Honorable Mention (albhabertically): Bonita Vista (Chula Vista-SDS), Clovis (CS), Dos Pueblos (Goleta-SS), Edison (Huntington Beach-SS), El Toro (SS), Esperanza (Anaheim-SS), Foothill (Santa Ana-SS), Kennedy (Granada Hills-LAS), Mater Dei (Santa Ana-SS), Newport Harbor (SS), Rowland (Rowland Heights-SS), St. Francis (Mountain View-CCS), Valhalla (SDS), Westlake (Westlake Village-SS).

Explanation: Tustin was unbeaten for the season, heading north to take the Staford Invitational early on, then handling everyone in the Southern California area as the season wore on. Palos Verdes was second in the CIF-SS 4A and recorded an excellent 95:01 team time at Mt. SAC (#5 team all-time). El Dorado (SS) and Mission Viejo were 1-2 in the CIF-SS 3A Division with 95:59 and 96:20 team times respectively at Mt. SAC. San Ramon did not win its Section Meet, but was the winner in the big one, the Northern California Championships. Los Gatos was second in that championship competition. Buena (Ventura) was a solid group that finished third in the SS-4A race. Irvine was fourth in that same competition. Del Oro (Loomis), out of the Sac-Joaquin Section, was third at Northern Cal. The tie for tenth is between Piedmont (fourth in Northern Cal) and San Diego’s best, Vista (winner of their Section’s Large School title).

Honorable Mention (alphabetically): Bellarmine (San Jose-CCS), Belmont (LAS), Buena (Ventura-SS), Dana Hills (SS), El Capitan (Lakeside-SDS), Lakewood (SS), LaSalle (Pasadena-SS), Leigh (San Jose-CCS), Mater Dei (Santa Ana-SS), Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach-SS), Mira Mesa (San Diego-SDS), Miramonte (Orinda-NCS), Mission Viejo (SS), Newbury Park (SS), Norco (SS), Simi Valley (SS).

Explanation: The choice for first was tough. In separate races at the Mt. SAC Invitation Jesuit (79:48) was ahead of Barstow (80:34), but Henry Morton (Barstow) overcame dental problems that held him to 17:38 on that Invite weekend to drop to 15:40 on the same course in the Section Finals. In the Southern Section Meet Barstow cranked 78:39 at Mt. SACE for that number three All-Time clocking and the edge in the rankings, Jesuit was given the vote over a fine Clovis group up North. Arroyo (El Monte) was the Southern Section 2A titlest with a fine 79:16 team time at Mt. SAC (#9 All-Time). Monte Vista was the San Diego Large School winner (and a place behind Arroyo at Mt. SAC). Sea View League squads El Toro and Corona Del Mar butted heads all year long, with El Toro’s big 4A win in the Southern Section Meet sorting out the rankings. Willow Glen and Sanger tied for third in the Northern Cal Meet, with the San Jose school gaining the higher spot on a tie-breaker. El Camino and Serra are two others from perhaps the state’s toughest area, school for school the San Diego section.