BOYS - Division 1
The battle for the Division 1 Team Championship will pit a deep Granada Hills team against San Pedro, Palisades Charter and El Camino Real.
1. GRANADA HILLS
REECE ROBLES and ALEX MENDOZA will lead a team that has 4 of their top 7 varsity runners returning from 2021. MICHAEL WARD, RYAN DUDLEY and SEAN TAYLOR round out the top 5 but FINLEY HANSON and ALEX FLORES had fantastic track seasons and will make a run as scoring runners for the Highlanders. Granada also has some strong incoming freshman including JOAQUIN ORTEGA. So Granada is good AND deep and has the top team-time based on 2021 Pierce times for returning runners - that’s a winning combination. But they ‘ll need ALEX MENDOZA to show better consistency and their 3-5 runners to continue to improve to win the championships in November.
2. SAN PEDRO
This fall may be coach Jeff Atkinsons’ first real test as a City XC coach. He has two of the best City runners in DANIEL RUIZ and ADRIAN SVERLOW-MENDOZA as well as an improving JASON SAQUIC but he’ll have to develop a 4th and 5th runner that can run sub 16:20 at Pierce to make a run at the championship. And San Pedro doesn’t have nearly the depth of Granada Hills so keeping his team healthy will factor into the Pirates success. But he has 4 of his top 6 and 5 of his top 7 runners returning this fall and his top 5 runners’ average times are only 9 seconds off Granada. But most important, San Pedro knows how to run well when it counts!
On paper, this looks to be a re-building year for Palisades. Last years’ City team champions have only one returning varsity runner – MAX FIELDS. And they’re ranked 5th based on returning-runners performances from 2021. BUT, this could be the surprise team of Division 1. Rapidly improving junior ALEX MAMMEN and sophomore OWEN LEWICKY should be very strong scoring runners for the Dolphins as well as senior ELAN LEE. Palisades “X” factor may be their incoming freshman that have credentials matching some of Palisades best runners ever such as BRENT SMITH, LUCAS SCHRIVER and (of course) MAX FIELDS. This team is very young for sure - 1 senior, 1 junior, and 2 sophomores that have actually run Pierce. And while they may not win City this year, that will not be their fate in the foreseeable future - this is a dynasty in the making.
3. PALISADES CHARTER
4. TAFT
UPDATE
Taft moves up one spot to #4 ahead of El Camino Real based on some nice performances at the Balboa Watermelon run on August 20th by DAEL FARKASH and RYAN TJENALOOI. Taft have a couple runners on the mend but if they can get everyone healthy this is a team that can compete for a state berth in November.
Coach Mario Castillo is building quite a XC program at Taft; 29 strong at last week’s Paramount Ranch 5k. His boys varsity runners are consummate pack runners, typically finishing within seconds of each other. Their task this year is for the “pack” to make a big jump to sub-16:30 territory at Pierce. The Toreadors have returning seniors DAEL FARKASH, RYAN TJENALOOI and JAUME FOLZE as well as a dramatically improved sophomore GABRIEL PEREZ. But they need to find a 5th runner who can break 17 minutes at Pierce to have a chance at ECR. This is a program to watch…Coach Mario is doing all the right things.
5. EL CAMINO REAL
UPDATE
El Camion Real’s top returning runner from last year, Junior MATEO GLASS, is NOT returning this fall. That’s a big hit for ECR and it means that someone is going to need to step up to fill that void. ISAAC TORRES looks to be getting back in form and ISSAC ENRIQUEZ ran an impressive double at the Watermelon run but they were already factored in to the rankings. It may be their new international recruit NILS SCHLOSSER that can save the day.
ECR has two of the City’s top returning runners from last year’s 2nd-place team, ISAAC TORRES and MATEO GLASS. And, they have a promising group of runners from last year’s Frosh/Soph and JV ranks that should buttress the team. A vastly improved ISAAC ENRIQUEZ should be a strong scoring runner and JONAH GENSLER, JOHN MATASSA and JAMES BATES are all capable of big performances. On the right day, with everyone on their game, this team can be a contender. But they’ll need to get Torres and Glass back AND better than last year to have a chance. ECR are a slow burn so watch for them in November.