State cross-country championships: Coming to you soon from Fresno
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The things I do for prep coverage. (Big sympathy sigh requested here) Not only do I plan to attend a football game somewhere in the Inland Empire tonight, but barring any alarm-clock malfunctions, I hope to be blogging Saturday morning from the state cross-country championships in Fresno.
I wouldn’t miss freezing my fingertips in fog-shrouded Woodward Park for anything.
A couple story lines I’ll be following.....
Will senior Christine Babcock of Woodbridge win her second straight Division II state championship and fourth state crown overall, counting the two she won in track and field? Will she produce the fastest time overall, or will that honor again go to junior Jordan Hasay of San Luis Obispo Mission Prep, who won the Footlocker national championship two years ago?
What does Babcock have planned for the Footlocker West Regionals, a postseason meet she has skipped in the past?
Can senior Kauren Tarver, pictured, of Phelan Serrano cap her high school cross-country career with a Division I state title, adding to the Division II state championships she won as a freshman and sophomore? She looked sharp Saturday, winning her fourth straight section title.
Is the Saugus girls’ team in condition to repeat as Division I champion, following its record-breaking performance at the section finals last Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College?
Will the Murrieta Valley boys’ team bounce back from the Division I section finals last weekend at Mt. SAC, where the Nighthawks entered as the top-ranked team in the state but finished third in their division?
Will the Loyola boys’ team and its ecord-breaking freshman, Elias Gedyon, hold up in Division II, and will Barstow keep its streak alive in Division III?
Check back early and often Saturday morning for updates after each race and a complete roundup afterward. In the meantime, here’s anything and everything you want to know about the 10 state final races, courtesy of dyestatcal.com.
-- Dan Arritt
-- Image from jesuittrack.org/