10 Storylines to Watch at Clovis Invitational

By Erik Boal, DyeStatCAL Editor

Hello again

For the first of four potential matchups this season, reigning Division I state cross country champion Fiona O’Keeffe of Davis Senior and defending state 3,200-meter champ Destiny Collins of Great Oak will square off in the 8:55 a.m. championship race. In their two races last season at Woodward Park, Collins prevailed at the Clovis Invitational by a 16:57 to 17:07 margin, then O’Keeffe captured another state title by clocking 16:57 in the rematch. O'Keeffe is unbeaten in four races this year, including a 16:32.1 on the 5-kilometer course at Stanford, with Collins looking to rebound from a ninth-place finish in her season debut at the Bob Firman Invitational. Collins and O’Keeffe could also meet Oct. 24 at the Mt. SAC Invitational.

How low will Rocha go?

Arcadia senior Phillip Rocha hasn’t raced since his 14:32.47 effort on a 5-kilometer course at the Stanford Invitational, putting in two weeks of impressive training in preparation for the 9:30 a.m. boys championship race. Rocha clocked 14:58 to win the Division I state title last year and has Ammar Moussa’s 2010 school record of 14:43 at Woodward Park in his sights before the end of the season. Rocha ran 15:14 at last year’s meet and the last time any athlete broke 15 minutes at the Clovis Invitational was Moussa (14:51) and Martin Luther King’s Lane Werley (14:54) in 2010.

Small schools, big opportunities

Defending Division V state champion Flintridge Prep has decided to compete in the girls championship race, along with reigning Division V individual winner Rylee Bowen of Sonoma Academy, in addition to her teammates Maddy Glenn and McKenna Sell. Central Valley Christian’s Gabby Satterlee, who won the Division IV race at last year’s Clovis Invitational and helped the Cavaliers capture the Division IV state title, is also entered in the championship race. McKinleyville’s Morgin Coonfield, the defending North Coast Section Division IV champion, will return to the championship race after finishing sixth last season.

Power struggle

The boys championship race will provide an early indication of which teams are in position to contend for section and state titles, as well as potential berths to Nike Cross Nationals. Great Oak, undefeated thus far against California competition with its only loss a two-point setback to Timpanogos (Utah) at the Bob Firman Invitational, will look to defend its Clovis Invitational title against Dana Hills, Martin Luther King, West Ranch, Jesuit, Madera South, Ventura, Agoura, California and Davis Senior among others in a loaded field.

DeDe’s debut

McFarland freshman DeDe Salcedo is no stranger to Woodward Park, having run 17:38 on the 5-kilometer course in seventh grade. Salcedo will compete in the Division IV girls race in her first Clovis Invitational, looking to deliver a similar stellar performance. Only seven girls broke 18 minutes at last year’s meet, so Salcedo has the potential to make a significant impact in her first high school race at Woodward.

Texas two-step meets the wild, wild West

Southlake Carroll, the top-ranked boys team in Texas, will compete against the elite teams in California in the championship race in a showdown that could be a preview of Nike Cross Nationals. Southlake Carroll finished second to Lafayette (Missouri) in a showdown of national top 10 teams at the Chile Pepper Invitational in Arkansas and now gets an opportunity to square off against Great Oak, Dana Hills and Martin Luther King, all ranked in the top 15 in the country. Southlake Carroll is also entered in the girls championship race and Texas’ third-ranked team will be able to measure itself against Great Oak, Arcadia and Davis Senior.

Showdown for local supremacy

Several of the Central Section’s most talented female distance runners are scheduled to compete in the championship race, with Buchanan, Clovis and Clovis North all entered as teams, in addition to Central Valley Christian’s Gabby Satterlee. Clovis’ Mikayla Sodersten is coming off a course record at Cutler Park in a 45-second victory over Salcedo at the Golden West Invitational and is taking aim at Meghan Marvin’s 2007 school record of 17:33 at Woodward Park. Sodersten will also race against Clovis North’s Lauren Moffett in their first of several head-to-head matchups this year.

Silver state looking to strike gold

Last year, Elijah Armstrong of Pocatello (Idaho) won the boys championship race in one of the memorable victories in meet history. This season, several athletes from Nevada are looking to enjoy similar success, led by Edward C. Reed and McQueen in the boys championship race and Centennial in the girls championship race. Carson, Douglas and Galena are Nevada schools also scheduled to participate.

Rebels with a cause

After holding its own against several elite larger schools at the Cool Breeze Invitational and Woodbridge Classic, Flintridge Prep – the state’s top-ranked team in Division V – decided not to enter the boys championship field, instead competing in the Division IV race in its test run on the Woodward Park course. The Rebels will still face plenty of challenges from McFarland, Sage Creek and San Francisco University, but it will be interesting to see how fast Flintridge Prep senior Jack Van Scoter can run without the same depth of competition that would have been present in the championship race.

Best of the rest

Granada senior Megan McCandless, who ran 17:35.65 at last year’s meet, decided not to enter the girls championship field and remain with her teammates in the same Division II race. Gunn senior Gillian Meeks, who ran 18:10 at last year’s state meet, is entered in the Division I race along with an Arroyo Grande lineup that could be running at full strength after missing junior Talley Hill at Stanford. Arroyo Grande’s boys will be competing in the Division I race, led by Christian Ricketts, who placed third in the sweepstakes race at the Desert Twilight Festival in Arizona. Palo Alto’s Kent Slaney, who won the Division I race at the Stanford Invitational, is also entered in that field. Rocklin’s Andrew Clusserath, the Division II winner at Stanford, is entered in the same division at Clovis, along with Granite Bay junior Tre Lockwood.