GIRLS - DIVISION 3
#1 MENDEZ
The girls D3 City team championship will be the race of day on November 23rd. Mendez takes the top position for the 1st time in D3 after moving from D4 in 2022, but just barely by 3 points and gives up 3 ½ minutes to Verdugo Hills in the process. Senior MAGALY GARCIA-SANCHEZ is the Jaguars top runner and the #3 returning D3 runner from last year. She had a big season last fall and continued her progress this spring where she focused on longer distances for the first time. She has a legitimate shot at placing 2nd in November which would help her team’s chances of beating Verdugo Hills. Junior ROSA BAUTISTA-SANCHEZ is Mendez’s clear #2 but she’ll have her work cut out for her keeping ahead of Verdugo’s #3 which will be imperative. If senior DESTHENY SOLANO, sophomore ANDREA VALLE, and junior DANELY GUTIRREZ make grade-appropriate improvements this year they should be able to lock down the City title. Look for VALLE in her 2nd year to make some big improvements that could help the cause. Verdugo Hills is a prolific City title winner so this will be no easy task but Mendez has been to this rodeo before as well. And in case anyone’s noticing, that’s two Mendez teams on top of the podium come November.
A confident Mendez team hopes to clinch the D3 team title in November
#2 VERDUGO HILLS
The Dons will be looking for their 2nd consecutive D3 title and junior AMBER LOPEZ will be leading the charge. Lopez should score another individual City title but it will be her teammates junior MEADOW MOORE and senior JULIANNA MARTINEZ who will prove pivotal in Verdugo’s quest for a team title. Both should be poised for big performances in ’24; MOORE will be entering her 2nd full year of running and MARTINEZ has shown big improvements in each of her previous 2 season. Both will need to fend off Mendez runners that will be nipping at their heels and MOORE will need to secure her position ahead of Mendez’s #2. The real work needs to be made by Verdugo’s #4 and #5. Currently those positions are held by seniors NATASHA ZAPATA and VANESSA RAMIREZ but both will need to make 1-minute plus improvements this fall to lock in a City championship.
Amber Lopez runs for a 2nd straight individual City title this fall as a Verdugo Hills school record.
#3 ROYBAL LEARNING CENTER
Roybal moved up from D4 to D3 in 2022 and the change appears to have been just what the Titans needed. Last year Roybal barely squeaked into the D3 City Finals and managed an 11th place finish. This year they should be on the podium with a team that is led by junior JASMINE CARILLO and seniors ANGIE SEBASTIAN and GABRIELA SAQUIE. The spread for these 3 runners based on converted best times is less than 21 seconds so this is a really strong top 3. Junior GABRIEL CRUZ and ASHLEY VINCENTE are their #4 and #5 and will need to drop minutes off their time to catch Verdugo Hills, which is very possible. VINCENTE showed consistency and big improvements last year and CRUZ will be entering her 2nd year of running which should translate to much better times as well. This is a solid program that’s on the rise.
#4 HELEN BERNSTEIN
Bernstein moves from D2 to D3 this year and the change puts the Dragons in the mix for a top-5 finish. Two seniors, SASHA KRAVETS and MAYLIN ALEJA, will lead a team that’s looking to regain some of their former glory when they won the City D2 title in 2022. KRAVETS did not run post season last fall (her ranking is based on a converted Elysian performance during regular season) and her track season this spring was cut short so there are some question marks here. Junior BRIANA GARCIA is the #3 returner from last fall but sophomore MADELINE MARTINEZ showed nice progress this spring and should challenge for #3 with a much improved Pierce PR. Bernstein needs a #5 that can run closer to 26 minutes to lock down the #4 spot and make inroads on Roybal.
Senior Maylin Aleja will likely lead the varsity Bernstein team this fall.
#5 UNIVERSITY
No super stars on this team (so far) but a solid top-5 in a program that continues to improve. Two sophomores, JEEVANA DODDI and SOPHIA SOLTIS, will likely lead a relatively young Wildcats team into the ’24 XC season. They’ll be supported by senior ANGIE MENDOZA, junior IONE FAHEY and sophomore LESLIE SANCHEZ. Between the five of them there is less than a 2-minute spread which is encouraging if they can rally together during training and races to all improve as a group. And that’s what is will take if they want to gain on the top 3 in D3. Note: though SOFIA ZIANES has the best converted University time from last year she did not run after October 12th and did not participate in track this spring. Since ‘23 was her first XC season and her participation in ’24 XC seemed dubious, she has not been included in the calculation for University’s #4 ranking. If she runs and can continue from last year’s form University moves to #4.
Division 3 Best of the Rest . . .
Based on converted time Hollywood junior JENNIFER AVILES comes into the ’24 XC as the 2nd ranked D3 athlete. She also had impressive performances this past track season. If she runs as an individual at City Finals (she did not in ‘23) she should definitely be top-5 and more likely top-3. Reseda senior ROSEMARY SANDRIDGE is ranked 5th. Legacy sophomore KASSANDRA REYES is ranked #6. Wilson moves from D2 to D3 in 2024 and is led by senior KIMBERLY AVILA who is ranked 7th. Franklin junior LESLY PUEBLAS ranks 17th in D3 and King Drew Medical’s top runners sophomore ZOE VEGA and MELANIE TAPIA are ranked 18th and 19th.
Rosemary Sandridge leads a young Reseda team into the ‘24 XC season.
Kimberly Avila (left) and junior Victoria Fernandez (right) are 2 of Wilson’s top runners in ‘24.
Junior Ruby Ramone posted the top times for King Drew this spring in the 800m & 1,600m. She has not previously run XC but her participation this fall could lift King Drew to a top-5 finish.
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