SW has more than the top 3. At a minimum we have the top 5, but it wouldn’t surprise me if SW places 7 or 8 in the top 10 at NXN.
That would be incredible to see. I don't follow Colorado closely, but it looks like they have some great runners outside of Horton. Utah is having a bit of a down year on the individual side outside of Jackson Spencer. I don't see anyone from Utah getting top 10 besides him. Zarian Rodriguez from AZ is outstanding, but he'd need the race of his life to break into the top 10. NM and NV don't have anyone. Who am I missing?
Colorado has incredible depth this year. Their state course is a hilly course at over 6100' altitude. Parker Wolfe ran 15:10 there in 2020 the year he won Runninglane (No Footlocker or NXN that year). Zane Bergen ran 15:17 there the year he place 4th at NXN in 14:09 behind the 3 Newbury Park runners. in 2023 Porter Middaugh ran 15:28 at state and then placed 6th at NXN. Anyone right around 15:20 or faster on the Colorado state course has the potential to finish top 10 at NXN. Since there are a lot of fast individuals on teams this year, the SW will be able to take more than 5 standouts. The depth of Colorado is strong this year.
That would be incredible to see. I don't follow Colorado closely, but it looks like they have some great runners outside of Horton. Utah is having a bit of a down year on the individual side outside of Jackson Spencer. I don't see anyone from Utah getting top 10 besides him. Zarian Rodriguez from AZ is outstanding, but he'd need the race of his life to break into the top 10. NM and NV don't have anyone. Who am I missing?
Colorado has incredible depth this year. Their state course is a hilly course at over 6100' altitude. Parker Wolfe ran 15:10 there in 2020 the year he won Runninglane (No Footlocker or NXN that year). Zane Bergen ran 15:17 there the year he place 4th at RUNNINGLANE in 14:09 behind the 3 Newbury Park runners. in 2023 Porter Middaugh ran 15:28 at state and then placed 6th at NXN. Anyone right around 15:20 or faster on the Colorado state course has the potential to finish top 10 at NXN. Since there are a lot of fast individuals on teams this year, the SW will be able to take more than 5 standouts. The depth of Colorado is strong this year.
Corrected above- Bergen ran Runninglane not NXN (there was no NXN)
Kenny Cormier in 2004 was AZ's only male Footlocker champ. Michigan has 8 champs (half of those are accounted for by Ritz and Fisher, who won two titles each); California has 7; and Illinois has six.
Just to be clear, it's not that Arizona doesn't have talented runners. But athletes have not been developed well in high school. On the Boy's side runners like Carlos Villareal, Tyler Day, Abdi Nur, Habs Cheney ran here. They just weren't nationally relevant in high school.
Alright, why are we trying to sneak Habs Cheney in here.
Went to JUCO in AZ at the same time as Habs. He was ok in person, and is a pretty solid runner, but can be pretty insufferable online and is nowhere near as good as any of the other runners mentioned in RunnER's post
Went to JUCO in AZ at the same time as Habs. He was ok in person, and is a pretty solid runner, but can be pretty insufferable online and is nowhere near as good as any of the other runners mentioned in RunnER's post
Valid critique. AZ has struggled to develop quality high school athletes and I was reaching a bit too hard.
For the record, he was part of the only AZ boys team to ever qualify for nationals. Desert Vista got 8th at NXN in 2017.