Teams to meet for IVL opener

IMPERIAL — The Imperial Valley League cross-country season is set to take off on Saturday morning here for the first local meet of the year.

The league format for teams is a bit different this year, with all teams competing in a few cluster meets before meeting again for the IVL finals in early November.

This format is quite unlike last season’s, where each team traveled during the week to compete in dual meets against one other team.

This year, the cluster meets will include the six local schools that have full boys’ and girls’ teams as well as Palo Verde Valley of Blythe.

Additionally, the meets will be held on Saturday mornings at various venues in the Imperial Valley.

Opening the season under the new format, will be Imperial Valley College.

The campus will host Brawley Union, Calexico, Central Union, Holtville, Imperial and Southwest high schools in a meet scheduled to begin at 7 a.m.

This year’s team to watch include the defending champions of Southwest High.

Both the Eagles’ boys’ and girls’ teams swept the competition last season and with each squad returning their strongest runners again for one more year this season.

Also, fielding strong teams are the Central Union boys and the Brawley Union girls.

Both teams have ran well through the first few meets of the year with Luis Sandoval and Alissa Moreno and Jaasiel Contreras standing out for the Spartans and Wildcats, respectively.

VINCENT OSUNA FILE PHOTO Local teams race during the 2017 Southwest Invitational meet held at Sunbeam Lake in Seeley on Sept. 2.

Southwest High’s Sabrina Benavides, who placed first in the race, runs during the 2017 Southwest Invitiational meet held at Sunbeam Lake in Seeley. VINCENT OSUNA FILE PHOTO