Maria Carrillo’s Ryan Anderson, the defending NCS Division 2 champion, looks to repeat at Saturday’s meet in Hayward. (JOHN BURGESS / The Press Democrat)

By PETER FOURNIER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

The first significant rain of fall couldn’t have come with more interesting timing for runners slated to compete in the North Coast Section cross country championships Saturday at Hayward High School.

Weather, though, shouldn’t play too much of a factor, says Maria Carrillo’s Ryan Anderson, who’s the defending NCS Division 2 boys champion. Last year’s race happened to be a muddy affair as it rained during the race.

“Last year, I was slipping down the hill I was trying to run up,” Anderson said.

Anderson, who’s aiming to finish in the top 10 at state this year after a 13th-place finish in 2012, compared the conditions in last year’s NCS meet to taking three steps forward and one step back.

“Last year it was raining the whole time and the course was muddy, so everybody was running pretty slow,” he said.

Anderson said his team went to see the course last weekend, and he thinks race organizers will try to avoid a repeat of 2012.

“They’re learning from what happened last year,” he said.

The Pumas boys won the Division 2 team meet last year, and the Carrillo girls are the two-time defending champions.