SGV Boys Rankings II: Damien & Don Bosco Move Up, Flintridge Prep Moves In

Arcadia holds the top spot in our second ranking of the 2011 season for San Gabriel Valley Cross Country.  All of the SGV’s top teams ran at last weekend’s Mt.SAC Invitational, and the results created quite a bit of movement in the rankings.  While the Apaches are still on top, their team depth is now merely really good rather than extraordinary, and so the gap to the new number two Damien – who had a strong performance on Friday – has narrowed.

Glendora, and California both had their first bad performances of the year, and fell in the rankings, but not quite as far as their results on Saturday would indicate.  Both teams will need better League Finals results to just stay where they are.

Div. V Flintridge Prep is the biggest surprise.  They have run well all year, but it’s tough for a school from the smallest division to rank with the others.  They finished an excellent third in the Div. V Sweeps at Mt.SAC with a performance that would have won almost any other year but this one.  Los Altos also ran well enough to enter the CIF and SGV for the first time, but they are just barely ahead of Santa Fe and Claremont, teams ranked last time, along with Bonita.

SGV Boys Cross Country Rankings – #2/Post-Mt.SAC

1. Arcadia -Div. I (Last ranking #1) – Still tops in the SGV, and 2nd in CIF-SS Div. I.  Lost for the first time since ’09 at Mt.SAC but were 2nd in a very strong field. Backed up by meet record wins at Woodbridge and Central Park, two Pacific League wins over a very strong Burbank team, and a big win at the national Bob Firman Invite in Idaho.
2. Damien – Div. III (#4) – Followed up up a league stumble with an excellent 4th place (and SGV #2 adjusted time) in the Div. III Sweeps at Mt.SAC.  Excellent strength 1-3, 4-7 runners will determine their team’s destiny
3. Bosco Tech – Div. IV (#5) – The boss of Div. IV all year, the Tigers solidified their top spot with a Sweeps win at Mt.SAC.  Tough league showdown ahead with Div. III Cathedral, but if they can continue to heal from their earlier injuries and illness they could run the table.
4. California – Div. I (#3) – Had an off day at Mt.SAC, but ran well up ’til then:  fast at the Great Cow Run, two wins in the highly competitive Del Rio League meets and good trip to Clovis.  Del Rio finals will be telling.
5. Glendora – Div. II (#2) – Fell out of the CIF rankings after a rough outing at Mt.SAC but had been solid up ’til then, winning their opener at Bronco, a meet record win at Sunny Hills, and the divisional race at Clovis.  They meet up with California #1 Rancho Cucamonga again at League Finals, which will show if Mt.SAC was bad moment or a revelation.
6. El Rancho – Div. I – (#6) – Excellent 80:19 effort to win their heat at Mt.SAC, making up for an off day at Clovis.  Still 1-3 head to head with CalHi leading up to a big Del Rio showdown.
7. South Pasadena – Div. III (#9) – Hasn’t raced often, but made up for a rough day at Clovis with solid performance in the Div. III sweeps at Mt.SAC.  1-5 depth will still be a problem in the post-season.
8. South Hills Div. III (#7) – Rough day at Mt.SAC follows two strong thirds in the tough Sierra League, and a win in their own Super XC Classic.  They’ll have to compete well at Finals Tuesday at Mt.SAC to advance over rapidly improving Chino Hills and Claremont.
9. Flintridge Prep – Div. V (NR) – The Rebels made a huge statement with their third place finish in the Div. V Sweeps at Mt.SAC, ranking #8 SGV on adjusted team time.  More importantly, their team time comes from solid 1-5 grouping rather than one or two extraordinary frontrunners.
10. Los Altos – Div. III (NR) – An solid performance, despite a key runner returning from illness, in the the Div. III Sweeps at Mt.SAC puts the Conqs into the CIF rankings for the first time.  They’re facing a big showdown with Bonita and Walnut at the Hacienda League finals next Thursday at Mt.SAC.