STATE CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS : Laguna Hills Boys, Newport Harbor Girls Favored

With the preliminaries behind them, the best cross-country runners in the state will gather for the California Interscholastic Federation State championships Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno.

With 11 teams entered and nine runners participating as individuals, Orange County runners figure to be a factor, none more so than the Laguna Hills boys’ and the Newport Harbor girls’ teams. Each is favored to bring home championships in Division III.

Barring a fall or an unknown challenger, Edison’s Shelley Taylor, coming off a 50-second victory in last week’s Southern Section championships, is a mortal lock to win the Division II girls’ individual title.

Here’s a closer look at the meet, division by division:

BOYS Division I There are no county entrants. Division II Start: 11:45 a.m. 1990 Champion: Escondido San Pasqual. Favorite: San Pasqual. Top Teams: Fair Oaks Del Campo, Concord De La Salle. County Teams: Mission Viejo, La Habra. County Individuals: Mike Love and Mike Moreno (Katella). Noteworthy: San Pasqual is San Diego County’s top team and ranked fourth nationally. Mission Viejo, led by Dave and Brian Cullum and Jeff Lynn, won the section II-AA championship last week. La Habra, led by Brendan James and Robert Mahon, won its second consecutive II-A title.

Division III

Start: 10:15 a.m.

1990 Champion: San Marino.

Favorite: Laguna Hills.

Top teams: Newbury Park, San Marino.

County Teams: Corona del Mar, Laguna Hills.

County Individual: Ryan Wilkinson (Santa Margarita).

Noteworthy: Chris Lynch was third overall last week, leading Laguna Hills to a narrow victory over Newbury Park in the III-AA race. Saturday, the teams figure to battle for the state title. Corona del Mar has come on strong in the past few weeks. Keep an eye on Santa Margarita’s Wilkinson, who is only a freshman.

Division IV

Start: 9 a.m.

1990 Champion: Fillmore.

Favorite: Ojai Nordoff.

Top teams: Burbank Bell-Jeff, Oak Park.

County Teams: None.

County Individual: Adam Ripley (Laguna Beach).

Noteworthy: The team title shapes up as a repeat of last week’s victory by Nordhoff over Bell-Jeff in the section IV-AA race. Laguna Beach’s Ripley was fifth last week, and second behind Laguna Hills’ Lynch at the Pacific Coast League finals on Nov. 8.

GIRLS Division I Start: 1:45 p.m.

1990 Champion: Agoura.

Favorite: Agoura.

Top teams: Peninsula, San Diego Mt. Carmel.

County team: Irvine.

County Individuals: None.

Noteworthy: Led by former Woodridge runner Kay Nekota, who transferred last summer, Agoura has risen to No. 1 in the nation. Last week, the Chargers placed four in the top 12 to win the section I-AA title. Peninsula is No. 6 nationally and Mt. Carmel is No. 10. Irvine’s Jennifer Gillis and Kelly Roda should keep the Vaqueros close.

Division II

Start: 12:20 p.m.

1990 Champion: Escondido San Pasqual.

Favorite: San Pasqual.

Top teams: Edison, El Modena.

County teams: Edison, El Modena, Woodridge.

County individuals: Tanja Brix (University), Kim Nelson (Canyon).

Noteworthy: If there is a better runner than Edison’s Shelley Taylor in the state, she should make herself known Saturday. Taylor has whipped all-comers this season, winning the Orange County championships, the Sunset League and section II-AA titles. Last week’s time of 17 minutes 29.1 seconds equaled the sixth-fastest girls’ mark on the difficult three-mile course at Mt. San Antonio College. Like the San Pasqual boys’ team, the girls also are ranked NO.4.

Division III

Start: 10:50 a.m.

1990 champion: La Jolla.

Favorite: Newport Harbor.

Top Teams: Aptos, San Marino.

County teams: Laguna Hills, Newport Harbor.

County Individuals: Denisha Bendz and Katy Eklof (Costa Mesa)

Noteworthy: Until last Week, San Marino was No.1 ranked in state in this division. But Titans were routed by Newport Harbor, 45-74, for the III-A title. Seniors Donna Mills and Mary Crane will lead Newport Harbor on Saturday. Costa Mesa’s Bendz and Eklof are two vastly underrated runners who figure to do well.

Division IV

Start: 9:35 a.m.

1990 Champion: Ojai Nordhoff

Favorite: Filmore.

Top teams: Orange Luther Nordoff

County team: Orange Lutheran

County Individual: Kendra Carter (Laguna Beach).

Noteworthy: Fillmore, Orange Lutheran and Nordoff finished one, two, three at last weeks section IV-AA final. Little should change Saturday. Keep an eye on Orange Lutheran’s Amber Parkinson, a 10:38.80 3,200-meter runner on the track.