Prep Girls Cross Country Preview: RB High’s Akins looks to repeat as champ
The top girls cross country runner from last year, Nia Akins, returns for her senior season at Rancho Bernardo.
Akins, who captured the San Diego Section Division II championship, leads a strong group of runners for the Broncos.
Poway also returns its top runner in junior Alex Calegari and Del Norte returns five of its top seven from last year’s team, which reached the state meet.
Here is a closer look at the teams:
Poway
Coach: Bruce Jackson
Key runners: Alex Calegari, Jr.; Kaitlyn Umsted, Sr.; Syrsha Harvey, Jr.; Elena Guanuna, Sr.; Kinley Williams, Jr. Savannah Santiago, Sr.; Luzy Guanuna, Fr.
Division: II
Outlook: The Titans missed out on the state meet last year, but are hoping to change that with a strong season.
Calegari, who qualified for state as an individual last year, leads the way. The junior turned in an outstanding track season and looks primed to have a breakout year in cross country.
She notched a win in late August at the Vaquero Stampede and should compete for the title at the Laguna Hills Invitational on Saturday.
Poway has a solid No. 2 in Umsted. The senior has plenty of experience, running in the state meet as a freshman and sophomore.
The Palomar League is strong with Canyon Crest Academy and Westview being the favorites. Torrey Pines and Rancho Bernardo will also be right there. Poway will need a few runners outside of Calegari and Umsted to step up to compete for a title.
Rancho Bernardo
Coach: Terry Dockery
Key runners: Nia Akins, Sr.; Kassady Learn, Jr.; Alyssa Tivadar, So.; Ali Harper, So.; Clara Lee, Sr.; Imogen Bleakley, So.; Grace Leto, So.; Sydney Presnell, Fr.
Division: II
Outlook: The Broncos return a star-studded roster and are eyeing another trip to the state meet.
Akins, who last season became the first Bronco to win a section title since Molly Grabill did it in 2010, leads a strong group of runners.
Learn, who took eighth at the section championships last year, is the solid No. 2 for the Broncos. Dockery is hoping Akins and Learn can push the rest of the team.
“Hopefully we can close the gap between Kassady and the other runners,” Dockery said. “A lot of our young runners should develop as the season goes on.”
Tivadar is one of those young runners that could help close the gap. The sophomore was one of the five top scorers for the Broncos at the section meet last season.
Rancho Bernardo qualified for state last season by taking fifth place at the section meet. But this year the section will only send the top four teams in Division II to the state meet. It helps that La Costa Canyon moved to Division III, but the task is still not going to be an easy one.
“You have the Palomar League schools and then Steele Canyon,” Dockery said. “We will know more here soon about where we stand.”
Del Norte
Coach: Chris Jacobs
Key runners: Isabelle Davis, So.; Annelise Perry, Sr.; Nicole Cerenzie, Sr.; Hannah Zheng, So.; Sienna Sacramento, Jr.
Division: III
Outlook: The Nighthawks are returning five of their top seven from last season and are getting back a few other strong runners.
Del Norte qualified for the state meet by finishing in third place in Division III. Zheng led the way with an eighth-place finish.
It will be tougher to reach state this season with powerhouse La Costa Canyon being bumped to Division III.
“Our goal is to get to state again, but the big problem is LCC was bumped to our division,” Jacobs said. “They are good and between them and Cathedral Catholic, you figure places one and two are locked up. We need to get that third spot.”
The likely competition for that third spot will be from University City and El Capitan. The addition of Perry this year could lift the Nighthawks into that final spot.
The Nighthawks took third in the Avocado East League last year and will probably be in the mix along with San Pasqual and San Marcos for the title this year.