| Race/Schedule | PLOT LINES
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Division I Boys - 10:00 a.m.
| Carlmont ran super in the Finals last year to win with 48-52 over Bellarmine with Carlmont four sophs in their top seven, led by champ Ethan Scardina. It looks like that duo once again, with the Bells a fine Fall and narrowly rating a favorite’s role. The “heads-up” action will continue in the Individual race, with Bellarmine’s Dalton Guthrie and Kyle Rae battling with Ben Heck (Carlmont) for the win there, with David Perez (Salinas) showing fine abilities also.
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Division 1 Girls - 10:30 a.m.
| Carlmont won last year’s title here narrowly over Gilroy in a sweep of the Division I Boys/Girls contests. With six unerclassers on the 2008 champs and new frosh Corin Soelberg racing like a house afire, Carlmont is a strong group once again, with a solid Gunn (Palo Alto) squad moving up from Division II, with four returnees from a third place squad at that level, plus 5:02 1600 runner from track Erin Robinson. Carlmont’s Jessie Petersen was second last year, and should roll to the individual title to lead her team.
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Division II Boys - 11:05 p.m.
| Mountain View can challenge any of the State’s top teams in any division when everyone is on the course and all cylinders are pounding! Garrett Rowe is a Foot Locker National Finalist and 8:55.71 3200 runner who was fourth in State there. He is the defending champ, with teammate Ian Myjer next last Fall and Parker Schuh fourth for the MV favorite group. Phil MacQuitty (Palo Alto) was third at this level last Fall and had a fine 9:07.25 3200 in track.
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Division II Girls - 11:35 a.m.
| The Mountain View Girls are powerful like the Boys, with the defending Section DII titlests returning four from that group and adding 4:59 1600 runner Allison Sturges from track. They scored 36 in 2008 to win and hope to come close to that total in 2009. Leigh’s fine frosh Michelle Poquette has run 18:24 at Crystal Springs and should battle with Mountain View’s Allison Sturges and Martina de Geus for the individual title.
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Division III Boys - 12:10 p.m.
| Aptos won a tight 2008 divisional race against Willow Glen, with St. Ignatius third. It looks like the same trio up front this year, with possibly a reverse order. Willow Glen seems to have the tightest 1-5 time gap, with defending champ Mitch Moriarty of Aptos and the St. Ignatius duo of Michael Reher and Lucas Talavan hoping their scorers back in the pack will run solid races this day. 4:17 1600 star Weston Strum was second to Moriarty last Fall and has had a good season.
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Division III Girls - 12:40 p.m.
| St. Ignstius (46) handled Aptos (64) and Valley Christian (77) last year in death march heat conditions, with SI’s Rachel Hinds in third the top returnee for 2009. It looks like the “usual suspects” again with Aptos out for revenge, 2008 fourth placer and 10:56 3200 runner Marissa Ferrante leading the charge along with Kim McMullen and cycling star, frosh Nikki Hiltz, who should also place high for the favored Mariner crew.
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Division IV Boys - 1:15 p.m.
| Carmel and San Lorenzo Valley were third and fourth last year, with Carmel doing a fine job of “reloading” after losing four of their top seven to graduation, while SLV has five back from the 2008 Varsity. The Carmel duo of Galen Lanier and Will Meyer will battle with SLV‘s Allen Hetke and Landis MacMilllian within the race’s second pack, with frosh Cody Johnson showing fine first year potential for SLV. Stevenson’s James Silvestri, Mitchell Lee (Hillsdale) and Samuel Hales (King City) should battle for the title.
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Division IV Girls - 1:45 p.m.
| Carmel won over Santa Cruz and King’s Academy last year, with those powers giving away to a new group aiming for the 2009 title. Defending individual champ Samantha Hamilton (Half Moon Bay) has been joined up-front by frosh Chondra Anderson as the duo hopes to lead HMB to the title over a talented Scotts Valley group, led by another fine frosh, Avnessa Fraser. Nina Anderson (Notre Dame, Salinas) will challenge individually up front on that side of the contest.
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Division V Boys - 2:20 p.m.
| Crystal Springs Upland was the comfortable winner here last year over York and Anzar, with the trio looking to battle in 2009, with Anzar, led by defending champion Aaron Hsia-Corona slightly favored over CSU. Crystal Springs and Anzar both feature tight packs after their first scorers, with the placement of those groups the deciding factor in the run for the title. Anzar’s Hsia-Corona should be challenged for the win by runner-up last year, Michael Young (St. Francis, Watsonville).
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Division V Girls - 2:50 p.m.
| Castilleja has won the last three titles here, last year winning over Woodside Priorty (31-41), with Crystal Springs Uplands (57) third. Priory is slightly favored over Crystal Springs this Fall, with Castlleja, who had six underclassers on their 2008 titlests, back a ways off 2009 results . CSU needs big races from their back scorers to take Woodside and it should be a good race to watch. On paper, Kat Gregory (Priory), third last year here, has moved a bit ahead of CSU’s Taylor Grossman and Elsa Valenzuela in predictions on the individual side, with defending champ Rachel Skokowski (Castilleja) improving lately.
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