Arcadia XC Begins Year No. 1 in CA, According to ESPN Rise

The Arcadia boys cross country squad might be without legendary runner Ammar Moussa, who took his talents to the University of Colorado this fall, but expectations are as high as ever for the Apaches.

ESPN Rise has Arcadia ranked No. 1 in the state of California in its preseason cross country preview. Here's what the article has to say about the Apaches prospects:

1. Arcadia [70] (SS) -- Outstanding returning duo in Sergio Gonzalez and Ryan Vargas are among only three returnees, but they return from a lineup that ranked as the best California squad in more than three decades. In addition, several reinforcements are moving up from a junior varsity group considered as strong as any in state history. There are question marks, however. Gonzalez did not run track over the last nine weeks of the school year; that could be turned into a positive, with the right motivation. Vargas ran his seasonal 3200m PR in mid-March while junior Mitchell Pratt missed much of the latter half of springtime to injury. Francis Lee and Charles Shen are key newcomers.

In a Marc Bloom's Boys Super 25, a national poll on ESPN Rise, the Apaches checked in at No. 9 -- they finished last year as the top-ranked team in Bloom's poll.

Here's Blooms take on Arcadia:

9. Arcadia HS, Arcadia, CA [1] -- While the 2010 NXN and state Div I champion loses its top two harriers, it brings back four of the next five, led by Sergio Gonzalez, who should be a worthy successor to Ammar Moussa in keeping the hard-training squad in the national limelight. Coach: Jim O’Brien.