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SJS SECTION FINALS
Willow Hill Reservoir - Folsom, CA - Saturday, November 14th, 2009
Divisional Previews by Joe Hartman!
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D1 Girls – Race Time: 10:00
TEAM RACE – 3 berths to state
Subsection Scoring
1. 55 OAK RIDGE
2. 81 DAVIS SR.
3. 139 LODI
4. 156 GRACE DAVIS
5. 162 MODESTO
6. 164 NAPA
7. 185 NEVADA UNION
8. 197 MCCLATCHY
What appeared to be an epic showdown between the top two SJS girls teams a few weeks ago may not live up to its billing as the flu has affected Davis recently. Oak Ridge has gotten healthier and is eager to put last year’s Division 2 disappointment behind them. Because of some injuries and illness, not all the times have been faster across the board, but there’s more strength, base, experience, and certainly poise among the Trojans, who are currently ranked 6th in the state. Davis, who has won every D1 section title except one this decade, will be hard-pressed to make it eight in a row, but it’s always fun to see this team run all out. Dana Randall and Tess Williams will need to elevate their game a notch this week. The battle for third will be a great one. Lodi has the inside track, but Grace Davis, Modesto, and even Napa should not be counted out.
Prediction: 1. Oak Ridge 28, 2. Davis 46, 3. Lodi 125
RACE FOR THE SECTION TITLE
The 1 to beat: Hayley Scott, Senior, Oak Ridge
On her heels: Breanna Lewis, Senior, Sheldon
In the hunt: Christine Bowlus, Senior, Davis, Rachel Van Nes, Senior, Modesto
INDIVIDUAL BERTHS (5 maximum)
It’s the graybeards and the tenderfeet dominating this list. Making state individually should be Lewis, Van Nes, and fellow senior Holly Rankin. The other two state berths could very likely go to freshman Maryssa McDuffy of Grace Davis and either Claire Miller of Napa or Cassidy Daley of Lodi, two more outstanding SJS freshmen.
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D2 Girls – Race Time: 11:30
TEAM RACE – 3 berths to state
Subsection Scoring
1. 58 WOODCREEK
2. 81 ST FRANCIS
3. 97 GRANITE BAY
4. 131 OAKMONT
5. 146 ROCKLIN
6. 161 VACAVILLE
7. 184 DEL CAMPO
8. 192 PONDEROSA
It wasn’t close at subsections and it will only get worse Saturday for Woodcreek’s foes. Sami Gomez should be back for Sections and if Nicole Kruslic can get some of her midseason form back, 10th-ranked Woodcreek should easily repeat as D2 section champions. St. Francis was less than a minute 1 through 5 at subs and 1:15 1-7 so even without someone in the top six or seven, they can be dangerous. Granite Bay scores the opposite way: getting miniscule numbers from their top two and hoping Maddie Lummis, Allison Daley, and Marissa Naughton get in the barn as soon as possible. If Naughton can finish within 2:00 after #2 Zavesky, the Grizzlies will get to state. Oakmont has the ability to put three in the top ten between Karlie Garcia, Kristine Lozoya, and Nyralee Chhotu. If the Vikings can avoid that anomaly at the other end of the results, they have a chance for top three.
Prediction: 1. Woodcreek 49, 2. St. Francis 74, 3. Granite Bay 88, 4. Oakmont 109
RACE FOR THE SECTION TITLE
The 1 to beat: Brooke Holt, Junior, Granite Bay
On her heels: Karlie Garcia, Freshman, Oakmont
In the hunt: Courtney Crosta, Senior, Woodcreek, Christine Zavesky, Junior, Granite Bay
INDIVIDUAL BERTHS (5 maximum)
Assuming the state teams are Woodcreek, St. Francis, and Granite Bay, two individual invitations are certain to be earned by Garcia and Lozoya. Judging by their recent form, the three runners most likely to claim the final three spots are Chhotu, Blanka Hodur of Folsom, and Shayna Powless of Roseville. Others who could advance with a great race are Brooke Ruppenthal of Ponderosa, Haley Nevins of Del Campo, and Jessica Skalet of Rocklin.
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D3 Girls – Race Time: 12:40
TEAM RACE – 3 berths to state
Subsection Scoring
1. 62 DEL ORO
2. 77 VISTA DEL LAGO
3. 142 PLACER
4. 147 EL DORADO
5. 192 SONORA
6. 193 WOODLAND
7. 237 EL CAMINO
8. 242 ST MARY’S
Del Oro runs the season the same way they run their races… start conservatively and build to a frantic finish. The Golden Eagles were coasting at subs and most of the team will finish 5-10 spots higher this week. But this year, Vista Del Lago moves up from D4 to keep DO honest. If anything, Vista might be faster this week as Jennifer Albaugh should finish somewhere in the 20’s as opposed to her 42nd place finish at subs. Sure, there is super frosh Madeleine Ankhelyi who won two SFL league meets, but it’s overlooked freshmen Jennifer Morgan and Hannah Osuna who have been just as big for VDL. Placer’s Shannon Harcus is yet another one of Coach Randall Fee’s products who have improved each and every year in high school. With good races from Kristian Hiatt and Kailee Warren, the Hillgals will return to Fresno where they won the state meet in 2004. Caution: If Sonora can get any kind of a race from 5, 6, or 7, they could pull a surprise. This is a team that went 1,2,3,4 at leagues and somehow lost that race. The front two (Lizzie Grolle and Samantha Smith) are very good and Kimberlee Turner and Mercedes Langfeldt are more than adequate at 3 and 4.
Prediction: 1. Del Oro 45, 2. Vista Del Lago 59, 3. Placer 101
RACE FOR THE SECTION TITLE
The 1 to beat: Shannon Harcus, Senior, Placer
On her heels: Madeleine Ankhelyi, Freshman, Vista Del Lago
In the hunt: Emma Freeman, Junior, Del Oro, Lauren Mugnaini, Senior, Rio Americano
INDIVIDUAL BERTHS (5 maximum)
Mugnaini will most certainly be headed to the state meet and she should be joined by the Grolle-Smith Sonora duo. Senior Karen Ramming has been running well and should be top ten at section finals. The fifth and final spot is up for grabs. Expect the contenders to be teammates Kelli Bercier and Neysa Mains of El Camino along with El Dorado freshman Courtney Macklin and Shelby Chen of Mira Loma. | 
D4 Girls – Race Time: 2:15
TEAM RACE – 3 berths to state
Subsection Scoring
1. 104 BRET HARTE
2. 120 BEAR RIVER
3. 125 RIVERBANK
4. 155 GOLDEN SIERRA
5. 156 AMADOR
6. 163 CHRISTIAN BROTHERS
7. 173 COLFAX
8. 178 ESCALON
This has been a tough choice all year long and a team time difference of two seconds at subsections makes it no easier. Bear River has just not been able to get over the hump versus Bret Harte and it’s close, but our call is that it happens again in 2009… and maybe for a while in the future. Bret Harte’s top three girls right now are all underclassmen: sophomores Kaylee Sedler, Amber Combs and freshman K.D. Aiton. With a good race from 2007 section champion Katie O’Connor, the Bullfrogs will win for the third year in a row. Bear River counters with Breanne Mitchell – in the middle of her best season – and twins Harla and Seaera Moe. With normal #1 Lizzie Uscanga taking team fourth on Saturday, it looks like Riverbank was holding back a bit. The Jeep Oliveira and Maritza Garcia-led Bruins dominated this division in the middle of the decade. Will this be the year the Bruins under coach Monte Wood start a new legacy in the valley?
Prediction: 1 Bret Harte 2 Riverbank 3 Bear River
RACE FOR THE SECTION TITLE
The 1 to beat: Breanne Mitchell, Junior, Bear River
On her heels: Becky Hobby, Sophomore, Hughson
In the hunt: Kristen Turner, Freshman, Summerville, Pearl Rivers, Senior, Escalon
INDIVIDUAL BERTHS (5 maximum)
All three of the state contenders have strong packs and not a huge amount of front-running which is going to make for a dicey situation for those vying for individual berths. The possibility of finishing 7th or 8th and not going to state is very real in D4 this year. Hobby, Turner, and Rivers are all very likely to finish top five with Sara Howard (a former state runner-up in D4) looking to lock down a spot as well. That leaves Martina Rios of Cosumnes Oaks and Samantha McKibben of Christian Brothers fighting it out along with Mia Knipper of Linden and Michaela Loomis of Kimball.
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D1 Boys – Race Time: 11:00
TEAM RACE – 2 berths to state
Subsection Scoring
1. 46 DAVIS SR.
2. 76 OAK RIDGE
3. 104 FRANKLIN (EG)
4. 178 MODESTO
5. 200 GRACE DAVIS
6. 213 LINCOLN (S)
7. 225 NEVADA UNION
8. 234 KENNEDY
Prediction: 1 Davis 2 Oak Ridge
RACE FOR THE TITLE
The 1 to beat: Kurt Ruegg, Senior, Napa
On his heels: Corey Coates, Senior, Davis
In the hunt: Roberto Rosas, Senior, Grace Davis, Trevor Halsted, Sophomore, Davis
In the hunt II: Nathan Williams, Senior, Oak Ridge, Amjed Aboukhadijeh, Senior, Oak Ridge
In the hunt III: Chriss Grimble, Senior, Kennedy, Julian Peterson, Senior, Franklin (EG)
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D2 Boys – Race Time: 10:30
TEAM RACE – 4 berths to state
Subsection Scoring
1. 45 DEL CAMPO
2. 76 JESUIT
3. 97 ROCKLIN
4. 112 FAIRFIELD
5. 160 WOODCREEK
6. 162 GRANITE BAY
7. 185 PONDEROSA
8. 197 VACAVILLE
Prediction: 1 Del Campo 2 Jesuit 3 Rocklin 4 Fairfield
RACE FOR THE TITLE
The 1 to beat: Adam Kelly-Strong, Senior, Jesuit
On his heels: Josh Mercado, Senior, Del Campo
In the hunt: Steven White, Senior, Rocklin Tyler Raposa, Senior, Woodcreek | 
D3 Boys – Race Time: 1:45
TEAM RACE – 2 berths to state
Subsection Scoring
1. 60 PLACER
2. 69 EL CAMINO
3. 108 DEL ORO
4. 127 SONORA
5. 143 SIERRA
6. 216 EL DORADO
7. 227 ST MARY'S
8. 244 LIVINGSTON
Prediction: 1 El Camino 2 Placer 3 Del Oro
RACE FOR THE TITLE
The 1 to beat: Chris Kigar, Junior, Woodcreek
On his heels: Nathan Paddeck, Junior, Del Oro
In the hunt: Lucas Standcliff, Senior, Placer, Alejandro Garcia, Senior, Ceres | 
D4 Boys – Race Time: 1:10
TEAM RACE – 3 berths to state
Subsection Scoring
1. 73 BRET HARTE
2. 90 COSUMNES OAKS
3. 101 RIVERBANK
4. 105 CHRISTIAN BROTHERS
5. 142 ESCALON
6. 185 RIPON
7. 189 HUGHSON
8. 192 AMADOR
Prediction: 1 Bret Harte 2 Riverbank 3 Escalon
RACE FOR THE TITLE
The 1 to beat: Matt Airola, Senior, Bret Harte
On his heels: Derek Avrit, Senior, Bret Harte
In the hunt: Alex Reyes, Senior, Riverbank, Matt Barnum, Senior, Escalon |
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