CIF-SS Divisional Prelims Preview - Saturday

11/12/2024

The 2024 postseason for the Southern Section is officially here! As we preview each divisional prelim heat, the top 16 squads from each division will reserve their spot at next weekend’s CIF-SS Finals. With Mt. San Antonio College being the host site once again, this year will feature a new course, elongated to three miles with the last 350 meters finishing on the track and in the stadium.

Temperatures will drop this weekend, predicted to be in the mid to high-50s for all races and paving the way for ideal racing conditions.

Divisions 2, 3, and 4 will compete on Saturday morning. Most of the divisions are configured into three heats. With those races, the top five teams will automatically qualify while the sixth-place team with the fastest overall team time will advance as well. In those heats, any individuals finishing in the top eight (and not on qualifying teams) will also earn a spot in next week’s finals.

For those competing with four heats (Division 3 boys), the top four squads from each race will automatically advance while all individuals not on qualifying squads must finish in the top six to move on.


Division 4 Girls

Heat One (7:45 am)
One of California’s top squads, J Serra, will look to do the bare minimum in advancing for the 17th consecutive season. They are projected to be a lock for their fourth straight divisional title next weekend. Laguna Beach is ranked sixth overall and looks to advance for their 21st straight trip while runner-up the past two seasons, Oaks Christian should be right there as well. Chaminade and Wilson (Hacienda Heights) are slated to claim the last two automatic spots to advance. That sixth-place team will look to advance on team time with Fillmore most likely to occupy that spot.

Division 4 Girls - Sophie Polay (J Serra, 10/18/2024), Saisha Kumar (Harvard Westlake, 10/25/2024) and Madeline Nilo (Bishop Amat, 9/7/2024)

Heat Two (7:59 am)
Harvard Westlake has put together a solid season and is now in a prime position to advance to their fourth straight state meet appearance. Ranked as high as second a month ago, La Canada also has its eyes pegged on a fourth straight trip to Fresno. Big Bear is the third seed here and looking for their first trip to the finals since 2019. Marlborough has steadily improved and is also projected to claim one of those five automatic spots. That battle for that fifth spot will be close, as Century, St. Joseph (Lakewood) and El Monte will chase one another down to the finish in this one.

Heat Three (8:13 am)
Bishop Amat lines up as the top seed, seeking a tenth straight trip back to the final. They will be pressed by Palos Verdes throughout as the Sea Kings have advanced to the state meet every year since 2007. Rim of the World comes down from the mountain, slated to move forward as well. Flintridge Sacred Heart projects to join the party next week while Crean Lutheran and Foothill Tech will vie for those last automatic spots.

 

Division 4 Boys

Heat One (8:33 am)
Like their girls, the boys of J Serra have their eyes a week down the road and will look to cruise this initial round. The Lions have been perched on top of the rankings all season long. Harvard Westlake and two-time defending divisional champs, St. Francis, are also focused on next week as they will be vying for that second spot. Meanwhile, San Marino stepped into the conversation several weeks ago and looks primed to advance along with Chaminade. On paper, Crean Lutheran is favored to claim that sixth spot.

Division 4 Boys - Bradley Arrey (J Serra, 11/1/2024), Asher Field (Foothill Tech, 10/25/2024) and Adrian Miller (Palos Verdes, 10/25/2024)

Heat Two (8:45 am)
Foothill Tech should easily advance for the tenth straight season and set themselves up for a ninth state meet trip in that same span. Corona del Mar came over from Division 3, where they advanced to the state meet a year ago. La Canada is primed to advance next weekend and perhaps secure their first trip to the state meet since the 1990s. Watch for Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) as they look to advance for the first time since 2019. Banning eyes their first back-to-back finals berths in school history while Laguna Beach looks to snag one of those last spots as well.

Heat Three (8:57 am)
No team in the division has elevated their game more since the preseason rankings than Palos Verdes. The squad should have no worries about qualifying for a 19th straight appearance in next week’s final. Oaks Christian will also advance as they look to recapture that same vibe we witnessed at the Woodbridge Invitational earlier in the season. Big Bear and Ocean View jumped into the top ten rankings a month ago while the battle for that fifth automatic spot will be fierce between Covina and Whitney.

 

Division 3 Girls

Heat One (9:09 am)
South Pasadena has lived up to the billing as the top-ranked squad all season long after migrating over from Division 4 a year ago where the Tigers placed third. Hart also made the switch, albeit from Division 2, but saved their best for the Foothill League finals. Their performance catapulted them to sixth overall and the second seed here as they should advance for the first time since 2015. Shadow Hills is seeking their third straight state meet berth and is penciled in to advance while Rowland and Thousand Oaks will fight for those last two automatic spots.

Division 3 Girls - Abigail Errington (South Pasadena, 10/25/2024), Alahna Thomas (Santa Margarita, 10/25/2024) and Sophia Perez (Oak Park, 10/11/2024)

Heat Two (9:23 am)
Santa Margarita placed second a year ago and comes into the postseason ranked the same. With obvious plans to upend the rankings, the Eagles have put together one of their best seasons in school history and should be a lock to qualify for back-to-back state meets since the 2011-2012 seasons. Unranked in the preseason, the Pacifica (Garden Grove) team has been a great story and is now projected to not only advance but secure their first state meet appearance. Monrovia is another squad on the move as they placed into the conversation after Mt. SAC. Esperanza, Fullerton and Moorpark will go head-to-head on securing two of those last automatic spots. The sixth team may be the one claiming that ‘fastest sixth-place team time’ distinction to also advance.

Heat Three (9:37 am)
Ranked sixth in the preseason, Oak Park has generated a nice season while moving up to third overall and sits as the top seed here. The Eagles are slated to return to the state meet for the first time since 2021. Yorba Linda has become a staple at the Division 3 finals in recent years as they eye a ninth trip in the past ten seasons and a fifth in six seasons for the state meet. Seeking their first trip to the finals since 2019, Canyon (Canyon Country) comes out of the tough Foothill League. West Torrance is having another solid season and is the fourth seed here. But the battle for that fifth qualifying spot should be between Redlands East Valley and South Torrance.

 

Division 3 Boys

Heat One (9:57 am)
After placing in the top ten the past three seasons in Division 2, including a state meet appearance in 2022, Hart made the move to Division 3. Returning six from last year’s squad, the Indians have been ranked atop the rankings all season long. Led by two-time divisional and state champion Evan Noonan, the two-time defending team champion Dana Hills should be a lock in claiming one of those four automatic spots. Canyon (Canyon Country) placed eighth a year ago, but is looking to set themselves up for a state meet berth in 2024. Rowland is slated to claim that last automatic spot but will have to hold off Santiago (Garden Grove) and San Marcos.

Division 3 Boys - Eli Ahten (Hart, 11/18/2023), Grant Jones (Oak Park, 10/11/2024), Alex Leon (St John Bosco, 11/1/2024) and Michael Scarince (South Pasadena, 10/25/2024)

Heat Two (10:09 am)
Since the Woodbridge Invitational, Oak Park has secured the #2 ranking and checks in as the top seed here. The squad qualified for the state meet a year ago and is looking for postseason hardware in 2024. Unranked a month ago, Yorba Linda has developed well and is now primed for their first finals appearance since 2019. Last year’s runner-up, West Ranch, is ranked tenth overall and slated as the third seed here. Meanwhile, a battle for that last qualifying spot will be decided between Brea Olinda, Redlands East Valley and South Torrance.

Heat Three (10:21 am)
After spending the previous two seasons with top-four finishes in Division 4, St. John Bosco is back. Despite their youth, the Braves have formulated another state meet squad as they look to reserve a spot in Fresno for the fifth season in a row and seven out of the last eight. A mainstay in this division, expect Agoura to punch their ticket forward for the sixth-straight season while Burroughs (Ridgecrest) moves back into Division 3 after four seasons of top-ten finishes in Division 4. Bonita is projected to also advance but will need to keep Fullerton and Shadow Hills in their rearview mirrors.

Heat Four (10:33 am)
After narrowly missing a state meet berth in Division 4 in 2023, South Pasadena is the fourth overall seed in Division 3 in 2024. Perennial powerhouse, West Torrance, has once again positioned itself to advance for the 10th year in a row. This run has also included eight state meet appearances. Some solid late-season performances have moved Moorpark into the conversation, bumping them just ahead of Servite in the overall rankings. Sonora will try to break the bracket here and leapfrog themselves into the top four.

 

Division 2 Girls

Heat One (10:45 am)
Defending divisional and state champions, Ventura, are led by two-time divisional and state champ, Sadie Engelhardt. This will be the 10th straight season of advancing to the finals for the Cougars, while their real test may come at the state meet in two weeks. With three heats, the top five teams will advance. Murrieta Valley and Ayala are most likely in position to secure two of those spots. Ayala has qualified for EVERY final since 1999 while Murrieta Valley seeks their first back-to-back state meet appearances since the 2004-2005 seasons. Very little separates the squads from La Serna and Peninsula as both go in looking to secure those last two automatic spots. El Dorado will look to keep pace with those two and upset the pecking order.

 

Division 2 Girls - Sadie Engelhardt (Ventura, 10/11/2024), Gweneth Williams (El Toro, 11/8/2024) and Mackenzie Forrest (Tesoro, 10/18/2024)

Heat Two (10:59 am)
El Toro has become a staple at the Division 2 final as their impressive depth should allow them to do the bare minimum in advancing and prep for an eighth straight appearance at the state meet. Last year’s runner-up, Claremont, should be a lock for their 14th straight final and are also projected to advance to their 11th consecutive trip to Fresno in two weeks. Saugus, arguably, the most successful girls’ program over the past 20 seasons, projects to advance once again. Seeded third in this heat, they are ranked eighth overall. Newbury Park should also advance along with Mater Dei. University (Irvine) looks to upset the charts by working to claim one of those five automatic spots.

Heat Three (11:13 am)
Ranked seventh overall in the preseason, Tesoro has put together a solid 1-2 punch up front and has secured the top seed here in the last heat. Looking to advance with ease, Woodbridge looks to keep pace with Tesoro. Woodbridge is seeking their first back-to-back trips to Fresno for the first time since the 2003-2004 seasons. In an All-Orange County lineup at the top, Canyon (Anaheim) is slated to advance for the 17th time in the past 18 seasons. Another squad that packs a punch up front is Newport Harbor as they look to continue developing that depth for a possible state meet berth next weekend. Westlake and Burroughs (Burbank) will round out the field where we will be watching that sixth-place overall team time.

 

Division 2 Boys

Heat One (11:33 am)
Ayala leapfrogged into the top spot last week with a 29-35 victory over Glendora at the Palomares League Finals. The Bulldogs are saving their best for November as they look to also advance to the state meet for the fourth straight season next weekend. El Dorado’s depth will counter against the front-running of Woodbridge as both should advance with ease. Looking to advance for the first time since 2019, California impressed at the Mt. SAC Invitational last month with a slim scoring gap. Meanwhile, Peninsula will keep them in their sights as they, too, are projected to advance.

Division 2 Boys - Bryson Caganap (Ayala, 10/25/2024), Dylan Flores (Glendora, 10/11/2024) and Tyler Wollin (Saugus, 10/11/2024)

Heat Two (11:45 am)
Glendora had been the top-ranked squad in the division all season long, up until their league finals last week where they lost out to Ayala. Seeking their first team title in school history, the Tartans will cruise into the finals here after placing fourth overall in 2023. The Chargers of El Toro have advanced to every Southern Section final since 1999 and we do not see any reason to deviate from that plan! Dos Pueblos also has its eyes on a possible state meet as well while Newbury Park and Ventura project to advance back to the finals once again. Ventura earned the runner-up plaque in 2023 while Newbury Park placed third. Murrieta Valley, Edison and Norwalk look to earn that sixth-place finish and see where their overall team time falls compared to the other two heats.

Heat Three (11:57 am)
Most squads have not wavered regarding their preseason rankings except for Saugus who lines up as the top seed in this final heat of the weekend. Coming off their Foothill League championship, they look to get back to the state meet like they did in 2022. The Griffin Kushen-led Tesoro squad advanced to the state meet in 2023 as not much separates the two favorites. Unranked in the preseason, La Serna has thrown their hat into the state meet conversation as well, while University (Irvine) continues to improve. El Modena looks to secure that fifth automatic spot but they will need to hold off Canyon (Anaheim) in order to make that happen.