A new season and a new team realignment is coming this year.
Piner which ran in the Sonoma County League until the 2018 season when the SCL was renamed the North Bay League Redwood division and they moved to the NBL Oak division. For the 2024 season they will be back in the Redwood division with Analy moving to the Oak division.
I know that Analy competed in the NBL’s first league track finals back on May 7, 1921. I do not have any records on the first NBL cross country finals.
In the 1964 season another new league called the NBL II, later named SCL was formed, with Analy in it. This season Analy will be back in the NBL Oak/NBL I for the first time since the 1963 season.
The last year Piner was in the NBL Redwood division/SCL league they won the boys team title and their own Jonny Vargas won the individual title.
For the Prospector girls their last champion was Cynthia Rosales in 2015 and for the team it was from 2013.
Photos by Michael Lucid
Mark your calendars
The season kicks off with two large Invitationals on August 30th with the Rancho Invitational and September 14th, Viking Opener at Spring Lake.
This years Redwood dual champions might very well be decided for the boys on October 9th when Piner competes at Ukiah High and October 23rd for the girls when Rancho Cotate and Piner go head to head at Foothill Park.
Cardinal Newman senior Gwen Brockett is the top returning girl in the Redwood league while in the boys the defending champion, Analy’s Cormac Gaylord, will be in the Oak division leaving Healdsburg’s Kaeden Anderson as the top returner.
Photos by Michael Lucid
Over in the NBL Oak division it’s a good bet that the girls dual will be decided on October 2nd at Spring Lake as Montgomery vs Maria Carrillo takes place with Analy also competing in the meet.
As was last season the edge may go to Montgomery here as they have one of the best top 3 in the state but then in the league finals with more teams competing the Vikings will need to improve in their 4th and 5th spots to beat the Puma’s incredible depth.
The Vikings Hanne Thomsen has a shot at becoming only the fourth girl in California history to win four state individual cross country championships. The first girl in California history to do it was the Vikings own Sara Bei (1997-2000).
Word is Carrillo’s Ashlin Mallon will take a break from CIF races her sophomore year to train.
The boys meet may come down to Maria Carrillo vs Santa Rosa at Spring Lake on October 16th with Montgomery also competing.
Edge still to the Puma’s as they graduated their #1 & #5 runner from last years league finals champion team.
Carrillo’s Jack Wilson moved to SoCal and graduated on-line so that opens up spot for a new champion.
Teammate Trenton Dawson is the top returner from 2023 Oak finals and should be challenged by Analy’s Cormac Gaylord who won the 2023 Redwood finals. Dark horse is Carrillo’s Cameron Jones who had huge track season.
