Upload a Photo Upload a Video Add a News article Write a Blog Add a Comment
MessageReportBlock
Blog Feed News Feed Video Feed All Feeds
 

Folders

Featured (118)
Misc News (1233)
All (388)
 

 

XC Zone Notes - November 20, 2019

Published by
ILXCTF - Mike Newman   Nov 20th 2019, 12:02pm
Comments

XC Zone Notes - November 20, 2019

 

A look at the National Top 35 lists

 

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

 

Boys Top 35 Lists | Girls Top 35 Lists

 

Girls Teams

The one thing that we have learned as this 2019 has progressed is home strong the Girls teams and individuals are as we head down the stretch to the Nike Cross Nationals in December.

The NXR Northwest Regional displayed remarkable depth in quality in their meet last Saturday. Boise ID was a national at-large qualifier in 2018 but will not get a chance to run in Portland having finished fifth.

The top four teams in this meet are all ranked among the top seven teams in our Girls list. Bend Summit OR displayed that they are ready to defend their NXN title scoring 59 points placing five runners in the top 30. Fiona Max should be among the top 10 runners in Portland. It is their pack that is convincing as they have their next six runners within 51 seconds of each other and within 45 seconds of Max.

North Central WA finished second in that race led by Allie Janke and putting their top four runners in the top 29. The 43 second gap between their fourth and fifth runners will be something to keep an eye on in the national schools.

The two Northwest at-large teams Portland Jesuit and Portland Lincoln are deserving of toeing the line at Glendoveer Golf Course on December 7. Jesuit was within 10 points of North Central in the NW race with a split of 74 seconds. Lincoln, who finished third in their state meet behind Summit and Jesuit, scored 128 points in this meet led by super-frosh Kate Peters. The fact there was only a 23 point separation between Jesuit and Lincoln (it was 5 points at state) and plus that Lincoln was 81 points ahead of a good Boise ID team makes it easy to believe that we could see four teams coming out of this regional.

We don’t have Bend Summit #1 this week. That belongs to perennial powerhouse Fayetteville-Manlius NY who made a statement in winning the New York Class A State Meet over an equally good Saratoga Springs NY squad. Conditions were hazardous with snow covering the majority of the course at SUNY Plattsburgh. Due to the safety of the runners, the course was modified from 5-kilometers down to 2.88-miles.

The Hornets avenged the outcome of last year’s state meet when Saratoga Springs edged FM by one point. Fayetteville-Manlius won this year’s meet by six points headed by top 10 finishes from Claire Walters, Phoebe White, and Hannah Kaercher. The power that this pack has in the front makes this team dangerous if (and when) they make it to the starting line in Portland.

Saratoga Springs is among the top three teams on the list led by two sophomores, three freshmen, and two eighth-graders. What will make this team tough is their top five split was 45 seconds in last week’s race led by Ella Kurto finishing fifth. We can’t dismiss North Rockland who finished third in this meet led by individual winner Katelyn Tuohy who was 25 seconds ahead of Walters.

Naperville North IL and Beavercreek OH were dominant in their 1-2 finish at the NXR Midwest Regional punching their tickets to the Nike Cross Nationals. With the depth that is displayed nationally, the two teams dropped slightly on this list.

Naperville North IL, who does not have any seniors in their top seven, won by 17 points over Beavercreek with a top 15 finish from Maggie Gamboa (13th). The Huskies had a 38 second split from their second through fifth runners. The team finished second the past two years at NXN and is primed for another podium appearance.

Beavercreek put four runners in the top 59 led by Taylor Ewert’s third-place finish. Their split from the fourth to fifth runners has lowered to 46 seconds. Getting their third and fourth runners closer to the front will be something to watch for in the Portland race.

Two more regional qualifying meets on Saturday could go a long way in determining the at-large teams for the Nike Cross Nationals.

A strong performance by Desert Vista AZ in their state meet last week will put them in contention with a strong group of Colorado schools led by Niwot CO and a good group of Utah schools led by Lone Peak UT in the NXR Southwest Regional.

Southlake Carroll TX could be the team to beat in the NXR South Regional with a group of Texas schools led by Flower Mound TX and Boerne Champion TX ready for the challenge.

California will finalize the teams that will head to the CIF championships next weekend. The South Section Division 1 championships will feature Great Oak CA. Buchanan CA will go after the CIF Central Section Championship on Thursday.

 

BOYS TEAMS

Two time defending NXN champion Loudoun Valley VA looks primed to defend their title after a convincing Virginia Class 4 State Meet title. The Vikings look national ready despite the fact they did not really have any competition in this meet scoring only 17 points placing their first six runners in the top eight places.

Carlos Shultz led a sweep of the first four places for his team with only 25 seconds separating the group. Their top five split was 42 seconds.

Loudoun Valley still is third on the national list heading into the NXR Southeast Regional in a little over a week. California schools Great Oak CA and Newbury Park CA lead the way as they head to the South Section finals this weekend. The two schools will not race each other until Portland since they are in different divisions.

The NXR Midwest Regional was expected to show the dominance of Illinois teams and did not disappoint placing six teams in the top seven places. The order that they finished was the surprise.

Wheaton-Warrenville South IL, coming off a strong second-place race at the Illinois Class 3A State Meet, looked even stronger in a convincing regional win. The Tigers, led by William Hauenstein’s 11 place finish, placed their scorers in the top 61 to win with 75 points. South had 34 second split on their scorers including only a three second split between their second through fourth runners.

York IL traditionally runs well at LaVern Gibson and displayed that again last Saturday finishing second in this meet qualifying for the trip to Portland for the first time since 2012. Ethan Kern and Daniel Klysh earned all-region titles finishing in the top 21. The Dukes had a 37 second split on their top five runners. Some doubted York at the beginning of the season. They now move back into the top 10 capable of finishing in the top five in Portland.

St. Charles East IL will have to wait for an at-large bid after finishing third in this race 26 points behind York. It was not their best race of the season but still ran a 26 second split on their top five runners. However, that pack was too far back in the race.

The Saints should be in Portland in December. As of the current list, they are highest ranked at-large team. Their team also ran the third fastest team time ever at Detweiller Park in their state meet win. East also defeated both national qualifiers five times during the season (Wheaton-Warrenville South: 3 times; York: 2 times).

Kamiakin WA, the Class 3A Washington Champs, looked strong in winning the NXR Northwest Regional title with 109 points making a repeat trip to Portland. Isaac Teeples, a sophomore, led five runners in the top 63 by finishing fifth overall. The team had a 59 second split on their top five but a 22 second split from their second through fifth runners. Portland Jesuit OR captured second making the short trip to Glendoveer Golf Course on December 7. The team only had a 21 second split on their top five runners.

Portland Franklin OR will have to wait until November 30 to learn their fate if they run at NXN. The Oregon 6A State  Champions finished third despite having Aidan Palmer and Charlie Robertson finish in the top 10. The team had a 83 second split on their top five runners.

Two more regional meets take place this weekend. El Paso Eastwood TX, Southlake Carroll TX, The Woodlands TX, and Flower Mound TX will challenge for the two auto-qualifying spots in the NXR South Regional. Dakota Ridge CO and Corner Canyon UT will be the favorites in the NXR Southwest Regional.

Also keep an eye on the New Jersey Meet of Champions Saturday at Holmdel Park with Christian Brothers Academy NJ as the team favorite.

More news

History for ILXCTF - Mike Newman
YearVideosNewsPhotosBlogs
2024 558 25    
2023 1035 171    
2022 1049 193    
Show 11 more