The first premier meet in the CIF San Diego Section is set to take place this Saturday under the night sky at Canyon Crest Academy. In recent years, the CCA Ravens XC Invitational has been the catapult to historic seasons for SD legends like Kenan Pala, Gionna Lipazzo, Jaelyn Williams, and Chiara Daiely.
On Saturday night, athletes all over the Southern Section will race to see who will deliver an early statement to the entire Golden State.
Stay tuned to MileSplit's coverage throughout the weekend to see race videos, photos, interviews, and more from this premier San Diego Showdown.
Jaxon Northcutt Eyes a Repeat
At the beginning of last cross country season, Jaxon Northcutt put the entire state on notice with three demonstrative victories in the San Diego area. His win at the CCA Ravens XC Invite definitely made him the best in San Diego, and Northcutt rode that momentum to a 10th-place finish in the D2 CIF State XC Championships.
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Although Northcutt is the favorite, repeating will not be easy. The San Clemente duo of Yohan Anderson and Mattheus Dos Santos is set to be back to give him a real challenge. Poway's Blake Litrell is also a legit contender who made huge strides his sophomore season, and this season could leap into the elite level.
Lastly, there's freshman Lukas Derheimer from Cathedral Catholic, the wildcard. Derheimer won Bronco Round Up last weekend over some of the best in San Diego with a time of 9:44.4 on the 2-mile course. Will that be enough to take down Northcutt? Only time will tell.
A Wide-Open Race for the Girls' Crown
Last year, the CCA Ravens XC Invite set the stage for two San Diego legends, Jaelyn Williams and Chiara Dailey, to battle it out in their senior seasons. This year, there are no heavy favorites, but a large field of contenders is looking for a big win to start their season.
Harper Diaz from Santana leads the way with the most credentials in the field as a back-to-back CIF San Diego Section XC champion. She's also finished 2nd and 4th at this meet in previous years. Grace Keef is also someone to watch after her outstanding track season, where she finished 10th in the CIF State 1600m final.
La Costa Canyon's Sophia Haslhofer could be the weekend's surprise after her 4th-place finish at the PR City Invitational, where she set a 3-mile personal record of 17:14. She just transferred from Washington and may immediately become a contender in California.
These three, along with the others below, are among the athletes to watch on Saturday.
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GIRLS' CCA RAVENS XC INVITATIONAL
Harper Diaz
Sophia Haslhofer
Ally Santavicca
Caylin Weiss
Grace Keefe
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Entering this season, the San Clemente boys were considered the best team in California by multiple media outlets because their entire Nike Cross Nationals team returned. However, their season opener at the PR City Invitational ended with a fourth-place finish against some of the best teams in the CIF Southern Section.
This Saturday offers a chance to bounce back to the top as they enter as the defending team champions. Last year, they narrowly beat Mt. Carmel by three points to win the invitational race with 102 points.
Mt. Carmel and Poway will undoubtedly be their biggest challengers again on Saturday, but don't count out Eleanor Roosevelt and San Juan Hills traveling down from the Southern Section.
Cathedral Catholic Girls Riding Momentum
After a dominant 35-point victory at the Bronco Roundup last week, the Cathedral Catholic girls will look to ride that momentum into the CCA Ravens XC Invitational.
The Dons entered this season as state title contenders in the Division 3 race and proved themselves last week at the Bronco Roundup. Grace Keefe is continuing to establish herself as a reliable low-stick, while their #2-5 runners are keeping a close gap.
Their biggest challenges will come from Poway, Canyon Crest Academy, and Torrey Pines. Last Saturday, Poway finished as the top San Diego school at the PR City Invitational, led by Allison Kretsch's 17:56 performance. Great Oak, which finished 4th at PR City, could be a great challenge if they put their full squad on the line on Saturday night.
The first premier meet in the CIF San Diego Section is set to take place this Saturday under the night sky at Canyon Crest Academy. In recent years, the CCA Ravens XC Invitational has been the catapult to historic seasons for SD legends like Kenan Pala, Gionna Lipazzo, Jaelyn Williams, and Chiara Daiely.
On Saturday night, athletes all over the Southern Section will race to see who will deliver an early statement to the entire Golden State.
Stay tuned to MileSplit's coverage throughout the weekend to see race videos, photos, interviews, and more from this premier San Diego Showdown.
