By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The 39th Woodbridge Cross Country Classic is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Sept. 20-21 at SilverLakes Sports Complex in Norco, Calif.

Here are 10 storylines to follow at one of the largest high school meets in the country:

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We meet again

Not since last year’s Nike Cross Nationals in Oregon have Great Oak senior Tori Gaitan and Buchanan senior Corie Smith, winners of the past two Bob Day girls sweepstakes races at SilverLakes Sports Complex, squared off in the same event.

After prevailing in three head-to-head matchups against Smith – who missed a potential fourth showdown at the California Division 1 state final due to illness – during their junior cross country season, Gaitan was out the entire spring track schedule sidelined with injuries.

Smith ran 15:58.4 in 2017, the No. 3 performance in meet history, with Gaitan taking seventh in 16:10.8.

Gaitan prevailed in 16:06.1 last season – the No. 11 performer in meet history – with Smith finishing second in 16:11.1.

In both years, the Woodbridge winner went on to capture the Division 1 state title.

The last female athlete to repeat as sweepstakes champion was former Simi Valley standout Sarah Baxter in 2012-13. Sarah Andrews of The Woodlands TX (2008-09), Christine Babcock of Woodbridge (2006-07) and Liza Pasciuto of Murrieta Valley (2001-03) have also been repeat girls champions, with the sweepstakes races added to the schedule in 2003.

Only four female athletes have run under 16 minutes in meet history, led by Grandview CO graduate Brie Oakley, who clocked a record 15:53.6 in 2016. Baxter, Smith and former Buchanan standout Meagen Lowe are the other individuals to achieve the feat.

Other California standouts scheduled to compete against Gaitan and Smith in the sweepstakes race are Del Oro’s Riley Chamberlain, St. Helena’s Harper McClain, Colony’s Amber Rios, Chino Hills’ Jacqueline Duarte, Mira Costa’s Dalia Frias, Anaheim Canyon’s Emma Hadley, San Clemente’s Hana Catsimanes, La Quinta’s Akemi Von Scherr, Capistrano Valley’s Carly Corsinita, Sage Creek’s Skyler Wallace, Granada Hills’ Sofia Abrego, Newbury Park’s Archana Mohandas, Palos Verdes’ Savannah Scriven, St. Francis Sacramento’s Isabella Fauria, Santa Ana’s Maria Hernandez, Mission Vista’s Bella Longo, Costa Mesa’s Diane Molina, JW North’s Makayla Browne, Chino’s Mia Chavez, Simi Valley’s Jill Walker and Oakland Skyline’s Eleanor Wikstrom.

After Nico, who’s next?

With Newbury Park senior Nico Young not only being a significant favorite to become the first repeat winner in the Doug Speck boys sweepstakes race since 2007-08, but also challenge the meet record of 13:55 held since 2013 by former Bakersfield Stockdale star Blake Haney, the question becomes who are the other potential frontrunners that could also deliver big performances?

As far as California challengers, Young’s own teammate, Newbury Park senior Jace Aschbrenner is primed for a strong effort after missing last year’s meet with a hip injury.

Great Oak boasts an impressive trio in seniors Gabe Abbes and Chris Verdugo, along with junior Mateo Joseph. All of the aforementioned athletes will be instrumental in the anticipated team showdown of reigning California state champions and Nike Cross Nationals qualifiers.

Mira Costa’s Billy Atkinson, Thousand Oaks’ Michael Mireles, Redlands East Valley’s Matthew Casillas, Highland’s Daniel Rodriguez, Aliso Niguel’s Ben McKenna, Long Beach Poly’s Ronan McMahon-Staggs, Moorpark’s Keith Murray, Burbank’s Andres Leon, Vacaville’s Kellen Steplight, Capistrano Valley’s Sean Robertson, Ayala’s Yael Grimaldi, Colony’s Andrew Castellon, Santa Monica’s Tristan Amell and Upland’s Jeremiah Castellano are also scheduled to compete.

A trio of talented Texas athletes should also factor significantly in the race, with Austin Vandegrift senior Anthony Monte, Southlake Carroll senior Nate Lannen and El Paso Eastwood senior Elias Perez all capable of running well under 14:30.

Senior Dillon Blake of Mundelein IL has similar aspirations after clocking 14:38.4 last year.

Texas trio ready to tackle toughest opponents

Led by Southlake Carroll, three Texas programs are looking to measure themselves against elite opponents from California, Arizona, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Missouri and Nevada in the Bob Day girls sweepstakes race.

Coppell and Austin Vandegrift are also scheduled to compete in the sweepstakes, which features every girls team champion – Great Oak, Buchanan and Simi Valley from California and Desert Vista from Arizona – since 2010.

Great Oak has won six girls sweepstakes titles overall, including last season.

Southlake Carroll has placed in the top five in each of the past three years, including a program-best third in 2016.

No Texas team has won the girls sweepstakes title since it was added to the schedule in 2003, with The Woodlands coming closest with a second-place finish in 2008.

The Woodlands was also the last Texas girls team to place ahead of Great Oak in 2013, finishing sixth in the sweepstakes, ahead of the seventh-place Wolfpack.

Timpanogos tries to extend Utah streak

With Desert Hills deciding to compete in the boys rated race this season, the pressure falls on Timpanogos, the lone Utah entry among the 32 teams in the Doug Speck boys sweepstakes race, to continue the state’s streak of top-10 finishes.

Timpanogos, led by the talented junior quartet of Isaac Berlin, Bronson Dameron, Luke Douglas and Thys Hansen, has placed in the top three in all five of its meets this season, including three victories.

Riverton finished eighth in the sweepstakes race last season, marking the fifth consecutive year a program from Utah placed in the top 10. Desert Hills had achieved the feat each year from 2014-17, highlighted by a third-place finish in 2015, the best performance by a Utah program since the sweepstakes race were added to the schedule in 2003.

With several top Utah programs deciding to compete Saturday in Idaho at the Bob Firman Invitational, Timpanogos has the potential to take a significant step forward competing at sea level if it can match up well against California powers Great Oak and Newbury Park, along with Texas contenders El Paso Eastwood and Southlake Carroll.

Desert Swarm

Not since its Bob Day girls sweepstakes victory in 2016 has Desert Vista made the trip from Arizona with aspirations as high as this season, when the Thunder will showcase sisters Lauren Ping and Grace Ping, along with Josephine Gregory in an attempt to knock off reigning champion Great Oak.

Desert Vista prevailed by a 16-point margin over Great Oak three years ago, capping a run of three consecutive top-three sweepstakes finishes for the Thunder from 2014-16. Desert Vista placed eighth in the 2017 sweepstakes and then competed in a regular varsity race last year, finishing third.

With the arrival of the Ping sisters from Winona Cotter MN and Gregory from Pace FL, the addition of freshman Emily Littlefield, along with the return of senior Katy Clausen and juniors Olivia Thatcher, Eve Boardman and Quinn Boardman, Desert Vista looks to challenge Great Oak and Texas power Southlake Carroll for sweepstakes supremacy.

Lauren Ping is also looking to become the first Desert Vista female athlete to place in the top three since Dani Jones took second in 16:16 in 2014. Haley Wolf boasts the fastest time by a Desert Vista girl at SilverLakes in 16:12.1, placing eighth in 2017.

Lone Star State seeks elite place on podium

Since the sweepstakes races were added to the meet schedule in 2003, boys teams from Arizona, Colorado, Florida and Utah have all finished in the top three in the marquee competition.

But Texas has yet to place a boys team on the podium, a drought El Paso Eastwood and Southlake Carroll are motivated to halt in the Doug Speck sweepstakes race Saturday.

Eastwood finished fifth last season, 14 points in front of sixth-place Southlake Carroll. It marked the third consecutive year Southlake Carroll finished in the top six in the sweepstakes race, including a fifth-place result in 2017.

Texas’ top boys programs are currently The Woodlands and Flower Mound, neither of which is competing this weekend in California. Eastwood and Southlake Carroll are also joined in the sweepstakes race by Coppell, in addition to non-California programs Desert Vista AZ, Mundelein IL, Rock Canyon CO, Sunset OR and Timpanogos UT.

The only boys team outside California to win the sweepstakes title in the previous 16 years was Mountain Vista CO in 2016. 

London Calling

McKinney North senior London Culbreath, a three-time University Interscholastic League 5A state champion in Texas, will make her second career appearance in California after competing at the Foot Locker Championships in December.

Culbreath, a three-time participant at Nike Cross Nationals, will make not only her Woodbridge debut, but also compete in her season opener in the Bob Day girls sweepstakes race.

Culbreath placed sixth last year competing unattached against collegiate athletes at the Chile Pepper XC Festival in Arkansas in her biggest regular-season race outside of Texas. She will look to improve on her fastest career mark of 16:36.9 from last year’s McNeil Invitational in Round Rock, Texas.

Sarah Andrews from The Woodlands is the last Texas female athlete to win the sweepstakes title in 2008-09. Julia Heymach from Houston Lamar was the last Texas girl to place in the top three in 2016.

Andrews boasts the fastest time by a Texas girls athlete and is the No. 6 performer in meet history, clocking 16:01 in 2009 when the event was still held at Woodbridge.

Measuring stick for Maria Carrillo

Following an encouraging effort in the small school race at the Ed Sias Invitational, California Division 3 state championship contender Maria Carrillo will find out exactly what kind of postseason potential it has when the Pumas compete in the Doug Speck boys sweepstakes race Saturday.

Maria Carrillo took second in the boys rated race last season behind Great Oak’s ‘B’ team – producing the 11th-fastest overall team time combining all races – but with seniors Pierce Kapustka, Rory Smail and Colton Swinth leading the Pumas, the expectations are much higher this season in pursuit of the program’s first state championship.

The Pumas haven’t competed in the sweepstakes race at Woodbridge since finishing 18th in 2005. Maria Carrillo also placed 13th in 2004.

Maria Carrillo will also benefit from the presence of Division 3 rivals Agoura, Arroyo, Brea-Olinda and Royal competing in the race, along with Division 4 challenger Cathedral.

Ready for a rated repeat

Vista Murrieta used a victory in the girls rated race last season to establish a foundation for a runner-up finish in the California Division 1 state final and seventh-place showing at Nike Cross Nationals, ahead of Southwestern League rival, Division 1 champion and last year’s Bob Day sweepstakes winner Great Oak.

The Broncos will look to pursue a similar path to postseason success this season when they compete again in the rated race Saturday, with sophomore Devyn Candaele looking to capture the individual victory after placing second last year to Granada Hills’ Sofia Abrego, who has moved up to the sweepstakes race this season. Vista Murrieta placed three scorers in the top nine of last year’s race.

Several other talented girls teams will be competing in the rated race, but doing so short-handed, with their top individual moving up to the sweepstakes race.

Teams from Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Texas and Washington will also look to prevent Vista Murrieta from becoming the first girls team to repeat as rated race winner since Great Oak won three in a row from 2014-16.

Great Oak, led by Leandro Candray and Austin Montez, is among the favorites to capture back-to-back boys rated victories.

But the Wolfpack will be challenged by California rivals Anaheim Canyon, Ayala, Beckman, Buchanan and Capistrano Valley, along with programs from Colorado, Nevada, Texas and Utah.

No boys team has won consecutive rated races since California High of Whittier in 2014-15.

Menlo looking for more magic

Following an impressive performance Sept. 7 at the Lowell Invitational at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California Division 4 girls title contender Menlo School won’t be competing Saturday in the rated or sweepstakes races, but the Knights are expected to be one of the highlights of Friday’s varsity schedule.

Led by seniors Charlotte Tomkinson and Kyra Pretre, Menlo has an opportunity to excel on the flat 3-mile course, looking to produce an effort that can measure up against reigning Division 4 state champion Sage Creek when the Bobcats compete in the Bob Day sweepstakes race Saturday.

Since Sage Creek isn’t competing at the Clovis or Roughrider invitationals at Woodward Park and Menlo isn’t competing at the Mt. SAC Invitational, this weekend will offer the only regular-season comparison on the same course for the Division 4 championship contenders.

Other female athletes with the potential to perform well Friday include Irvine Portola freshman Jadyn Zdanavage and Sierra Canyon sophomore Isis Diaz.

On the boys side, Arizona Division 2 runner-up Casteel High looks to secure another Friday victory after Derek Baca and Dayton Carlson led the Colts to a win last season.

Senior Riley Burns of Maranatha Christian, who placed fourth in the California Division 5 state final last year, is also scheduled to compete Friday.