By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The 42nd ASICS Clovis Invitational is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 9 at Woodward Park in Fresno, Calif.

Here are 10 storylines to follow at the one of the most prestigious meets in the country, which returns following a one-year absence:

Two records for the price of one race

Newbury Park already holds the all-time boys team time record on the 5-kilometer layout at Woodward Park based on its performance at the 2019 Division 2 state final, its last competition on the prestigious course until the Rob Brenner boys championship at 9:30 a.m. PDT Saturday.

But the Panthers, who clocked 75:26.7 with a lineup led by Nico Young and Jace Aschbrenner two years ago, could not only take down the all-time Clovis Invitational mark of 76:08.5 achieved by Great Oak in 2015, but also eclipse the fastest team time in history at Woodward Park with a lineup that already smashed the top performance ever at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic by producing the top four finishers in the Doug Speck sweepstakes race Sept. 18 at SilverLakes Sports Complex in Norco.

Newbury Park had four athletes run under 13:50 on the 3-mile layout at Woodbridge on its way to the fastest team performance recorded nationally of 69:30.9.

Leo Young, Lex Young, Aaron Sahlman and Colin Sahlman will all be looking to eclipse the 15-minute barrier at Woodward Park in their pursuit to have the Panthers become the first team to run under 75 minutes in Fresno.

Whether Newbury Park can duplicate its sweep of the top four spots at Woodbridge in the Rob Brenner championship race Saturday remains to be seen, but the Panthers are a significant favorite to capture their first title at the Clovis Invitational after being edged by Great Oak by a 57-65 margin in 2019.

All four Newbury Park athletes will also be pursuing the individual course record of 14:24 achieved at the 2007 state championship meet by German Fernandez of Riverbank. Nico Young boasts the Clovis Invitational record of 14:28.9 from 2019.

Leo Young ran 13:38.1 on Sept. 18 at Woodbridge to eclipse Nico Young’s 3-mile national cross country record of 13:39.7 on the same SilverLakes Sports Complex course two years ago.

Leading ladies ready to run it back

Newbury Park will also be front and center in the Bill Buettner girls championship race at 8:55 a.m. PDT, as the winners of the Bob Day sweepstakes race Sept. 18 at Woodbridge will square off again with Buchanan High in a showdown of the state’s top two programs, both of which won state titles in their last competition at Woodward Park at the 2019 championship meet.

Buchanan prevailed in Division 1 and Newbury Park in Division 2, but both programs are now in the top division. Newbury Park took the first matchup at SilverLakes Sports Complex with 124 points, edging Lewisville Flower Mound of Texas at 130 points and Buchanan with 136 points.

Great Oak, which finished 14th at Woodbridge with 368 points, has won the past six Bill Buettner girls championship races at Clovis from 2014-19. The Wolfpack had won 13 consecutive races at Woodward Park, before Buchanan edged Great Oak by a 67-71 margin at the 2019 state final.

Buchanan, led by juniors Sydney Sundgren and Grace Hutchison, hasn’t won a girls championship race at the Clovis Invitational since 2012, as Simi Valley was the last team to capture the title in 2013, before Great Oak began its impressive streak.

Newbury Park, led by Alabama commit Samantha McDonnell, has never secured a championship race victory at the Clovis Invitational, improving from 17th place in 2018 to fourth place two years ago, before the event was canceled last season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Buchanan is one of four girls programs in history to eclipse the 90-minute barrier at Woodward Park, joining Great Oak, Saugus and Davis Senior after running 89:44.6 at the 2019 state final.

Newbury Park, the No. 7 program in history on the 5-kilometer layout, ran 90:52.9 at the 2019 Clovis Invitational to elevate among the top 20 performances in history. The Panthers look to move into the top 10 all-time performances Saturday.

Oak Ridge looks to follow its impressive victory Oct. 2 at the Del Oro Invitational with a strong effort in its toughest test to date. Kayla Rutz, Quinn Walker, Ava Maier and Brooke Butler all ran under 18 minutes for the Trojans on the 5-kilometer course at William Jessup University.

Beyond the black and gold

Although Newbury Park is highly motivated to secure both the individual and team victories after only earning one of them at the 2019 Clovis Invitational, there are several impressive challengers ready to produce sub-15 performances in the Rob Brenner boys championship race.

Christopher Caudillo, a junior at host Clovis High, placed sixth Sept. 18 in 14:09.3 in the Doug Speck sweepstakes race at Woodbridge, and was the top California competitor behind the Newbury Park quartet, with Kevin Sanchez of Austin Vandegrift High in Texas placing fifth in 14:06.

Caudillo clocked 15:23.8 to prevail Sept. 24 at the Clovis West Golden Eagle Invitational, the first of five potential races this season at Woodward Park, including the Tri-River Athletic Conference final, the Central Section Division 1 championships and the state meet.

Jai Dawson of Dana Hills, a top contender in Division 2 after placing sixth at the 2019 state meet in 15:09.9, also has the potential to join the elite group of sub-15 competitors.

Isaiah Givens of Pasadena, one of the favorites to capture the Division 3 state title, ran 15:39.2 at the 2019 Clovis Invitational. Following a third-place finish Sept. 24 in the sweepstakes race in 15:00.2 at the Desert Twilight Festival in San Tan Valley, Ariz., Givens is ready to challenge the 15-minute mark at Woodward Park.

One of the most intriguing competitors is Division 5 state title contender Alex Mader of Lick-Wilmerding, a Yale commit. Mader finished sixth at the 2019 state final in 15:49.5, but looks to benefit greatly from the competition, which includes fellow Yale-bound standout Braden King of Carmichael Jesuit.

King ran 16:00.3 as a sophomore at the 2019 Division 1 state final, but has improved significantly since, along with Scotts Valley senior Jeremy Kain, who will lead the top-ranked team in Division 4 into the championship race looking to improve on his 15:43.1 performance at Woodward Park two years ago.

Vacaville is also entered in the championship race, but Kellen Steplight – a 15:42.5 performer in 2019 at Woodward Park – has yet to race this season for the Bulldogs.

Zachary Ayers from Davis Senior ran 15:43.5 in 2019 and is also part of the championship field, along with Long Beach Millikan sophomore Jason Parra, making his high school debut at Woodward Park.

Adin Dibble from Sonora, who has run 15:41.4 at Woodward Park, also returns and is looking to continue his momentum following a 14:27.8 effort to place 13th in the Doug Speck sweepstakes at Woodbridge.

Ethan Godsey, who clocked 15:51.8 at Woodward Park in 2019, is expected to produce a significant drop following a 10th-place effort in 14.25.8 in the Doug Speck sweepstakes race at Woodbridge.

Jared Steins of Servite could enjoy a memorable improvement after running 14:33.5 to finish 16th in the Doug Speck sweepstakes at Woodbridge. Steins boasts a personal-best 16:52 from 2018 at Woodward Park.

Double dose of Chamberlain for Del Oro

Riley Chamberlain has produced an exceptional resume in her career at Woodward Park, including a pair of Division 3 state championship performances in 2018-19.

The Brigham Young commit returns to Fresno for the first time since capturing back-to-back state crowns and does so with sophomore sister Karissa Chamberlain, who didn’t get to race as a freshman on the 5-kilometer layout at Woodward Park.

Del Oro, one of the top contenders to capture the Division 3 state championship, is competing in the Bill Buettner championship race in another significant test for Riley Chamberlain following a 14th-place finish Sept. 18 in 16:41.1 at the Bob Day sweepstakes race at Woodbridge.

Riley Chamberlain led the Golden Eagles to a runner-up finish Oct. 2 behind Division 1 power Oak Ridge at the Del Oro Invitational at William Jessup University. Karissa Chamberlain finished fifth, with Isabel Anglero, Angeline Gutierrez, Emilie Merz and Avery Covington all placing in the top 20 for Del Oro.

Riley Chamberlain was runner-up in the championship race as a freshman and placed sixth in 2019, with her personal-best effort on the 5-kilometer layout 17:12.7. She will look to challenge the 17-minute mark again in her first of two expected appearances at Woodward Park this year.

Significant opportunities for small-school stars

In addition to Division 5 standout Alex Mader of Lick-Wilmerding and Division 4 program Scotts Valley, led by Jeremy Kain, other small-school standouts have been accepted into the elite fields for the championship races in an effort to challenge themselves against strong competition before the postseason.

Santa Fe Christian, led by senior Mark Trammell, is a top Division 5 program from the San Diego Section. Trammell won the boys rated race Sept. 18 in 14:36.4 at Woodbridge and is seeking even tougher competition at Woodward Park.

In the girls championship race, Division 4 powers JSerra and Oaks Christian from the Southern Section are entered, along with Division 5 state title contender JiaLian Mackey of Viewpoint.

JSerra, led by freshman Brynn Garcia, has held its own against opponents from higher divisions already competing at the Cool Breeze Invitational, Woodbridge, along with a trip to Oregon to race at Nike Portland XC.

Oaks Christian, led by Woodbridge rated race winner and sophomore standout Payton Godsey, is taking on an even bigger challenge at Woodward Park, where the Lions captured the Division 4 state title under coach Wes Smith in 2007. 

Mackey has yet to race at Woodward Park in her career, but the experience will be valuable in preparation for the postseason for the rising junior, who has not lost to an in-state opponent yet this season.

Landscape starts to take shape in Division 2

Although North Coast Section power Granada and top Southern Section program Mira Costa are not part of the lineup in the Rob Brenner boys championship race, there are several strong Division 2 programs looking to gain clarity on the pecking order in their first of two potential trips to Woodward Park this season.

Hart, San Luis Obispo, Claremont and Royal are all representing the Southern Section in the championship field, along with Sac-Joaquin Section entry Vacaville.

Hart placed seventh, Vacaville was 10th, with Claremont and Royal placing 21st and 22nd out of 30 teams Sept. 18 in the Doug Speck boys sweepstakes race at Woodbridge. Granada did not compete in the event, but Mira Costa finished ninth, before winning Sept. 25 at the Jim Danner boys championship race at Nike Portland XC in Oregon.

Claremont also has the experience of competing Sept. 11 at the Denton Guyer Invitational in Texas, taking third behind Grapevine and Conroe The Woodlands, two top programs from the host state.

Jonah Bazerkanian of Royal has the potential to produce an impressive performance, along with Chris Coles for Claremont and Jaden Wiley for Hart. San Luis Obispo has two potential breakthrough performers in Lewis Westwood and Milo Skapinsky.

Fast first impressions

Four of the top ninth-graders in the state are scheduled to compete in the Bill Buettner girls championship race, looking to join the elite group of seven female athletes who have run under 17:30 at Woodward Park as freshmen.

Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura has already won at the Cool Breeze Invitational in her high school debut, clocking 15:59.9 on the 3-mile layout at Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena. She also clocked the fastest freshman performance in meet history by running 16:04.6 in the Bob Day sweepstakes race Sept. 18 at Woodbridge.

But Engelhardt won’t be the only impressive ninth-grader looking to make a big impact in her high school debut at Woodward Park, with Hanne Thomsen of Santa Rosa Montgomery looking to follow an exceptional performance Sept. 25 at the The Master’s University Invitational, running 18;04.7 on the 5-kilometer layout at Central Park in Santa Clarita.

Kylie Hoorneart of Prospect, already with three victories this season, is part of the championship race lineup, in addition to Brynn Garcia of JSerra, who has finished in the top 30 of every race this year, including the Bob Day sweepstakes at Woodbridge and the Jim Danner Championship at Nike Portland XC.

Fellow freshmen Tiffany Sax of Newbury Park, along with Elle Lomeli and Sierra Cornett of Buchanan, as well as Fiona Gordon and Addison Clinton of Oak Ridge, are also expected to be part of the championship field.

In the boys championship race, Broen Holman of Sonora, the top ninth-grader in the Doug Speck sweepstakes at Woodbridge after clocking 14:37.9, is looking to become the 15th freshman all-time to run under 15:45 at Woodward Park.

Local programs look to showcase state’s deepest league

The Tri-River Athletic Conference has a legitimate claim to showcasing the strongest boys league in the state, and the Clovis Unified School District programs will have another opportunity to validate their depth in the Rob Brenner championship race.

Clovis West finished sixth, Clovis North was 11th, Clovis placed 13th and Buchanan took 17th among 30 teams in the Doug Speck sweepstakes race Sept. 18 at Woodbridge. Madera South, which competes in the County-Metro Athletic Conference, placed 15th.

All five teams are entered in the championship competition at Woodward Park, looking to not only establish league bragging rights, but produce a favorite for the top division title in the Central Section entering the postseason.

Sanger, another Central Section program that competes in Division 2, finished 29th at Woodbridge and is entered in the boys extra large school race at 10:40 a.m. PDT.

Brenton Maddox of Buchanan, Andrew Cape of Clovis North, Nathaniel Nodal of Clovis West and Alejandro Gutierrez of Madera South are all looking to challenge Clovis junior standout Christopher Caudillo for the league and section’s top individual honors in the championship race.

Different approaches for Division 3 powers

Several elite Division 3 boys programs are entered in the Rob Brenner championship race, but the collection of top girls teams from the division are split among the Bill Buettner championship race and the large school competition at 10:15 a.m. PDT.

West Torrance, the top-ranked Division 3 boys program in the state, placed eighth Sept. 18 in the Doug Speck sweepstakes race at Woodbridge. Capistrano Valley finished 20th and Agoura was 28th at SilverLakes Sports Complex, with Maria Carrillo’s top two athletes Jacob Donohue (14:40.5) and Vieyra Noe (15:03.2) finishing second and 13th, respectively, in the Woodbridge rated race.

All four programs will clash as part of the championship field, with only North Coast Section programs Campolindo and Newark Memorial missing among the leading contenders to capture the state title.

West Torrance is led by senior Conor Gibson, who finished seventh at Woodbridge in 14:19.9. Agoura’s Ethan Godsey was 10th in 14:25.8, with Jack Stevens leading Capistrano Valley in 15:05.

The girls championship race lineup includes La Costa Canyon, Maria Carrillo, Oak Park and Torrance among the top Division 3 programs, but Agoura, Brea-Olinda and Capistrano Valley will battle in the large school competition later in the schedule.

Kyra Compton of La Costa Canyon didn’t compete at Woodbridge, but has placed in the top 10 of all four races this season for the Mavericks.

Madison Parrone of Oak Park placed fourth in the Woodbridge rated race in 17:23.2, with Ashley Busienei of Maria Carrillo securing seventh in 17:44.6. Torrance had Sequoia Gonzales (17:51.6) finish 11th and Ryan Prioleau (17:54.9) take 13th in the Woodbridge rated competition.

Agoura will be competing in the race without Georgia McCorkle, who is entered in the championship field instead. Brea-Olinda is led by Kendra Painter-Hayes and Taylor DeBarros, with Capistrano Valley relying on Midori McConathy, Rachel Manning and Kendra Beck.

McFarland seeks memorable moments

Although McFarland competes in Division 2 in the Central Section girls postseason and Division 3 in the boys final, the school’s enrollment of less than 1,000 students indicates it should be competing in Division 4 at the state level.

The Cougars get their opportunities to compete in the girls small school race at 7:45 a.m. PDT, followed by the boys small school race at 8:25 a.m. PDT.

McFarland, led by senior Jose Perezchica, will square off against San Francisco University, The Nueva School and St. Margaret’s in the boys small school race.

Sophomore Demari Diaz leads the McFarland girls in their small school race against San Francisco University, The Nueva School and St. Margaret’s, in addition to Viewpoint, which will be competing without junior JiaLian Mackey, who is entered in the championship race.

McFarland placed second in the girls small school race at the 2019 Clovis Invitational, with the boys returning to the meet after not participating two years ago.