Saugus No. 1 in Div. II, No. 3 in the nation

The Saugus girls cross country team has won two straight Div. I championships. The team will compete in Div. II this year, and some of the girls aren't happy with the move.
Saugus was moved down because of its enrollment. The team was ranked No. 1 in Div. II in a recent poll released by dyestatcal.com. Saugus is ranked third in the nation by Harrier magazine.
Coach Rene Paragas says he follows the Harrier rankings. His girls want to be ranked No. 1 in the nation, but they are more focused on winning another CIF championship. Senior Brianna Jauregui said she was kind of mad her team was moved into Div. II.
"I can see why we're being knocked down," she said. "It makes it harder for us to get our team goals."
Paragas stresses personal improvement. He wants to see his runners post faster times and have stronger races as the season progress. Jauregui said racing against Div. II competition at the end of the season will make it more difficult to maintain that level of improvement her coach likes to see.
"In the beginning, I was a little disappointed," said senior Anne Randall. "We're using it to our advantage and it's not going to stop us. We have our sights set on a national title. It's not going to stop us."
The Saugus girls get their first team Friday at the Seaside Invitational in Ventura.