. Aelo Curtis from Ventura ran 16:44 to win the Clovis XC Invitational, which acts as the unofficial CIF State preview. Amaya Bharadwaj from Palo Alto remains undefeated this season and was the third fastest girl from the Clovis XC Invitational, only behind Curtis and Wilson.
The setup resembles last year's Sadie Engelhardt vs. Rylee Blade showdown at Clovis - the national record-holder versus the seasoned Woodward Park specialist. This time, Wilson and Curtis take on those roles as they compete for the D2 crown.
But unlike last year, there's a genuine X-factor: Amaya Bharadwaj, whom neither Wilson nor Curtis has faced. At the Clovis XC Invitational, she ran 17:03 to win the Friday championship race by a commanding 15 seconds.
However you cut it up, this race will be special. We could even see three Nike Cross Nationals auto-qualifiers, and they'll be under 17 minutes. But there has to be a winner, and that will either be the National Record Holder, the Course Specialist, the NorCal Underdog, or it might come as a complete surprise.
A D3 Open Podium
D3 Girls Race at the CIF Southern Section Championships - Photo by Raymond Tran
Although we made quick predictions about the D3 girls' race, its unpredictability is the only thing we can be sure of.
Team
What we do know is that the team race will come down to St. Francis (SJ), Santa Margarita (SS), El Toro (SS), and Oak Park (SS). All four of these teams have been interchangeable when they've met this year at the Woodbridge XC Classic, Clovis XC Invitational, or CIF-SS Championships.
Clovis was the last to meet all four, and St. Francis won the Friday Championship, beating Santa Margarita and Oak Park. They also had a faster team time than El Toro by almost four minutes. Led by freshman Alyssa Gutierez, who ends up in the top 5 of every race and strong pack running, they are challenging to beat.
Since then, the Southern Section teams have improved each week, battling each other in Southern California. At last week's CIF-SS Championships on the flat 3-mile course, the El Toro and Santa Margarita teams had nearly identical average times, both extremely fast. El Toro runners averaged 17:13, while Santa Margarita runners averaged 17:14. Then Oak Park averaged 17:32 in that Division 2 race to finish third.
The D3 team title won't just push these teams to perform, but they'll also be fighting to earn a spot at Nike Cross Nationals. Two automatic spots and most likely one at-large spot will be up for grabs, and there's also fast team races in the Division 1, 2, and 4 races that'll be looking to bump them out.
Individual
The Division 3 CIF-SS Championship was the perfect preview: four athletes in one tight pack, and a 100m sprint deciding nearly everything. Expect the same chaos on Saturday.
Santa Margarita's Carol Dye used a huge kick to win that race, helped by her teammate Taryn Coulston in second. But they'll face the two fastest D3 athletes from the Clovis XC Invite: West Torrance's Kamilah Salim (17:25) and St. Francis' Alyssa Gutierez (17:30). Salim has been strong all season, but Dye and Coulston got the better of her at CIF-SS.
There's also Harper Diaz from Santana (SD) and Gretchen Yakaitis from Carondelet (NC), who dominated at their section championships and will be in the mix. They both performed exceptionally well at the Mt. SAC XC Invitational, running under 18 minutes, which was faster than Carol Dye. Yakatis also ran 17:47 on the Woodward Park course at the Rough Rider Invitational.
Last year, Abigail Errington blew it open early. This year? Expect a dogfight all the way to the line.
Can Anyone Stop the Unstoppable?
JSerra Catholic girls after winning the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic Sweepstakes Race.
Can Someone Interrupt JSerra's Clock?
JSerra hasn't lost the D4 CIF State XC title since 2021, and since 2022, they have qualified for Nike Cross Nationals.
"We made a goal, wanting to perform better when we get there. We didn't want to make a goal just to get there."
A different approach has benefited JSerra, as they are currently ranked No. 1 in the COROS MileSplit 50, and they have backed it up with impressive victories. First, they defeated Union Catholic and Buchanan at a stacked Woodbridge XC Classic. Then, they achieved a convincing 55-point win at the Clovis XC Invitational, followed by an OC Championships win where they averaged 17:01 for 3 miles to secure victory.
On top of this excellence, they've managed to have a different No.1 runner in just about every race.
Date | Race | Number 1 Runner |
September 6th | ||
September 19th | ||
October 11th | ||
October 18th | ||
November 22nd |
Sage Creek (SD), Archie Williams (NC), and Big Bear (SS) will compete to beat JSerra Catholic, but it will be tough. Archie Williams, led by Brooke Lee, has a strong chance since Lee's 17:18 at Clovis was faster than anyone on JSerra, but how will their 2-7 runners perform?
It would take almost a perfect race to beat the powerhouse from San Juan Capistrano, who will be aiming to run one of the fastest team times of the day to secure an NXN spot.
Who Can Upset the Buchanan Powerhouse?
This year looks like Buchanan's best chance to win the CIF State XC Team Championship for the first time since 2022, when they completed a three-peat. Ranked No. 5 in the COROS MileSplit 50, they have the results to prove it -- especially at Woodbridge and Clovis, where their front-running and tight spread looked State-meet ready.
Buchanan has beaten the top D1 schools this year at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic and Clovis XC Invitational. Their best efforts have been at the Clovis XC Invitational, where they've demonstrated front-running and a close spread of their top 7.
Their performances at Clovis vs. the Central Section Championships show how consistent they are on the Woodward Park course, a major advantage heading into Saturday.
Clovis XC Invite vs CIF Central Section XC Championships
| Name | Time | Place | Name | Time | Place |
| 1) Brooklyn Buckley | 17:40.80 | 11 | 1) Layla Merancio | 17:55.43 | 2 |
| 2) Molly Sundgren | 17:41.00 | 12 | 2) Brooklyn Buckley | 17:56.66 | 3 |
| 3) Layla Merancio | 17:52.90 | 15 | 3) Molly Sundgren | 18:05.38 | 4 |
| 4) Gaby Gutierrez | 18:19.60 | 29 | 4) Noelle Frantz | 18:12.45 | 5 |
| 5) Katerine Anderson | 18:47.90 | 54 | 5) Aniston Welk | 18:21.81 | 6 |
| 6) Ariel Maxson | 18:54.00 | 55 | 6) Gaby Gutierrez | 18:24.32 | 7 |
| 7) Aniston Welk | 19:00.70 | 61 | 7) Kynzlee Buckley | 18:28.14 | 9 |
Clovis = Average Time: 18:06.35, Total Time: 1:30:31.73, 1-5 Split: 26.38
CIF-CS = Average Time: 18:04.44, Total Time: 1:30:22.20, 1-5 Split: 1:07.10
Among all the teams in D1, Mira Costa has proven to be the top contender to beat Buchanan this Saturday. At the Clovis Invitational, they were missing their No. 5 runner and placed behind Buchanan and Santiago (Corona).
Mira Costa has been unstoppable in Southern California with their whole team on the line. Alana Clarke and Evelyn Ursini are leading the pack, with Kate Perrone staying close as the fifth runner to keep the spread tight. Look at how their spread has improved in each of their past four races.
Mira Costa's 1-5 in Past Four Team Wins
Mt. SAC XC Invite- 1:08, 58pts
Bay League Finals- 0:54, 19pts
CIF-SS XC Prelims- 0:19, 20pts
CIF-SS XC Championships- 0:26, 61pts
What makes D1 fascinating is the depth: Santiago (SS), Trabuco Hills (SS), and Davis (SJ) all have the potential to break up the party if either favorite slips.
But make no mistake - the stakes are bigger than a D1 trophy. This race likely secures an NXN automatic bid, given the talent and expected fast pace. Buchanan has the postseason history, Mira Costa has the momentum, and both understand that Saturday's race could be worth far more than a State title.