The high school cross country season has been underway for a few weeks, and there have been a couple of good meets here and there.
The season gets serious this week with the massive Woodbridge Classic.
The 44th running of the meet is Friday and Saturday under the lights at Great Park in Irvine.
Among the elite Orange County boys teams in it are: Beckman, last year’s CIF State Division I champion; Trabuco Hills, which was fourth in Division I at the CIF State Championships; and San Clemente, which was eighth in the CIF State Division I team standings and returns much of its 2024 core.
Another entry is JSerra, which finished second to Oaks Christian in Division IV at last year’s CIF State meet.
The group of Orange County girls teams competing in the Woodbridge meet includes three 2024 state champions: JSerra, which won the CIF-SS Division 4 title and the CIF State Division IV title for the fourth year in a row; Trabuco Hills, last year’s CIF-SS Division 1 and CIF State Division I champion; and El Toro, which won CIF-SS Division 2 and CIF State Division II titles.
This year’s Woodbridge Classic has attracted runners from more than 500 high schools.
The first race Friday is at 5 p.m. The first race Saturday is at 3:50 p.m.
The Woodbridge Classic has been known for its fast times, going back to its origins as the Woodbridge Invitational. The flat Great Park course gives runners a shot at great times, and the weather shouldn’t be an issue. The high-tech shoes now worn by track and cross country athletes also are helping lower times in all sorts of running events.
There is more information, including a course map, schedule, directions and parking suggestions online at www.woodbridgexcclassic.com.
WOODBRIDGE’S AIDAN ANTONIO KEEPS IMPROVING
Woodbridge senior Aidan Antonio might be the best runner in Orange County boys cross country this season.
Woodbridge coach Bryan Pacheco said Antonio’s talent is matched by his willingness to do what it takes to keep improving.
“He’s an awesome person, and not just running-wise,” Pacheco said. “Aidan’s super-dedicated and very mature for his age. Our assistant coach Joel (Whitson) and I were just talking the other day about how Aidan potentially could be running in the Olympics some day because he has that much natural ability.”
Antonio finished first in the Dana Hills Invitational this month with his time of 10:02.70 over the shortened 2.1-mile course. Woodbridge’s boys won the team title.
NOTES
Tesoro’s girls were third in the Dana Hills Invitational in which Long Beach Wilson finished on top. Tesoro senior Amber Dazey took second place with her time of 16:55.5. Huntington Beach junior Sydney Rubio finished sixth at 17:07.5. …
JSerra’s girls finished first in the team standings of the PR City Invitational at the Silverlakes Sports Complex in Norco this month. JSerra junior Reese Holley finished second in 16:59.2. Lions sophomore Kaia Streadbeck was third in 17:10.8 3 followed by freshman teammate Maya Pawlowicz in fourth at 17:12.9 4. …
Beckman’s boys were second to Redondo Union in the PR City Invitational team standings. Beckman junior Hassan Syed was the eighth-place finisher with his time of 14:32.8. JSerra’s boys team finished third. …
The Laguna Hills Invitational, usually run earlier in the season, is Sept. 27. …
The Orange County Championships are October 17-18 at Oak Canyon Park, followed by the Mt. SAC Invitational on Oct. 24-25. …
CIF Southern Section prelims are Nov. 14-15 at Mt. San Antonio College. The CIF-SS finals are at Mt. SAC on Nov. 22. The CIF State meet is at Woodward Park in Fresno on Nov. 29.
ORANGE COUNTY RUNNERS TO WATCH
Girls
Millie Bayles, Trabuco Hills, Sr.: She finished fourth in the CIF State championships in Division I last year at 17 minutes, 22.2 seconds on the 5,000-meter course.
Amber Dazey, Tesoro, Sr.: Dazey was third in the Division II race at last season’s CIF State Championships at 17:32.5 and eighth in the CIF-SS Division 2 finals.
Anna Desormeau, Trabuco Hills, Sr.: She was Division I’s eighth-place finisher in the CIF State Championships last season in 17:30.6.
Carol Dye, San Juan Hills, Jr: Dye was the seventh-place finisher in Division I in the CIF State meet last season, and also was seventh in the CIF-SS Division 1 finals.
Mackenzie Forrest, Tesoro, Sr.: Forrest finished 10th in the Division II race of the CIF State meet at 17:55.5. She was the fifth-place finisher in the CIF-SS Division 2 finals.
Reese Holley, JSerra, Jr.: Her sophomore year featured a seventh-place finish in the CIF State meet with her time of 18:00.0.
Sydney Rubio, Huntington Beach, Jr.: Rubio finished first in the Orange County Championship last season and so far this year has a fifth-place finish in the Dana Hills Invitational (17:07.50) and was second in the Saddleback Cup.
Gweneth Williams, El Toro, Jr.: She led El Toro to the CIF State Division II championship with her 18:00.5 that was good enough for 12th place. She finished third in the CIF-SS Division 2 finals.
Summer Wilson, Irvine: She got off to a good start this season by winning the Saddleback Cup with a time of 10 minutes, 3.9 seconds over the 2-mile course. Wilson last year was third in the CIF State championships in Division III, second in the CIF-SS finals and finished first in the Orange County Championships.
Isabella Wroblewski, Yorba Linda, Jr.: She was last year’s Century Conference champion and was ninth in the 2024 Woodbridge Classic with a personal-best time of 17:17.20 over the 3-mile course at Great Park. Wroblewski was 16th in Division III at the CIF State meet.
Boys
Yohan Anderson, San Clemente, Jr.: Anderson turned in an 12th-place finish at last year’s CIF State Championships Division I race with his time of 15:23.9.
Aidan Antonio, Woodbridge, Jr.: Antonio was a 12th-place finisher in the CIF State Championships Division II race, finished second in the Orange County Championships and fifth in the CIF Southern Section finals.
Cole Carlson, JSerra, Sr.: He posted a personal-record 14:45.80 with his 15th-place finish in the PR City Invitational in Norco this month.
Mattheus Dos Santos, San Clemente, Jr.: He capped a fine sophomore year with his 10th-place finish in the CIF State meet with his time of 15:21.0.
Oliver Hunter, Dana Hills, Sr.: Hunter capped his junior year with a fifth-place finish at the CIF State Championships (15:07.70). He also had fifth-place finishes in the Orange County Championships and the CIF Southern Section finals.
Chase Manning, Tesoro, Sr.: He showed that he could be in for a big senior year with his personal-record of 14:40.0 for a fourth-place finish in the Cool Breeze Invitational at Pomona on Aug. 30.
Aiden Morales, JSerra, Sr.: His 18th-place finish helped the Lions finish second in Division IV at the CIF State Championships.
Mason Nguyen, Beckman, Sr.: Nguyen was the champion last season at the Laguna Hills Invitational and was second in the Mt. SAC Invitational.
Maury Young, Ocean View, Sr.: He was 17th in the CIF State Division IV race at 15:43.9 and had a second-place finish in the Orange County Championships.
Aiden Zavala, Woodbridge, Sr.: Zavala finished second to teammate Aidan Morales in the Dana Hills Invitational in which Zavala covered the 2.1-miles course in 10:06.50.
