Four returning girls individual winners and three defending boys champions join all the teams looking to add to their title legacies Saturday at the CIF State Cross Country Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno.
Hanne Thomsen, a senior at Santa Rosa Montgomery, is attempting to become the fourth female athlete in California prep history to win four individual state championships in the Division 3 girls final at 10:30 a.m.
Thomsen has the potential to become only the second girls competitor to win all four titles in the same division, along with Jordan Hasay from Mission Prep in Division 5 from 2005-08.
Sara Hall, formerly Sara Bei, also captured four individual crowns for Santa Rosa Montgomery, winning twice in Division 3 in 1997-98 and adding another pair of victories in 1999-2000 in Division 2.
Sarah Baxter of Simi Valley won Division 1 titles in 2010 and 2012, along with Division 2 championships in 2011 and 2013.
Thomsen, along with Abigail Errington of South Pasadena and Summer Wilson from Irvine, all have the potential to become the first Division 3 female athlete to eclipse the 17-minute mark on the 5-kilometer course at Woodward Park.
Sadie Engelhardt, a senior at Ventura High who produced the all-time Woodward Park high school record Oct. 12 by running 16:24.2 in the Bill Buettner girls championship race at the 45th ASICS Clovis Invitational, is pursuing a third straight Division 2 title at 9 a.m., which would make her the first female athlete in the division to achieve the feat.
Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura, left, and Rylee Blade of Corona Santiago | Photo courtesy of Finished Results
Engelhardt could also become the 10th girls competitor across all divisions to capture at least three individual state cross country crowns in her career.
Evan Noonan, a senior at Dana Hills, is trying to become the only Division 3 male athlete to win three consecutive championships in the 12 noon final.
Evan Noonan of Dana Hills | Photo courtesy of Finished Results
Noonan would be the fifth boys competitor involving all divisions to win three straight state titles in his career.
Corona Santiago’s Rylee Blade, La Jolla’s Chiara Dailey, Woodcrest Christian’s Eyan Turk and Aydon Stefanopoulos from Los Gatos are all seeking back-to-back state championships.
Blade, a senior who won the Division 1 title last year, ran 16:31.3 in the Bill Buettner girls championship race at Clovis to elevate to the No. 3 all-time high school performer at Woodward Park.
Rylee Blade of Corona Santiago | Photo courtesy of Finished Results
Holly Barker and Millie Bayles of Trabuco Hills both prevailed against Blade in the Southern Section final Nov. 23 at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.
There has never been a Division 1 final at the state championship meet that produced multiple sub-17 performances.
Dailey, a junior who captured the Division 4 crown last season, missed competing Oct. 12 at Clovis. She is looking to eclipse the 17-minute barrier for the first time at Woodward Park following a 17:07.3 effort last year at Clovis and a 17:09.2 performance in the state final.
Chiara Dailey of La Jolla | Photo courtesy of Finished Results
Stefanopoulos, a senior who secured victory in the Division 2 final last year, is expected to face significant challenges from Griffin Kushen of Tesoro, Trey Caldwell of Concord De La Salle and Tyler Daillak of Paso Robles.
Aydon Stefanopoulos of Los Gatos | Photo courtesy of Finished Results
The most sub-15 efforts in a Division 2 state championship race is three, all achieved by Newbury Park athletes, in the 2022 final.
Turk, a senior, will need to rise to the occasion again to prevail in the deepest Division 5 boys field in state history at 1 p.m., including Menlo School’s Landon Pretre, Viewpoint’s Olly O’Connor, Ryan Fitzpatrick from Nueva School, Fresno Christian’s Blake Bay and Benjamin Bouie of Crystal Springs Uplands.
Eyan Turk of Woodcrest Christian | Photo courtesy of Finished Results
The only time where the Division 5 championship race showcased multiple sub-15 performances was 2021 with a pair of athletes eclipsing the mark.
Kenan Pala of Francis Parker produced the Division 5 all-time mark of 14:51.5 in the 2021 final.
The Division 5 girls final at 11:30 a.m. is expected to showcase Ayanna Hickey from The Bishop’s School, Ella Mogannam of Lick Wilmerding, Amelia Sarkisian from Brentwood, Clara Riddle of Immanuel and Ari Llorens from Francis Parker.
Broen Holman from Sonora and Eli Fitchen-Young of Santa Cruz, third and fourth in last year’s Division 4 boys state championship, are expected to clash for the title at 11 a.m., along with Max Douglass of Corona del Mar, Auge Martin from St. Francis, Oaks Christian teammates Christian Yoder and Cooper McNee, as well as the JSerra pair of Bradley Arrey and Taye Newman.
Maximo Zavaleta of Martin Luther King, Conor Lott from Clovis North, Luke Sanders of Buchanan, Arrin Sagiraju from Dougherty Valley, Dylan Jubak of Trabuco Hills and Issaiah McCorvey from Lancaster are among the leading contenders at 9:30 a.m. in the Division 1 boys final.
Broen Holman of Sonora, center, Landon Pretre of Menlo School, Maximo Zavaleta of Martin Luther King | Photo courtesy of Finished Results
JSerra, led by Southern Section champion Sophie Polay, boasts the longest championship streak for any program across all divisions and regardless of gender, seeking a fourth consecutive Division 4 girls crown and seventh overall title in program history at 12:30 p.m.
The Lions would become the sixth school to capture at least seven girls state championships in meet history, including the fourth program to achieve the feat in one division.
JSerra girls | Ken Martinez photo
Placer, which finished 12th in the Division 3 state final last year, is looking to challenge JSerra for Division 4 supremacy this season.
Crystal Springs Uplands has the potential to sweep the Division 5 titles for a third consecutive year.
The Gryphons race in the girls final at 11:30 a.m. final, looking to join San Francisco University, Flintridge Prep and Mt. Shasta among the only Division 5 programs to win at least three straight state titles.
Immanuel, Ross Branson and Lick Wilmerding are trying to prevent Crystal Springs Uplands from securing a three-peat.
Crystal Springs Uplands has the potential to become just the second Division 5 boys program to capture three consecutive crowns, joining Woodcrest Christian from 2005-09.
The Gryphons will battle Central Coast Section rival Menlo School, in addition to Yosemite, Viewpoint and Liberty Charter in pursuit of a three-peat.
St. Francis has also won back-to-back Division 4 boys titles, but the path to a three-peat at 11 a.m. will be a significant challenge for the Golden Knights following a fifth-place finish in the Southern Section final.
Oaks Christian and JSerra are expected to battle for the Division 4 championship, along with Foothill Tech, St. Mary’s Berkeley and Archie Williams.
Oaks Christian boys | Photo courtesy of Oaks Christian
Corona Santiago, Ventura and Cathedral Catholic are returning girls champions in the top three divisions, but none of them enter the meet as the favorites to repeat.
Corona Santiago endured a 36-67 setback against Trabuco Hills in the Southern Section Division 1 final Nov. 23 at Mt. SAC, with 26-time Central Section winner Buchanan motivated to secure a fourth state championship in six years and the fifth in program history – including a Division 2 crown in 1994 – following a one-point loss last season.
El Toro prevailed with a 99-118 triumph against Ventura in the Southern Section Division 2 championship race, with Sac-Joaquin Section title holder Rocklin Whitney and Central Coast Section winner Mountain View St. Francis both attempting to elevate on the podium after placing second and third, respectively, in last year’s state final.
Rocklin Whitney girls | Erik Boal photo
Cathedral Catholic was edged by Point Loma by a 56-62 margin, with Sage Creek taking third at 73 points in the San Diego Section Division 3 final Nov. 16 at Balboa Park’s Morley Field.
South Pasadena, which prevailed by a one-point margin Oct. 25 against Cathedral Catholic in the Division 3-4-5 girls team sweepstakes race at the 76th Mt. SAC Invitational, captured its first Southern Section title at Mt. SAC.
The Tigers, who placed sixth in Division 4 last year, are also seeking their first state championship, along with North Coast Section winner Northgate.
South Pasadena girls | Photo courtesy of South Pasadena
Santa Margarita, the Southern Section runner-up, is pursuing its first Division 3 girls state crown since 1993.
San Clemente and Dana Hills, returning boys champions in Division 1 and Division 3, are not expected to contend for titles again Saturday.
Santa Barbara, last year’s Division 2 boys winner, did not qualify for the state championship.
Beckman is the Division 1 boys favorite at 9:30 a.m., looking to capture its first state title, with Great Oak, Mira Costa, Buchanan, Clovis East, Trabuco Hills and Crescenta Valley also in contention.
The Patriots earned eighth at the Division 1 state final last season.
Beckman boys | Ken Martinez photo
Carmichael Jesuit, fourth in Division 2 last year, is looking to secure sole possession of the boys state record with a 10th cross country championship, breaking a tie with McFarland, in the 10 a.m. final.
The Marauders, who captured their first championship in 1989, haven’t won a state title since 2006.
Jesuit boys | Dave Gershon photo
Matilda Torres, Glendora, La Serna and Vacaville are all trying to secure their first crown.
The Division 3 boys final at 12 noon could be the most challenging race of the meet, with Southern Section programs Oak Park, Hart, South Pasadena and Ridgecrest Burroughs squaring off against Sac-Joaquin Section lineups from Ponderosa and Oakdale, as well as North Coast Section winner Campolindo and runner-up Tamalpais.
Oak Park hasn’t won a boys state title since capturing the Division 4 crown in 2002, with Hart pursuing its first championship since a three-peat in Division 1 from 1990-92.
Campolindo prevailed in Division 3 in 2019 and Oakdale captured the state championship in 2022, with the remaining contenders all seeking their first titles.