By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The 34th CIF Cross Country State Championships are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 27 at Woodward Park in Fresno.

WOODWARD PARK ALL-TIME TEAM PERFORMANCES

Here are 10 storylines to follow at one of the strongest state finals in the country:

Can four all be better than Fernandez?

A few achievements seem quite certain entering the Division 1 boys state final.

Newbury Park will capture its first team title in the top division after winning in 2018-19 in Division 2.

The Panthers will also crown their first individual champion in the highest division after Nico Young won back-to-back championships in 2018-19 in Division 2 and Jeff Wilson secured a pair of Division 3 titles in 1990-91, with the leading contender being Southern Section winner and Northern Arizona commit Colin Sahlman.

And the strongest lineup in prep cross country history – including Leo Young, Lex Young, Daniel Appleford, Dev Doshi and Hector Martinez, along with Aaron Sahlman and Colin Sahlman – appears primed to eclipse its own all-time mark of 73 minutes, 36.6 seconds on the 5-kilometer layout at Woodward Park, which Newbury Park achieved Oct. 9 at the ASICS Clovis Invitational.

The next set of accomplishments would only continue to add to the Panthers’ incredible legacy.

Thousand Oaks boasts the lowest score in Division 1 boys championship history with 23 points in 1993.

Newbury Park produced a 19-point effort at the ASICS Clovis Invitational, sweeping the top four spots.

San Francisco University achieved the lowest score by any team, regardless of gender, in state finals history when it boasted an 18-point performance to capture the Division 5 girls title in 1997.

The Panthers are also attempting to surpass the largest margin of victory in Division 1 boys history, which Great Oak achieved in 2019 by prevailing against Carmichael Jesuit by 98 points.

Newbury Park defeated Great Oak by a 135-point margin at the ASICS Clovis Invitational.

And finally, Colin Sahlman shared Oct. 9 that the Panthers have aspirations of having not just one, but four competitors challenge the 2007 record of 14:24 achieved by German Fernandez of Riverbank in the Division 4 state final.

Colin Sahlman ascended to the No. 3 competitor in course history at the ASICS Clovis Invitational by clocking 14:29.4. Leo Young improved to No. 5 at 14:33.2, Lex Young elevated to No. 6 at 14:34.6 and Aaron Sahlman ranks 13th all-time at 14:43.5.

Great Oak and Loyola, programs with a combined 12 state titles and a pair of runner-up finishes, look to decide second place, with the Wolfpack edging the Cubs by a 96-102 margin Nov. 20 at the Southern Section final.

But Newbury Park placed six athletes ahead of both teams at the section final at Mt. SAC to achieve the first perfect score of 15 in the 96-year history of the championship meet.

If Jesuit can follow its Sac-Joaquin Section title with another podium finish, the Marauders would move into a tie for third place all-time with McFarland with 14 top-three performances at the state meet. Dublin also has the potential to produce a top-three performance.

Zach Ayers of Davis Senior and Christopher Caudillo of Clovis will look to challenge the Newbury Park quartet after both running 15 minutes flat at the ASICS Clovis Invitational. Richard Moreno leads Loyola, Braden King and Jacob Swanson have all-state potential for Jesuit, along with Mark Cortes and Ramses Cortes for Great Oak, Daniel Trampe of Dublin and Aidan Dimick of Carlmont.

Hometown heroes inspired to spoil Panthers’ party

Buchanan ended the seven-year reign of Great Oak with a 67-71 victory in the 2019 Division 1 girls final.

Now, the Bears are looking to prevent Newbury Park from adding another state title to its resume, including the first in Division 1.

The teams have split their two head-to-head meetings this season, with Newbury Park capturing the championship Sept. 18 in the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic by holding off Buchanan by a 124-136 margin.

The Bears responded Oct. 9 with a 57-65 victory in the championship race at the ASICS Clovis Invitational.

Buchanan had a 25-year spread in between state titles, winning in Division 2 in 1994 and securing the Division 1 crown in 2019.

Sydney Sundgren, Grace Hutchison, Elle Lomeli, Sierra Cornett, Caroline Mendyk, Stefania Sesock and Kaylee Elliott are already the fastest lineup in Central Section history at 89:33.4 and have the potential to eclipse the 2015 all-time Woodward Park record of 89:13 achieved by Great Oak.

Newbury Park also has the potential to challenge the fastest time produced on the 5-kilometer layout at Woodward Park, especially with Alabama commit Samantha McDonnell looking to become only the 13th female athlete to run under 17 minutes. McDonnell won the championship race at the ASICS Clovis Invitational in 17:02.1.

McDonnell will need strong support from freshman Tiffany Sax, along with Ailish Hawkins, Morgan Nygren, Danielle Brotcke, Lexi Darley and Samantha Spaulding in order to deny Buchanan a Division 1 repeat.

After producing a 27-point victory at the Southern Section Division 1 final, McDonnell – ninth in Division 2 in 2019 – is the leading contender to become the first female state individual champion in program history.

Newbury Park is also attempting to join Dana Hills in 2008 and Great Oak from 2014-18 to sweep both Division 1 titles in the same year. The Panthers are already one of three programs to achieve the feat in Division 2.

Great Oak is looking to protect a streak of eight straight podium finishes from 2012-19, but will need a strong team performance behind Kelli Gaffney in order to hold off Oak Ridge, Torrey Pines and Clovis North for the projected third spot.

Scarlett Taylor and Annika Salz lead Torrey Pines in search of its first podium appearance since 2009. Kayla Rutz and Ava Maier have Oak Ridge in contention for its first top-three finish in program history, with Miliana Perez and Ashlyn Leath capable of guiding Clovis North to the same history after the Broncos endured near misses in 2013 and 2014.

Anna McNatt, a junior at McClatchy, was 31 seconds behind McDonnell at the ASICS Clovis Invitational, but has continued to improve with exceptional performances at the Sac-Joaquin Subsection and championship meets. She and Sundgren are the athletes with the best opportunities to challenge McDonnell, with Isabella Duarte of Saugus, Jacey Farmer of Rancho Bernardo, McCall Dame of Oceanside El Camino, Hannah Riggins of Del Norte and Gaffney also seeking all-state honors.

Pala looks to power his way to San Diego supremacy

Kenan Pala, a senior at Francis Parker and a Yale commit, has his sights set on a pair of all-time marks, first in the Division 5 boys final and then on the fastest performance ever produced by a San Diego Section athlete at Woodward Park.

Only two competitors in Division 5 history have eclipsed the 15-minute barrier, with Trevor Reinhart of Marin Academy running 14:58.5 in 2014 and Cooper Teare of St. Joseph Notre Dame equaling the mark in 2016.

There could be two in the same race, with fellow Yale commit Alex Mader of Lick-Wilmerding also looking to join the elite list after running 15:04.3 in the boys championship race Oct. 9 at the ASICS Clovis Invitational.

Following a pair of exceptional 3-mile efforts at Balboa Park this season, including a 14:22.3 performance Nov. 20 at the San Diego Section Division 5 final, Pala is also primed to challenge the 14:38 standard accomplished at the 1986 Kinney West Regional event by Marc Davis of San Diego High.

Ryan Urie of Patrick Henry ran the fastest time by a San Diego Section competitor at the state championship meet, clocking 14:45 to finish runner-up in the 2010 Division 1 final.

Pala is also looking to become the first Francis Parker competitor to capture a state cross country title, in addition to leading the boys team to only its second podium finish following a third-place effort in 2019.

Francis Parker, the San Diego Division 5 team winner, is prepared to battle Santa Fe Christian, Providence, Crystal Springs Uplands, The Nueva School and Lick-Wilmerding for another podium finish.

Mark Trammell of Santa Fe Christian, Michael Julian of The York School, Andrew Burr of Sacramento Country Day, Jack Barnes of Midland and Eyan Turk of Woodcrest Christian are all potential all-state honorees.

Frias could be fastest of all females

Mira Costa senior Dalia Frias, a Duke commit, won’t have the opportunity to square off against Newbury Park’s Samantha McDonnell for the first time since the Sept. 3 season opener at the Cool Breeze Invitational, since the Mustangs are competing in the last race of the meet.

But Frias will have the opportunity to challenge the Division 2 all-time mark of 16:43 achieved in 2013 by Sarah Baxter of Simi Valley, and, in doing so, would join a group of at least 12 female athletes to eclipse the 17-minute barrier, which could be greater following the Division 1 final two hours earlier.

Among the dozen elite competitors to run under 17 minutes at Woodward Park, only four are from the Southern Section, with Baxter being joined by all-time record holder Claudia Lane of Malibu, along with Destiny Collins of Great Oak and Anita Siraki of Glendale Hoover, both former Division 1 state champions.

Frias finished third in the Division 1 state final in 2019, but with Mira Costa moving to Division 2 this season, her performance could carry the most significant weight in the Mustangs potentially capturing their first team championship following four previous podium appearances.

She could also join past Mira Costa standouts Savannah Pio in 2010 and Melia Chittenden in 2016 in capturing the Division 2 individual crown.

Mira Costa captured the Southern Section Division 2 title with a 73-82 victory over Anaheim Canyon, its first since winning the 3-A crown in 1982, and will need strong performances again from Ella Parsley and Anna Chittenden to hold off the Comanches, along with Granite Bay, St. Francis Sacramento, Granada, St. Francis Mountain View and Poway, in order to prevail and produce its first championship under veteran coach Renee Williams-Smith.

Ventura freshman Sadie Engelhardt looks to become only the second freshman to run under 17 minutes at Woodward Park, joining Baxter’s 16:57 performance in 2010, after she clocked 17:02.3 in the championship race at the ASICS Clovis Invitational to finish second behind McDonnell.

Peninsula junior Aishling Callanan is another all-state contender, along with Sac-Joaquin Section champion Katie Kopec of Whitney, Central Coast Section winner Bella Peretti of Pioneer and runner-up Kylie Hoornaert of Prospect, Central Section title holder Charlotte Castelli of Paso Robles and North Coast Section champ Jana Barron of Granada..

Mira Costa trying to establish big podium presence

Before the Mira Costa girls lineup has its opportunity to capture a long-awaited Division 2 state championship, the Mustangs will compete 90 minutes earlier in search of its first podium finish at Woodward Park, let alone the program’s first team title.

Mira Costa has twice finished fifth in 2015-16 in the Division 2 state final. The Mustangs have produced an individual runner-up and third-place finisher in the past decade.

But this could finally be the group that achieves the breakthrough for Mira Costa, with Andrew Martin, Seamus O’Meara and Max Levin all placing in the top 20 to help the Mustangs capture the Southern Section title Nov. 20 with a 92-108 victory over Ayala at Mt. SAC.

Mira Costa has the potential to join San Pasqual from 1990, Claremont in 2016 and Newbury Park in 2019 as the only programs to sweep both Division 2 boys and girls titles in the same year.

Granada, led by juniors Roland Ruckmann-Barnes and Dheeraj Gurusamy, could be the biggest obstacle toward Mira Costa’s championship aspirations, with Vacaville also presenting a strong threat after an impressive performance Nov. 13 at the Sac-Joaquin Section finals, finishing third through seventh overall, with a 15-second spread among its five scorers, led by Donovan Cheruiyot and Kellen Ruiz.

Sanger could also be in contention for a podium finish following its 33-34 victory Nov. 18 over San Luis Obispo at the Central Section championship meet, with Emanuel Salas and David DeLoera taking the top two spots for the Apaches.

The Southern Section could also produce the individual state champion to join the team success of Mira Costa, with Jai Dawson of Dana Hills looking to secure the program’s first title in Division 2 after Tyler Valdes captured the Division 1 crown in 2008.

Dawson, the section winner in 14:55.2 at Mt. SAC, could also become the second Dana Hills competitor to eclipse the 15-minute barrier after running 15:09.9 in 2019. Valdes clocked 15:05 to capture the championship in 2008, but Carrick Denker surpassed that performance with his 14:59.9 effort at the 2019 state final..

Chamberlain seeks title triple in Division 3

Del Oro senior Riley Chamberlain, a Brigham Young commit, has the potential to become the ninth female athlete in state history to win at least three individual championships, including the first to capture all her titles in Division 3.

Sara Hall, formerly Sara Bei during her career at Santa Rosa Montgomery, is one of three girls to win four state titles. She captured her first pair in Division 3 in 1997-98, before winning the last two in Division 2 in 1999-2000.

Carrie Verdon of Campolindo, the last Division 3 athlete to repeat in 2010-11 before Chamberlain captured back-to-back championships in 2018-19, is the only other competitor in division history to win twice.

Chamberlain will be tested by Santa Rosa Montgomery freshman Hanne Thomsen, who prevailed Oct. 9 against the two-time division winner at the ASICS Clovis Invitational by a 17:39.9 to 17:48.3 margin.

The Southern Section trio of Mia Chavez from Chino, Georgia McCorkle of Agoura and Sydney Rome of Yorba Linda, as well as San Diego Section winner Sophie Compton of Point Loma and Central Section champion Mia Torrecillas of Bakersfield Highland are also capable of all-state performances.

But Chamberlain desires an even bigger achievement than the opportunity to achieve an individual title trifecta. She is not only looking to guide Sac-Joaquin Section champion Del Oro to its first podium finish, but attempting to lead the Golden Eagles to their first state championship.

Del Oro finished fourth in Division 3 in 2006, but has been on a mission to square off against North Coast Section winner Campolindo, San Diego Section champion Cathedral Catholic and Southern Section title holder Palos Verdes at the state final.

Campolindo, led by Ellie Buckley and Shea Volkmer, ranks second all-time with 14 girls podium finishes and is looking to secure a sixth team title after prevailing by an 80-point margin against Cathedral Catholic at the 2019 state final.

Cathedral Catholic has a pair of runner-up finishes in 2012 and 2019, but the Dons have the depth and versatility in their lineup this season – led by Alexandria Pena, Lexi Arambulo and Scarlett Martin – to produce an impressive pack up front, capable of holding off Campolindo, Del Oro and San Diego Section rival La Costa Canyon.

Givens motivated to take home historic hardware

More than a decade after South Pasadena High standout Sam Pons became the first athlete to bring home a state title to a public school in the city in 2010, Isaiah Givens of Pasadena High is looking to secure his own championship in the same division.

Givens is a strong favorite to prevail in the Division 3 boys final, which would not only be the first state crown in program history, but also the first all-state honors for any cross country athlete, as the Colorado commit placed 11th in 2019.

Givens produced a strong 14:48.2 performance to capture the Southern Section title at Mt. SAC in his final tuneup for the state meet, looking to achieve a better result than his 15:15.6 effort Oct. 9 that earned him an 11th-place finish in the boys championship race at the ASICS Clovis Invitational.

Austin Tamagno of Brea-Olinda set the Division 3 record of 14:45.9 in 2015, with Pons clocking 14:53 and Erik Olson of Novato running 14:59 at the 2009 ASICS Clovis Invitational.

Liam Anderson of Larkspur Redwood ran 14:55.3 to win the Division 3 state title in 2018, en route to capturing the Nike Cross Nationals individual crown the following week in Oregon.

The Pasadena High record remains 14:58 by Jesus Gutierrez from the Kinney West Regional in 1982.

Caden Carney of Tamalpais, Jacob Niednagel of La Costa Canyon, Josh Bell of Templeton and Jacob Donohue of Maria Carrillo, along with Southern Section rivals Jared Steins of Servite, Conor Gibson of West Torrance, Christopher Chavez of St. John Bosco, Ethan Godsey of Agoura and Palos Verdes teammates Luke Stefanou and Will Kirk are all in contention for all-state honors.

Campolindo achieved its first sweep of the Division 3 state titles in 2019 – joining Nordhoff in 1995 and Palos Verdes in 2011 as the only programs to produce the divisional double play – and remains in contention to repeat the feat, led by Rhys Pullen, Alexander Lodewick and Connor McGhee.

But West Torrance produced a 60-point victory Oct. 20 at the Southern Section final at Mt. SAC, and is more than prepared for the North Coast Section trio of Campolindo, Newark Memorial and Maria Carrillo.

Santa Margarita is seeking its first podium appearance since 1996 under new coach Marty Dugard, who guided both JSerra girls and boys teams to top-three finishes – including three Division 4 state titles for the girls from 2010-12 – before leaving the program following the 2019 season.

Mackey ready for memorable state debut

Viewpoint has achieved a Division 5 boys team title in 2019, as well as an individual state champion in Tom Kubler in 1999.

But the Patriots have yet to achieve even an all-state competitor in girls cross country, a drought that is expected to end in exceptional fashion in the Division 5 final.

JiaLian Mackey, a junior who began running cross country last season, has emerged as the favorite to capture the individual crown, following her Southern Section championship victory Nov. 20 at Mt. SAC.

Mackey placed 25th in the girls championship race Oct. 9 at the ASICS Clovis Invitational in 18:13 in her Woodward Park debut, but has elevated her strength to another level, including a pair of sub-18 performances at Mt. SAC, including 17;49 on Oct. 22 in the Division 3-4-5 individual sweepstakes race.

Mackey and Kubler would help Viewpoint join Mt. Shasta, Marin Academy, St. Joseph Notre Dame and Sonoma Academy as the only schools in Division 5 history to produce both girls and boys state individual champions.

Amelie Maltz of Lick-Wilmerding is not only a contender for the individual title, but also has the Tigers in the role of favorite once again following a 41-54 victory Nov. 20 over rival San Francisco University in the North Coast Section final at Hayward High.

Lick-Wilmerding prevailed in the 2019 final by a 73-114 margin over San Francisco University, after edging St. Margaret’s 97-103 in the 2018 championship race. A potential three-peat for the Tigers would follow a four-year reign by Flintridge Prep in Division 5 from 2014-17.

San Francisco University is looking to produce a state record 17th podium finish, having won 10 titles along with six runner-up performances.

Francis Parker and Santa Fe Christian are also seeking podium performances after finishing in a 54-54 tie Nov. 20 at the San Diego Section final and needing a sixth-runner tiebreaker to decide the outcome.

Linfield Christian is looking to build on its breakthrough title in the Southern Section, with St. Margaret’s and Viewpoint also potential podium contenders.

Samira Kennedy of Castilleja and Ryley Burns are also potential all-state contenders, along with Revere Schmidt of Santa Fe Christian, Liesel Blau of St. Margaret's and Kaiya Brooks of Crystal Springs Uplands.

Sannes aims to secure record sixth crown for Big Bear

Big Bear senior standout Max Sannes, an Air Force Academy commit, has an opportunity to elevate Big Bear to heights only fitting for a school near 7,000 feet if he can capture the Division 4 individual title.

A victory for Sannes would be the sixth state championship for Big Bear, which would be the most for any program in state history.

Ryan Hall won a pair of Division 4 state titles in 1999-2000, Chad Hall captured his lone crown in 2006, with Caleb Webb securing back-to-back championships in 2013-14.

Loyola has five titles in Division 2 with Elias Gedyon and Mark Matusak and Arcadia boasts five championships in Division 1 achieved by Ammar Moussa, Sergio Gonzalez and Philip Rocha.

Newbury Park could reach five with a victory by any of its top athletes in Division 1, having already produced two in Division 3 by Jeff Wilson and a pair in Division 2 by Nico Young.

Agoura and Nordhoff have both captured five individual girls state championships across multiple divisions.

It will not be an easy task for Sannes, with Bryce Gilmore of Sage Creek, Jeremy Kain of Scotts Valley, Sean Morello of Albany and Sonora teammates Broen Holman and Adin Dibble all in contention, along with Menlo School brothers Justin Pretre and Landon Pretre.

Laguna Hills, Cathedral, Harvard-Westlake, Albany, Sage Creek and Scotts Valley are all in contention to win in a division that has not produced a repeat team champion since Big Bear in 2007-08. Foothill Tech, the 2019 state winner, did not qualify after placing ninth in the Southern Section final.

New coaches, same aspirations for past Division 4 champions

JSerra and Sage Creek are no strangers to being in the Division 4 spotlight, combining for five girls state team titles during the past 11 years.

Both groups are under the leadership of new directors in their quest to add to their legacies, with Sage Creek looking to become the first program to win three straight championships since JSerra achieved the feat from 2010-12.

Jason Jacobson led Sage Creek to another San Diego Section Division 4 crown, with the Bobcats placing five scorers in the top 10 to prevail in a 22-point performance, building off the success of past titles under coach Jacob Feiring.

Chase Frazier guided JSerra to the Southern Section Division 4 championship by a 77-94 margin over La Canada, with the Lions placing five scorers in the top 30 to secure their first title since 2016.

Marty Dugard guided JSerra to six state podium finishes, including three straight championships in 2010-12, with the Lions looking to achieve another top-three effort for the first time in five seasons.

Sage Creek is led by UC Davis commit Stormy Wallace, a top contender for the individual title in a loaded division. Gabriella Peters, Kaya Scuba, Malia Leupold, Michela Miracco, Kiaya Rowlett and Alisa Sumwalt are looking to help the Bobcats join Oak Park, Nordhoff, San Lorenzo Valley and JSerra among the programs to have won at least three Division 4 titles.

Brynn Garcia, Anastasia Snodgrass, Georgia Jeanneret, Ashlee Gallegos, Ellie Johnson, Cameron Murphy and Brooke O’Brien could propel JSerra to a fourth state championship, which would match Nordhoff for the most in division history.

La Canada is seeking its first podium appearance since 2017, with Oaks Christian also in the hunt, looking to rebound from a sixth-place finish Nov. 20 at the Southern Section final at Mt. SAC in order to return to the top three for the first time since capturing the Division 4 state title in 2007.

Laguna Hills, Harvard-Westlake and Miramonte could also contend for a top-three team performance.

Wallace expects to be challenged by Acalanes sophomore Olivia Williams and Albany senior Sophia Nordenholz from the North Coast Section, along with Southern Section standouts Payton Godsey of Oaks Christian, Arielle McKenzie of La Canada and Holly Barker of Laguna Hills, in addition to Ashlyn Boothby of Scotts Valley representing the Central Coast Section.