CIF-SS RANKINGS
provided by Rich Gonzalez (www.dyestatcal.com)
September 8, 2003

Headlined by the fastest girls team and leading male runner on the West Coast, Southern Section programs kick off the season with dual meet action this Thursday and invitational competitions beginning this Saturday.

Sultana’s girls team returns all seven varsity runners from a squad that set team-time records on both the sectional (Mt. SAC) and state championship (Woodward Park) courses last fall, with the Sultans entering 2003 as the #3-ranked team in the nation by The Harrier magazine. Sultana tops the CIF-SS preseason Division II rankings, with 16th-ranked nationally Ventura listed second in the division. Thousand Oaks (Division I), defending divisional champions St. Joseph of Lakewood (Division III) and Oak Park (Division IV) and 2002 Division V runner-up Woodcrest Christian also top the preseason team rankings for girls.

On the boys side, no Southern Section teams are nationally ranked, but the Division I triumvirate of Don Lugo, Royal and Canyon (Canyon Country) are all squads just off the cusp of the The Harrier’s “Super 25" preseason poll. St. John Bosco (Division II) is joined by defending divisional champions Barstow (Division III), Oak Park (Division IV) and Flintridge Prep (Division V) atop this year’s first rankings.

Individually, the Southern Section inherited a phenomenal running talent over the summertime as Natalie Picchetti, who placed 24th at last December’s Foot Locker High School National Championships, transferred to Rancho Cucamonga High from the San Antonio (TX) area. Also considered among the country’s finest talents will be Murrieta Valley senior Liza Pasciuto, who leads the defending state Division I team champion Nighthawks.

In terms of boys individuals, seniors Mohamed Trafeh (Duarte High) and Michael Haddan (Woodbridge High) are both rated among America’s premier talents, with Trafeh’s seventh-place finish at last year’s nationals (with five of the six before him having since graduated) and Haddan’s sensational 2002 campaign clearly boasting impressive credentials.
 

Boys Division II

1. St. John Bosco
2. Sonora
3. Sultana
4. Brea Olinda
5. Loyola
6. West Torrance
7. Katella
8. Valencia-Pl.
9. Edison
10. Orange

Girls Division II

1. Sultana
2. Ventura
3. Sunny Hills
4. Cypress
5. Villa Park
6. Woodbridge
7. King
8. Edison
9. Buena
10. El Modena

CIF-SS PRE-SEASON RANKINGS
provided by Rich Gonzalez (www.dyestatcal.com)
June 2003

Boys Division II

1. St. John Bosco, Bellflower – Has some very nice tools in place to position itself in search of its first section title. Clearly the favorite here. Any success here would be very well deserved, with longtime coach Tim McIntosh among the classiest and finest ‘good guys’ in our sport.

2. Sonora, La Habra – It took concerted thought before we settled on Sonora as the #2 team in the divison, which will draw snickers from opponents. Our question is this: How many opponents have four runners sub-16:40 at Mt. SAC and a pretty decent fifth as back-up? Inexperience will be key, as the crew must avoid early-season overconfidence.

3. Loyola, Los Angeles – The key here will be how well underclass talent accepts the challenge and meshes with a crew of fine returnees. For now, that depth is beginning to take shape nicely!

4. Sultana, Hesperia – Looking mighty good! They say great foundation leads to a firm and steady peak, which is why the well-prepped Sultans will be a factor to deal with!

5. Brea-Olinda, Brea – Our pick as possibly the Cinderella team of the division, riding a newfound wave of excitement in recent years to be emerging among the Southern Section most improved programs.

6. West Torrance – Look out! A solid quartet returns and no pressure is on them, leading to quite a dangerous combination. Amir Ursani ranks as the top returnee here, with three others stationed in an eight-second span in the mid-16:30s range at Mt. SAC!

7. Valencia, Placentia -- Gone is signature leader Juan Robles, but the program does return a ton and is part of a logjam of teams fighting for the last few spots. Has displayed fine end-of-season peaks multiple times the last few years. Was previously seeded 11th before the CBEDs came out.

8. Edison, Huntington Beach -- Junior Joe Gatel turned the corner with a fine 9:24 clocking in track, now turning his attention on conquering the hills of Mt. SAC. Senior Robbie Van Dine (fractured hip in 2002) is another key contributor. Was seeded 12th before the CBED shakeup.

9. Orange -- Six runners court sub-17:00 credentials at Mt. SAC, making the Raul Lara-led crew dangerous based on its ascent through the ranks in recent years.

10. Katella, Anaheim – It’s a bit of reloading time, but the high-octane approach used here should be enough to fuel a major challenge for the top spot by year’s end! Do not be surprised if they drop lower here before they rise higher!

Girls Division II

1. Sultana, Hesperia -- Lethal frontrunning (CIF-SS champ Varela and runner-up Delagardelle both sub-18:00 at Mt. SAC) and depth that slams the door on opponents (six runners sub-19:50 at Mt. SAC) combine to make the Sultans among the most enjoyable teams to watch this coming season!
2. Ventura -- Very notable depth (sixth girl at sub-19:30 at Woodward Park) and  dangerous pack-running ability (four runners within 12 seconds at state) identify the Cougars as a legitimate threat to challenge Sultana and the rest of the nation's best by year's end this fall.
3. Sunny Hills, Fullerton -- Possibly the nicest mover up the charts a year ago, Sunny Hills welcomes back the highly-decorated Kim twins (Claire and Stacy). This squad is so strong up front that any improvement on its depth would steer it into plaque contention for the year-end meet.
4. Cypress, Anaheim -- A fine lead tandem positioned the group for its successes a year ago, but it was truly its depth (led by Romar, Heiser and Conley) that made this team powerful in big meets.
5. Villa Park -- At least one critical graduation departure leaves this group needing to reload, but a pair of frontrunners gives them a solid starting point and we expect this program to continue its rise.
6. Woodbridge, Irvine -- The Warriors are annually the group always proving to be a solid bet in climbing by higher-ranked teams come championship time. Plus a hotshot freshmen on board?
7. Buena -- Kimberly Donatelli (18:58 at Mt. SAC, falling just short of a state-meet berth as an individual) leads a quintet of sub-20:30 returnees, making the group a challenger for state.
8. El Modena, Anaheim -- The Vanguards return four that bunched themselves within a 34-second span to help earn a ninth-place finish at the Southern Section finals, with Jennifer Gross leading.
9. Brea Olinda -- Anne Gustafson returns as among the top dozen or so individuals in the division, with the Wildcats also welcoming back three others with section finals experience.
10. Edison, Huntington Beach -- Return six from group that made good on its at-large appearance to place 10th in sectionals a year ago. Candace Alai helps lead this unit, which is highly capable of packing its scorers withiin a 40-second finishing gap. Should advance to CIF automatically this year.