way too early Girls 2026 XC CIF predictions

oldold runner wrote:

D3comp wrote:

El Toro and St. Francis are both D3 and the competition against each other will make them run faster at the state meet, thus putting themselves in a good position in the state meet merge. I think these teams can challenge for an NXN bid, because every year it seems that JSerra returns a really good group, but they end up having some of their top runners injured and end up not doing well at NXN

I agree. St. Francis only loses their #6 and El Toro has their whole team back.

The big IF is going to be St. Francis' #1 Gutierrez. Will she improve or become like Buchanan's Gutierrez. She was Buchanans #1 at NXN in 2024 as a freshman. This year she Buchanan's #6 or #7 running almost a minute slower at state than the previous year.

I hope St. Francis' Gutierrez improves and doesn't get that body change that devastates many freshman girls.

The glaze continues wrote:

Predictions pre-track season:

D1: tough to predict but I have my money between the Younger Sundgren sister from Buchanan (Molly, she’s been the most consistent of the Buchanan team in xc so far) or potentially Addyson Johns (she could have a break out freshman track season). But more likely than not it could very well be someone who is not necessarily on the radar. Team win is also hard to call but I’ll bet Buchanan on this one.

D2: Also another tough call. I predict one of the Cruz twins from Westlake (Sabina Cruz is the fastest returner) but it’d be cool if Gelila Hailu (Leigh HS CCS) took the title (she is the second fastest returner in the division and essentially has went under the radar). Team win I’m going with Claremont.

D3: Not as tough to call but still up in the air. It’ll definitely be between Alyssa Gutierrez or Carol Dye. Team win is pretty tough to call but it’ll definitely be a toss up between El Toro and St Francis (Sac). I’ll play devils advocate and say Gutierrez for individual and St Francis for team title.

D4: Well the team title is pretty obvious *cough* Jserra *cough* though I don’t see an individual coming from Jserra. Individual is very up in the air, would love to predict that the Classical Academy sophomore, Lindsay Billotte, could take the individual title but we haven’t seen what she could do in the track (pretty sure she didn’t do track freshman year).

D5: Now this one should potentially be the race of the day since the 2 fastest returning individuals in the state are in D5, Farah Allen and Elliana Patterson. Both ran 17:17 for 2nd and 3rd respectively at the state meet and ran at the Brooks National meet, it’ll be an interesting race to watch out for. Will probably give the edge to Allen just due to having more experience (4:48 1600 and 8th in the state meet in D5 as a sophomore). Patterson doesn’t have many xc/track feats from previous seasons (heard she was injured freshman year and her track times from sophomore year don’t compare to Allen’s) but she is having such a break out junior season where it is safe to say she could beat out Allen. Or who knows, Brooke Oliveria and Amelia Sarkisian could return better than never before and either one of them could take the title. Branson will be my dark horse pick for the D5 title.

I dont want my name here25 wrote:

The glaze continues wrote:

Predictions pre-track season:

D1: tough to predict but I have my money between the Younger Sundgren sister from Buchanan (Molly, she’s been the most consistent of the Buchanan team in xc so far) or potentially Addyson Johns (she could have a break out freshman track season). But more likely than not it could very well be someone who is not necessarily on the radar. Team win is also hard to call but I’ll bet Buchanan on this one.

D2: Also another tough call. I predict one of the Cruz twins from Westlake (Sabina Cruz is the fastest returner) but it’d be cool if Gelila Hailu (Leigh HS CCS) took the title (she is the second fastest returner in the division and essentially has went under the radar). Team win I’m going with Claremont.

D3: Not as tough to call but still up in the air. It’ll definitely be between Alyssa Gutierrez or Carol Dye. Team win is pretty tough to call but it’ll definitely be a toss up between El Toro and St Francis (Sac). I’ll play devils advocate and say Gutierrez for individual and St Francis for team title.

D4: Well the team title is pretty obvious *cough* Jserra *cough* though I don’t see an individual coming from Jserra. Individual is very up in the air, would love to predict that the Classical Academy sophomore, Lindsay Billotte, could take the individual title but we haven’t seen what she could do in the track (pretty sure she didn’t do track freshman year).

D5: Now this one should potentially be the race of the day since the 2 fastest returning individuals in the state are in D5, Farah Allen and Elliana Patterson. Both ran 17:17 for 2nd and 3rd respectively at the state meet and ran at the Brooks National meet, it’ll be an interesting race to watch out for. Will probably give the edge to Allen just due to having more experience (4:48 1600 and 8th in the state meet in D5 as a sophomore). Patterson doesn’t have many xc/track feats from previous seasons (heard she was injured freshman year and her track times from sophomore year don’t compare to Allen’s) but she is having such a break out junior season where it is safe to say she could beat out Allen. Or who knows, Brooke Oliveria and Amelia Sarkisian could return better than never before and either one of them could take the title. Branson will be my dark horse pick for the D5 title.

If Buchanan is only losing their number 7 and Mira Costa is losing their #1 and #5 it looks like an easy call to me. Doesn't Buchanan win every year?