2011 CIF State Cross Country Championships (Girls Preview)

The San Clemente girls cross country team claimed a piece of school history last week, while the JSerra girls cross country team moved one impressive step closer to completing its season-long goal of a successful state title defense.
    
Both will look to continue their winning ways against the state’s elite, as 10 county teams and four county individual runners will compete at the 25th annual CIF State Cross Country Championships Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno.
    
The Tritons used a strong final push in the final mile to edge fellow South Coast League rival Dana Hills by six points en route to winning the program’s first ever CIF-SS Division 1 title.
    
“Our girls are going to go in feeling really good about ourselves and that we can do it,” said Tritons head coach Dave Proodian.

San Clemente’s ability to run well collectively as a group (four runners finishing between 12th and 26th)  keyed their Southern Section title performance and helped supply the team big-meet confidence that sophomore Melissa Eisele feels will be important in the Tritons ability to try and win their first state title.

“We’re going to continue to think positively and know that we’re going to run to the best of our abilities,” said Eisele.
    
Two other county teams have Division 1 state title hopes. Dana Hills had a CIF-SS Division 1 final best 31-second team gap between scoring runners, while Marina features two of the county’s best runners in senior Laura Hollander and junior Kylie Nishisaka.
    
Aliso Niguel senior Danica Wyson will run as an individual after placing fifth last week in a time of 17:48, the best time of any county runner in Division 1.
    
Defending Division 4 state champion JSerra will look to become the first Division 4 team to repeat since San Lorenzo High in 2004-05. The Lions won their second straight CIF-SS Division 4 title with a dominant pack running effort. They had five runners place in the top 20 and ran to a division best 34-second team scoring gap to defeat second place Mayfield by 65 points.
    
“We’re going into state with confidence,” said Lions coach Marty Dugard. “These girls know what they have to and we can’t wait to get up to Fresno.”
    
Laguna Beach also advanced after finishing fifth last week.
    
Competing in Division 4 as an individual is Whittier Christian senior Kellian Hunt, who has finished in the top six at the state meet in each of the last two seasons and was third in last week’s sectional final.
    
Woodbridge and Tesoro will represent the county and compete in a loaded field in the Division 2 final. The Warriors are led by seniors Molly Babcock and Nicole “Coco” Evans, while juniors Emily Scharmann, Ashley Elliott, and Stephanie Lapidus will be counted on to produce for the Titans.
    
Newport Harbor junior Paige Tennison has produced the county’s fastest times in both CIF competitions this month and is looking forward to finishing her breakout season with a strong effort.
    
“I’m excited and like the course in Fresno,” said Tennison.
    
Three county teams will vie for the Division 3 state title. Santa Margarita was the top county finisher in the division with a fourth place effort last week. Corona del Mar, (second all-time in state meet history with seven titles) was fifth, with Northwood coming in sixth place.
    
The county’s youngest individual state meet qualifier will compete in Division 3, as Bolsa Grande freshman Jeanette Zambrano placed eighth in the divisional final.