The main problem is that there are too many rounds kids have to go through to even make it to state finals. (7)
And some posters here wonder why top high school runners like Sadie Engelhardt don't want to put up with all those rounds and decide to run in college/pro races instead.
The rounds for CIF aren’t as much of the issues for those at Sadie’s level. The bigger issue is a high school that requires kids at her level to take one for the team and double or triple at league meets. Tough to keep a regular training schedule as well as inability to race quality fields with the league meets.
And some posters here wonder why top high school runners like Sadie Engelhardt don't want to put up with all those rounds and decide to run in college/pro races instead.
The rounds for CIF aren’t as much of the issues for those at Sadie’s level. The bigger issue is a high school that requires kids at her level to take one for the team and double or triple at league meets. Tough to keep a regular training schedule as well as inability to race quality fields with the league meets.
Or it could be because she didn’t like her team’s coach or she didn’t like her team or she wanted to run in pro meets or 10 other reasons.
CSUS hasn’t been able to hold a meet in a couple of years because they have refused to get their track done and it literally has holes in it. American River College doesn’t have bleachers on half the stadium. Sac City is good but they haven’t hosting anything big in years.
CSUS has good potential but yeah, their track is god awful. I wouldn't mind Sac City hosting, but I still think Fresno is the best choice if you want to consider the commute for all the athletes statewide. As I said before, Fresno is the best equilibrium for athletes who have to travel between Norcal and Socal
CSUS has good potential but yeah, their track is god awful. I wouldn't mind Sac City hosting, but I still think Fresno is the best choice if you want to consider the commute for all the athletes statewide. As I said before, Fresno is the best equilibrium for athletes who have to travel between Norcal and Socal
But can we have the Dublin peeps run the meet?
Lmao. Seriously. Those guys kick ass every year. Like probably 200+ totalheats and they do it all in one night.
Also, I think the whole ambulatory & wheelchair thing they do at the state meet needs to go. It just wastes SO MUCH time. It's unneeded and unnecessary. I get it's for "inclusion" but it makes no sense to do at a HS state meet of all places. Do it at a different meet, or at least a different day than the state finals. I remember the meet wasn't over until around 10pm last year because they take so long to set things up as is
I just watched the DeAnza (CCS) league 3200 girls final. Bhardwaj ran a solid 10:28. The reason I'm mentioning this race is because everyone single girl in this race finished the race in lanes 4,5, or 6. I have never in 55 years of watching this sport seen an entire field finish in those lanes when lanes 1,2 and 3 were available. Here is the video:
When timers and officials are lazy they will tell athletes to move out a lane or two so they know they are finishing. This keeps the officials from having to count laps and puts it all on the athletes.
I just watched the DeAnza (CCS) league 3200 girls final. Bhardwaj ran a solid 10:28. The reason I'm mentioning this race is because everyone single girl in this race finished the race in lanes 4,5, or 6. I have never in 55 years of watching this sport seen an entire field finish in those lanes when lanes 1,2 and 3 were available. Here is the video:
I just watched the DeAnza (CCS) league 3200 girls final. Bhardwaj ran a solid 10:28. The reason I'm mentioning this race is because everyone single girl in this race finished the race in lanes 4,5, or 6.
I have never in 55 years of watching this sport seen an entire field finish in those lanes when lanes 1,2 and 3 were available. Here is the video:
Obviously all the girls were instructed to go into one of the outer lanes when they were finishing. It's not like 100% of the girls in a race all of a sudden forgot about lane one.
hdrunners will be livestreaming for all four divisions. That's impressive as it's alot of work for one event (four or five cameras with 3 operators per event).
hdrunners will be livestreaming for all four divisions. That's impressive as it's alot of work for one event (four or five cameras with 3 operators per event).
You're going to have to be more specific. Is this a Southern Section thing? Like most are.
Alright, its that time of the season again. Pre-division state champion predictions. As per usual, everything interesting happens in the next three weeks:
B100: Benjamin Harris
B200: Nicolas Obimgba
B400: Ayden Parker
B800: Josiah Bowman
B1600: Maximo Zavaleta
B3200: Cooper Stream
B110H: Jasir Fontenot
B300H: Jayden Rendon
B4x100: Servite
B4x400: Central East
B4x800: Mira Costa
-
W100: Naiaja Sizemore W200: Clara Adams W400: Clara Adams W800: Braelyn Combe, assuming she doubles. If not, Laila Kirk. W1600: Braelyn Combe W3200: Amaya Bharadwaj W110H: Kaahliyah Lacy W300H: Kaahliyah Lacy W4x100: Calabasas W4x400: Wilson W4x800: Santiago
W200: Clara Adams W400: Clara Adams W800: Braelyn Combe, assuming she doubles. If not, Laila Kirk. W1600: Braelyn Combe W3200: Amaya Bharadwaj W110H: Kaahliyah Lacy W300H: Kaahliyah Lacy W4x100: Calabasas W4x400: Wilson W4x800: Santiago
100 - Sizemore hasn't PR'd yet this year, so maybe she's preparing to peak in postseason, but Olivia Kirk is locked in and only getting better.
Clara Adams will double, but let's hope her attention-starved dad leaves the props at home this year. Just let your daughter stick to running fast, and let the clock speak for her. No fire extinguishers needed, and no shirt with "COACH D" in massive font on the back. It's about the kid, not you. Your ego cost your daughter a state title. Another dumb move like that would cost her new team Long Beach Poly a team state title.
I'm assuming Braelyn Combe will actually TRIPLE in the 800, 1600 and as anchor of the 4x800. It's a shame that the girl with the State's top time in the 3200 won't even run that event at State.
A rested Chiara Dailey will beat Bharadwaj in the 3200 since I assume Dailey won't try to double in the 1600 and 3200 again this year. If Dailey does double, Combe will beat her in the 1600, and I agree that Bharadwaj will then beat a tired Dailey in the 3200.
If Combe isn't in the 800, the freshman Kirk isn't quite ready to win State. Grace Smith will take it, but Josie Hill will be in the mix for sure. She made the leap, with her average time dropping from 2:12 to 2:07. Smith vs Kirk will be fun to watch over the next 3 years at State. Don't sleep on Santiago's Samson, though. She and Combe could go 1-2 and rack up some points for the team title.
Servite's sister school, Rosary is taking the girls 4x100. Guaranteed. And Nobody in CA is touching Wilson in the 4x400.
The girls 4x800 will be epic once again. JSerra vs Santiago will be the headline, after Santiago beat them at State and NON last year, but JSerra held them off at Arcadia. JSerra lost their anchor Packard from last year, but somehow became even better with their freshmen killing it, and Reese Holley making a big jump. Wilson and Claremont could give them both a bit of a challenge too.
Team-wise, Poly could win again thanks to their relays, and maybe some 800 points from Laila Kirk, but they lost 2 high jumpers (13 points last year) and 2 of their top 100 girls. Santiago has a shot to pull off an upset with Combe and their 4x8 squad, but Wilson Long Beach will easily take the State title thanks to the Clara Adams' transfer and the 20 points she'll bring to the table.
W800: Braelyn Combe, assuming she doubles. If not, Laila Kirk.
If Combe isn't in the 800, the freshman Kirk isn't quite ready to win State.
Grace Smith will take it, but Josie Hill will be in the mix for sure. She made the leap, with her average time dropping from 2:12 to 2:07. Smith vs Kirk will be fun to watch over the next 3 years at State. Don't sleep on Santiago's Samson, though. She and Combe could go 1-2 and rack up some points for the team title.
Laila Kirk is coming back from an injury and it doesn't seem likely that she will be in good enough shape in 3 weeks to beat Grace Smith. But Kirk is talented enough to eventually break the CA state record in the 800.
If Combe isn't in the 800, the freshman Kirk isn't quite ready to win State.
Grace Smith will take it, but Josie Hill will be in the mix for sure. She made the leap, with her average time dropping from 2:12 to 2:07. Smith vs Kirk will be fun to watch over the next 3 years at State. Don't sleep on Santiago's Samson, though. She and Combe could go 1-2 and rack up some points for the team title.
Laila Kirk is coming back from an injury and it doesn't seem likely that she will be in good enough shape in 3 weeks to beat Grace Smith. But Kirk is talented enough to eventually break the CA state record in the 800.
She ran 2:10 a week ago. Injury since then? That is unfortunate.
W200: Clara Adams W400: Clara Adams W800: Braelyn Combe, assuming she doubles. If not, Laila Kirk. W1600: Braelyn Combe W3200: Amaya Bharadwaj W110H: Kaahliyah Lacy W300H: Kaahliyah Lacy W4x100: Calabasas W4x400: Wilson W4x800: Santiago
100 - Sizemore hasn't PR'd yet this year, so maybe she's preparing to peak in postseason, but Olivia Kirk is locked in and only getting better.
Clara Adams will double, but let's hope her attention-starved dad leaves the props at home this year. Just let your daughter stick to running fast, and let the clock speak for her. No fire extinguishers needed, and no shirt with "COACH D" in massive font on the back. It's about the kid, not you. Your ego cost your daughter a state title. Another dumb move like that would cost her new team Long Beach Poly a team state title.
I'm assuming Braelyn Combe will actually TRIPLE in the 800, 1600 and as anchor of the 4x800. It's a shame that the girl with the State's top time in the 3200 won't even run that event at State.
A rested Chiara Dailey will beat Bharadwaj in the 3200 since I assume Dailey won't try to double in the 1600 and 3200 again this year. If Dailey does double, Combe will beat her in the 1600, and I agree that Bharadwaj will then beat a tired Dailey in the 3200.
If Combe isn't in the 800, the freshman Kirk isn't quite ready to win State. Grace Smith will take it, but Josie Hill will be in the mix for sure. She made the leap, with her average time dropping from 2:12 to 2:07. Smith vs Kirk will be fun to watch over the next 3 years at State. Don't sleep on Santiago's Samson, though. She and Combe could go 1-2 and rack up some points for the team title.
Servite's sister school, Rosary is taking the girls 4x100. Guaranteed. And Nobody in CA is touching Wilson in the 4x400.
The girls 4x800 will be epic once again. JSerra vs Santiago will be the headline, after Santiago beat them at State and NON last year, but JSerra held them off at Arcadia. JSerra lost their anchor Packard from last year, but somehow became even better with their freshmen killing it, and Reese Holley making a big jump. Wilson and Claremont could give them both a bit of a challenge too.
Team-wise, Poly could win again thanks to their relays, and maybe some 800 points from Laila Kirk, but they lost 2 high jumpers (13 points last year) and 2 of their top 100 girls. Santiago has a shot to pull off an upset with Combe and their 4x8 squad, but Wilson Long Beach will easily take the State title thanks to the Clara Adams' transfer and the 20 points she'll bring to the table.
>Sizemore
Look at Sizemore's times last year compared to this year. Adjusting for weather and wind, she is in the same, if not better shape. She is a championship performer and will have raced significantly less than Kirk by the time she gets to the state meet.
>Adams
100% agreed.
>Dailey
Yeah, this one was a shot in the dark. I'm just biased towards the CCS runner. Paly runners have historically done very well at the state meet over the past few years as well (Morgenfeld 2023, Kippes 2025)
>Laila Kirk
This was just a surprise pick for me. She is so, so, so talented and has gotten considerably better over the course of the season. If she gets back to where she was last year I think talent and Poly coaching will get her a surprise win. I would agree with your take on Grace Smith and Josie Hill though.
>Rosary
It's never guaranteed in California until they cross the line, and even then things can change, especially in the relays. Calabassas might have been beat at Arcadia, but they beat Rosary the week before at Sundevil AND the week after at Mt. Sac. Additionally, Rosary races SO SO SO much. The last two years their 4x100 didn't even make the state meet.
>4x800
Yes, will be one of the premier races at the meet this year. The battle for the rest of the podium spots is gonna be insane. Many, many very good teams this year.
>Team
Wilson will take it and I don't think it's going to be particularly close.