Football, basketball, and baseball are team sports.
Track and field, golf, and swimming are individual sports.
But each has elements of the other. Team scores are recorded for each sport. And then there are those who stand out in team sports.
Cross country is a combination of both.
When the starting gun goes off to announce the San Diego Section championship at Morley Field on Saturday, there’s not only a crowd waiting to greet the first athlete across the finish line, but also a bit of mathematical wizardry to quickly determine a team’s champion. There will also be a teacher.
“I think cross country is a team sport,” Del Norte coach Chris Jacobs said. Their girls team is expected to battle Poway for the Division 1 title.
“We aim for team championships more than individual championships. It’s a lot of fun to not only win a flag, but qualify for the state tournament, and that’s what every team wants.”
The San Diego chapter has been awarded three berths to the state tournament, one more than a year ago. That’s because Del Norte and Torrey Pines finished in the top 10 at the state tournament, with the Nighthawks coming in fourth and Torrey Pines coming in ninth.
Heading into the San Diego Section meet, Poway and Del Norte are ranked second and third in the county, respectively, by their coaches. Cathedral Catholic is a Division 3 favorite.
Del Norte and Poway have met five times this season, with Del Norte narrowly winning four times, including Saturday’s league championship at Guajome Park.
“I believe the key to the race is to have Tessa Buswell do what she needs to do and not just race, but compete and win with the other guys,” Poway’s said first-year coach Ronnie Harris.
Buswell finished second to alumni champion Hannah Riggins a year ago. Eastlake’s Jaylin Williams finished one step behind her.
In Palomar League competition, Buswell (18:23.4) was ahead of Westview’s Katelyn Arciaga (18:05.8), Mount Carmel’s Olivia Campos (18:06.4) and Del Norte’s Eliza Hong (18:09.7). ) was in fourth place.
“We can’t just focus on Del Norte,” Harris said. “It’s good because we have strong teams in Canyon Crest, Torrey Pines and Eastlake. And it’s good to have three teams going to state. Del Norte and we are competing at the highest level this year, and we don’t want anything other than close games. That would surprise me.
“With Tessa and Avalon Nash, I think we can get a good spot up front. After that, it will be up to our No. 3, 4 and 5 to do their job. Of course, Del Norte as well. I’m thinking the same thing.”
Only if the runners are different.
Del Norte is led by Hong, who defeated Buswell in the Palomar Cluster Tournament. and the Nighthawks’ national champion 4×800 relay.His three members of his team (Emily Russo, Ella, Paige Exner) and cross country standout Shannon his Addison usually form the top five. However, Lila Enyedi and Samhita Raghisetti have come a long way in answering questions.
Poway will compete with seniors Buswell and Nash (who placed 11th in the section a year ago). Sophomore Madison Lee. and freshmen Allie Santavica and Nina Muscat. Depth is provided by sophomores Katarina Hasseman and Reece McEwan.
“The important thing for us is to stay focused, and we lacked focus heading into Mount SAC,” said Jacobs, whose Nighthawks lost to Poway in the Mount SAC.
“League and CIF championships are part of our preseason expectations, so we have to stay focused. We have to keep our eyes on the goal of winning a sectional championship for the second year in a row to ensure we qualify for state.” That’s the fun of cross country. It’s a healthy competition between two schools only 10 miles apart. And don’t forget about the other teams. Anything can happen. ”
San Diego Regional Cross Country Championships
when: Saturday
where: Morley Field at Balboa Park (4.8 km)
why: Determine section champions and state qualifier teams and individuals.
schedule:8:30- Division V Men. 9:00-Division I Boys. 9:30- Division V Women. 10:05-Division I Women. 10:40-Division II Boys. 11:10-Division III Girls. 11:45-Division IV Boys. 12:15-Division II Girls. 12:50-Division III Boys. 1:20-Division IV Girls.
Boy overview: A year ago, Liberty Charter’s Micah Sanchez proved invincible en route to the state Division V title. But the only returning champion this year is Kai Lange Day of High Tech High San Diego, who won Division IV by 14 seconds. That means a wide range of races for individual titles, with veteran runners like El Camino’s Omar Reyes, Canyon Crest’s Jacob Pippel and Westview’s Adrian Welton in Division I. Torrey Pines (DI), Vista (DII), Cathedral Catholic (DIII), La Jolla (DIV) and Liberty Charter (DV) are among the pre-race favorites for team supremacy in each of the five divisions. A wide-ranging battle is expected. .
girl overview: Just like the race a year ago, it looks like this year will be even better. La Costa Canyon’s Joanna Lopizzo (DIII), La Jolla’s Chiara Daley (DIV) and Bishop’s Ayanna Hickey (DV) return as defending champions. Extending this to Division I races, I would expect defending state champion Tessa Buswell (Poway) to be pushed by Eastlake’s Jaylin Williams, Del Norte’s Emily Russo and Westview’s Caitlin Arciaga. be done. Similarly, the DI team’s race should be special, with Del Norte, Poway, Canyon His Crest, and Torrey Her Pines vying for his three state spots. Other early favorites include Cathedral Catholic, ranked No. 3 in the state in DIII, La Jolla (DIV), Scripps Ranch (DII) and Francis Parker (DV).
steve brand