If any team can be said to be "due" for a strong season, it's this year's Palos Verdes Boys. Over the last 5 years the Sea Kings rank 2nd in the state for year-to-year improvement, but it has been a roller coaster ride: big improvement in 2012 and 2013, stagnation in 2014 & 2015, and back to big improvement in 2016 (the team dropped over a minute from its returning top 5 average). In five years of looking at my Improvment Rating statistic, I've noticed that teams often have success the season AFTER a big improvement, and that would indicate Palos Verdes is primed for a good 2017. That's not the only positive sign, either - this team put 6 runners at 4:35 or faster during the spring season, ranking 12th in the state, with returning #6 runner Ryan Shikiya breaking 4:30. The Sea Kings' 2016 squad finished agonizingly close to a state meet berth with 5 sophomores and two juniors. Their expected top 5 this fall is separated by only 14 seconds, and they have depth behind that group as well. Will the Palos Verdes boys really be as good as, or better than, their girls' team? I don't know the answer, but the mere fact that we're discussing it is a testament to how much these guys have improved.
2017 Returning Stats:
- 3 Mile Ranking: 21st
- 3-Year 3M Improvement Rating: 30th
- 5-Year 3M Improvement Rating: 2nd
- Team 1600 Ranking: 12th