Great Oak survives scare to win seventh straight title, Claremont achieves three-peat and Del Oro freshman Riley Chamberlain produces fastest time to secure first state championship

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Three first-time champions, the extension of two dynasties and one of the most talented freshmen in California history headlined girls competition Saturday at the CIF State Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno.

RESULTS | DIVISION 1 PHOTOS | DIVISION 2 PHOTOS | DIVISION 3 PHOTOS | DIVISION 4 PHOTOS | DIVISION 5 PHOTOS

Great Oak was pushed to its limit by Southwestern League rival Vista Murrieta, but junior Tori Gaitan won her first Division 1 title and the Wolfpack held on for a 79-83 victory for its seventh consecutive championship and eighth overall.

Gaitan covered the 5-kilometer course in 17 minutes, 19.4 seconds to become the first Great Oak female athlete to win the title since Destiny Collins in 2015. Gaitan joined Collins and Agoura graduate Deena (Drossin) Kastor as the only competitors to win Division 1 individual and team titles in the same year.

Great Oak became the only team in state history to win seven straight crowns in one division. Saugus secured seven consecutive titles from 2006-12, but the Centurions’ success was split among the top two divisions.

With its sweep of both Division 1 crowns, Great Oak became the most successful program in state history with 13 overall titles under coach Doug Soles, breaking a tie with Nordhoff and San Francisco University at 11 championships.

With defending champion Corie Smith of Buchanan unable to race because of an illness, senior teammate Meagen Lowe took runner-up for the second straight year by clocking 17:26.6, as 13 women ran under 18 minutes in the division.

Vista Murrieta had freshman Devyn Candaele place sixth in 17:43.2, with all five scorers in the top 35 to produce its first runner-up finish since 2011. Mira Costa, led by freshman Dalia Frias placing eighth in 17:53.3, secured third place with 166 points.

Ayala senior Mikaela Ramirez placed third in 17:36.4, with Walnut senior Chloe Arriaga earning her fourth career all-state honor by placing fourth in 17:39.4 to lead the Mustangs to a fourth-place finish with 197 points.

Both Great Oak and Vista Murrieta qualified to race Dec. 1 at Nike Cross Nationals, along with three-time Division 2 champion Claremont, which survived its toughest challenge in a final to prevail against Granada by an 82-95 margin.

La Costa Canyon senior Kristin Fahy clocked 17:22.6 to join older brother Darren Fahy, the Division 2 winner in 2011, in becoming only the second brother-sister tandem in state history to win state championships.

Claremont freshman Maddie Coles took second in 17:44.8, leading five scorers in the top 45, with Granada’s Colleen McCandless placing third in 17:47.8 and fellow senior Savannah Maselli finishing fifth in 17:55.6, as the Matadors had their scorers all in the top 50.

Saugus finished sixth with 166 points, halting its state record streak of 12 consecutive podium finishes. The Centurions last missed the podium in 2005, placing sixth in Division 1.

The Sac-Joaquin Section enjoyed a memorable day in Division 3, sweeping the individual and team championships for the first time.

Del Oro freshman Riley Chamberlain produced the fastest female time of the meet, clocking 17:18.6, to prevail against Oak Park senior Sarah Shulze in 17:34.8 and Concord senior Rayna Stanziano (17:43.8). Chamberlain became the first freshman to win a Division 3 title since Lindsey Owen of Nordhoff in 2000.

Chamberlain joined Simi Valley graduate Sarah Baxter (2010) and former Mission Prep star Jordan Hasay (2005) as only the third ninth-grader in meet history to produce the fastest female time across all five divisions.

Vista Del Lago prevailed by a 125-133 margin over Palos Verdes to capture its first Division 3 championship in program history. Sophomore Anna Vogtmann led the Eagles, placing 13th in 18:44.4.

Sage Creek flipped the script from last year’s Division 4 finals, prevailing against two-time champion Foothill Tech by a 110-119 margin.

Mayfield sophomore Audrey Suarez captured the individual title in 17:44.7, with Sage Creek receiving a third-place finish from junior Skyler Wallace (17:50) and sixth-place effort from Stormy Wallace (18:01.2).

Harvard-Westlake, which placed fourth with 195 points, had freshman Daniela Quintero place second in 17:48.3 and sophomore Natalia Quintero take fourth in 17:54.7.

Lick Wilmerding, which wasn’t able to race Tuesday at the North Coast Section finals because of air quality issues, demonstrated no signs of rust by securing its first Division 5 championship with a 97-103 victory over St. Margaret’s.

Another NCS standout, Healdsburg senior Gabrielle Peterson, captured the program’s first individual title since Sarah Sumpter won Division 4 in 2007 by clocking 17:44.3. Peterson became the division’s 10th consecutive individual champion representing the NCS.

Mira Terdiman finished 12th in 19:17.3 for Lick Wilmerding, which had all five scorers in the top 40. Andi Carnell took sixth in 18:44.6 for St. Margaret’s.

Flintridge Prep placed third with 166 points, extending its streak to six consecutive years making the podium, a streak only currently shared with Great Oak among all girls teams in the state.

St. Joseph Notre Dame senior Emily Perez placed fourth in Division 5 in 18:29, equaling Arriaga with her fourth career all-state honor.

Champions

Division 1 - Great Oak 79 points

Division 2 - Claremont 82 points

Division 3 - Vista Del Lago 125 points

Division 4 - Sage Creek 110 points

Division 5 - Lick Wilmerding 97 points