Desert Vista pops up a lot when perusing past boys cross country champions and of late girls champs.

That trend is likely to continue at Saturday's Division I boys and girls state meet at Cave Creek Golf Course. Race times are 8:55 a.m. for the girls and 9:45 a.m for the boys.

Desert Vista won its second consecutive boys crown last year while Chandler snuck in a surprise win over Desert Vista and Xavier, who have combined to win nine of the last 10 big-school meets. Desert Vista's boys have won or finished second each of the last five years.

Here's a glimpse at at the boys and girls races for D-I:

GIRLS

Redemption is what drives Desert Vista's girls after finishing third behind Xavier and Chandler last year. Desert Vista held out the bulk of its top runners at the region-qualifying meet last weekend, but performed well enough with its reserves to earn a spot at state. The Thunder are likely to run senior Baylee Jones, freshman Brooklyn Christofis, junior Haley Wolf and seniors Emily Krall and Amanda Davis among its seven runners. None of them competed at regionals. They placed seventh, eighth, 12th, 14th and 15th, respectively, at Desert Twilght.

Chandler's hopes at repeating hinge on top performances all around. The Wolves are led by sophomore Morgan Foster, region champ and fifth-place finisher at Desert Twilight. Sophomore teammates Mihalja Milovanovic and Becca Taylor, junior Ava Hamilton and senior Gabby Enns are usually the Wolves' best five.

Xavier's top three runners at Desert Twilight -- senior Sarah Carter, junior Caroline McClelland and freshman Mia Olsen, are solid. A fourth, sophomore Helen Innes, gave the Gators four runners in the top 40 Desert Twilight. Carter, the defending state champ, has been hampered by a foot injury and hasn't raced since Desert Twilight.

Foster, Jones, Christofis and Wolf  are used to high finishes. Other runners to watch are Sandra Day O'Connor sophomore Jesselyn Bries and Highland freshman Carolie McLeskey. Twenty-two of the top 30 finishers in last year's meet are back set on improving their finish.

BOYS

Like the girls team chase, Desert Vista's boys shuffle their lineup meet to meet and unleash their best at the top invitationals -- and state. That means the Thunder is likely to trot out juniors Habtamu Cheney, Reece Donihi, Askel Laudon, D"Angelo Piasecki and senior Chris D'Angelo as its top five.  Donihi ran and won the individual region title last week and helped secure the team region crown. Cheney sat out regionals, but posted the best time of any of this teammates at Desert Twilight.

The teams most likely to challenge Desert Vista are Brophy Prep and Mesa Mountain View. Mountain View edged Bropy by six points at their regional last week. The top runners at that regional will also vie for individual honors at state -- Brophy seniors Luke Mason and Hociel Landa and Mountain View junior Carson Klepinger. Mason was region champ. Mountain View placed its top four runners in the first 13 spots at regionals with senior Jace Miller, sophomore Braden Rasmussen and Junior Jared Pace backing Klepinger. Brophy freshman Jose Acuna and sophomore Ankein Hetman are solid as 3-4 runners for the Broncos.

Other runners to watch in the D-I individual title chase are Hamilton's David Nelson, Central's Aron Orar, Cibola's Thomas Cain, North's Abdihamid Nur, Corona del Sol's Liam Kovatch and Slade Sumners and Perry's Anthony Haren, Boulder Creek's Jacob Lewis, Brophy's Drew Burns, Rincon's William Hewings  and Desert Mountain's Caden Hercules.