Forget the national XC record BS, you can't compare XC courses, even the same course year to year can differ by a good amount.
Then throw in the shoe technology these guys have and.......
It's always fun looking back at all the people discrediting how fast they ran at RL now that their #3 guy ran 13:43 on the track. On the all time list, NP's 2021 squad has the #3 1500, #3 mile, #2 & #6 3000, #3 & #5 2 mile c, and #2 5000 times. Plus the 4xmile record. Most of which were set by juniors. But please, tell us how FM was better.
Bonus question, has Colin knocked Nico off of the top spot? 1:48.07/3:56/8:33/14:03 is pretty unparalleled range, and in XC he beat multiple guys who ran sub-4 later that year, plus a 13:43 guy. Colin's times are a lot more impressive, but Nico's NXN win by 15 seconds + a CR in awful conditions was nutty. I think Nico would win in XC, but anything shorter than a track 5k I think would go to Sahlman.
It's kinda crazy how Nico looked like a once in a generation talent, and within 4 years of graduating he'll only be the 5th best guy from his HS. With 7 guys at 8:52 or under since 2019, plus a few more under 9:05, it makes me wonder if there's 8:50 talent at every decent sized high school, or if the stars aligned in an unimaginable way. Mine had 3000 students, state track titles more years than not, but not a single person under 9:20 ever.
I don't know about handily, but the CA team is deeper. Here are some of the possible team members based on 3200 times. Yes, I know it's XC but it's so difficult to compare courses and times.
Definitely would not say he'a the 5th best guy from Newbury park.
Nico didn't have much of a senior track season, so he shouldn't really be compared to the mile/800 abilities of the Sahlmen. The one indoor race he had as a senior he set a still-standing national record.
In XC i can't really see any races from any NP athlete other than Leo Young that top Nico's performances. Colin, Lex, and Aaron all ran slower than Nico did at Woodbridge and Clovis. Jeff Wilson got second at nationals his senior year to a much weaker field than Nico, and all the other modern non-Sahlman/Young varsity guys like Aschbrenner, Simone, and Appleford were abviously slower than Nico. With the shape Aaron is in right now, I think the only guy with a chance of passing Nico up in cross country is Lex, but that's if he really catches back up to his twin at CIF/NXN.
I was putting Nico as #5 because I assumed the seniors this year were gonna do a bit more. Lex ran 7:57, .1 off of Nico's 3k record as a junior, and Aaron ran 1:48/8:01 while still 16. They also all went 4:00/4:01/4:01 as juniors. The way it ended up makes it a bit messier, although all 3 of them still had incredible seasons, I just don't think Lex or Aaron surpassed Nico's season. Now I'd rank them:
Colin with a slight edge over Leo. Colin gets points for absolutely dominating everyone his junior/senior years, having faster 800/1500 PRs, that pro win when he first broke 4, and for getting the RL title. Leo faltered at NXN, despite arguably a better regular season, and a super impressive WJXC performance. I also don't think he won a single track race his senior year.
After that, a bit of a gap, then Nico-Aaron-Lex, all pretty close. I put Nico as #3 because he was crazy dominant his senior year, and ran a NR, but only ran 13:50 in his 5k record attempt. I think he could've broken it, but any of these 5 could've broken the record imo. He also never showed the 8/15 speed that Colin or Leo had. Lex and Aaron are super close, and I only put Aaron ahead because I would've taken a mortgage out to bet against him winning his first ever XC race at NXN over the most stacked field ever to break Nico's CR. Definitely my favorite upset ever. The fact that Lex ran 13:34 and is #5 on this list is kinda insane.
I was putting Nico as #5 because I assumed the seniors this year were gonna do a bit more. Lex ran 7:57, .1 off of Nico's 3k record as a junior, and Aaron ran 1:48/8:01 while still 16. They also all went 4:00/4:01/4:01 as juniors. The way it ended up makes it a bit messier, although all 3 of them still had incredible seasons, I just don't think Lex or Aaron surpassed Nico's season. Now I'd rank them:
Colin with a slight edge over Leo. Colin gets points for absolutely dominating everyone his junior/senior years, having faster 800/1500 PRs, that pro win when he first broke 4, and for getting the RL title. Leo faltered at NXN, despite arguably a better regular season, and a super impressive WJXC performance. I also don't think he won a single track race his senior year.
After that, a bit of a gap, then Nico-Aaron-Lex, all pretty close. I put Nico as #3 because he was crazy dominant his senior year, and ran a NR, but only ran 13:50 in his 5k record attempt. I think he could've broken it, but any of these 5 could've broken the record imo. He also never showed the 8/15 speed that Colin or Leo had. Lex and Aaron are super close, and I only put Aaron ahead because I would've taken a mortgage out to bet against him winning his first ever XC race at NXN over the most stacked field ever to break Nico's CR. Definitely my favorite upset ever. The fact that Lex ran 13:34 and is #5 on this list is kinda insane.
nico young is still #1 in newbury park. colin is still #2.
I was putting Nico as #5 because I assumed the seniors this year were gonna do a bit more. Lex ran 7:57, .1 off of Nico's 3k record as a junior, and Aaron ran 1:48/8:01 while still 16. They also all went 4:00/4:01/4:01 as juniors. The way it ended up makes it a bit messier, although all 3 of them still had incredible seasons, I just don't think Lex or Aaron surpassed Nico's season. Now I'd rank them:
Colin with a slight edge over Leo. Colin gets points for absolutely dominating everyone his junior/senior years, having faster 800/1500 PRs, that pro win when he first broke 4, and for getting the RL title. Leo faltered at NXN, despite arguably a better regular season, and a super impressive WJXC performance. I also don't think he won a single track race his senior year.
After that, a bit of a gap, then Nico-Aaron-Lex, all pretty close. I put Nico as #3 because he was crazy dominant his senior year, and ran a NR, but only ran 13:50 in his 5k record attempt. I think he could've broken it, but any of these 5 could've broken the record imo. He also never showed the 8/15 speed that Colin or Leo had. Lex and Aaron are super close, and I only put Aaron ahead because I would've taken a mortgage out to bet against him winning his first ever XC race at NXN over the most stacked field ever to break Nico's CR. Definitely my favorite upset ever. The fact that Lex ran 13:34 and is #5 on this list is kinda insane.
nico young is still #1 in newbury park. colin is still #2.
actually lex's 5k puts him above colin, I don't know if its enough to be above nico though.
So then probably move him up to the 5th spot. I think any one of the top 4 could've won Footlocker individually.
We know that 3rd and 4th couldn't, because they didn't. The Youngs both got beat by Kole Matthison, who was 4th at NXN and won Champs (previously Footlocker). Moreover, in 1991, Footlocker was the only national championship around and you have to do a Lukas V. and win both NXN and Champs today to really top a 2nd place in Footlocker in 1991.
Wilson and Aaron Sahlman should both be ranked above the Youngs.
I was putting Nico as #5 because I assumed the seniors this year were gonna do a bit more. Lex ran 7:57, .1 off of Nico's 3k record as a junior, and Aaron ran 1:48/8:01 while still 16. They also all went 4:00/4:01/4:01 as juniors. The way it ended up makes it a bit messier, although all 3 of them still had incredible seasons, I just don't think Lex or Aaron surpassed Nico's season. Now I'd rank them:
Colin with a slight edge over Leo. Colin gets points for absolutely dominating everyone his junior/senior years, having faster 800/1500 PRs, that pro win when he first broke 4, and for getting the RL title. Leo faltered at NXN, despite arguably a better regular season, and a super impressive WJXC performance. I also don't think he won a single track race his senior year.
After that, a bit of a gap, then Nico-Aaron-Lex, all pretty close. I put Nico as #3 because he was crazy dominant his senior year, and ran a NR, but only ran 13:50 in his 5k record attempt. I think he could've broken it, but any of these 5 could've broken the record imo. He also never showed the 8/15 speed that Colin or Leo had. Lex and Aaron are super close, and I only put Aaron ahead because I would've taken a mortgage out to bet against him winning his first ever XC race at NXN over the most stacked field ever to break Nico's CR. Definitely my favorite upset ever. The fact that Lex ran 13:34 and is #5 on this list is kinda insane.
Aaron’s great but someone wins NXN every year, 13:34’s are more rarified air. I’d go:
Bonus question, has Colin knocked Nico off of the top spot? 1:48.07/3:56/8:33/14:03 is pretty unparalleled range, and in XC he beat multiple guys who ran sub-4 later that year, plus a 13:43 guy. Colin's times are a lot more impressive, but Nico's NXN win by 15 seconds + a CR in awful conditions was nutty. I think Nico would win in XC, but anything shorter than a track 5k I think would go to Sahlman.
It's kinda crazy how Nico looked like a once in a generation talent, and within 4 years of graduating he'll only be the 5th best guy from his HS. With 7 guys at 8:52 or under since 2019, plus a few more under 9:05, it makes me wonder if there's 8:50 talent at every decent sized high school, or if the stars aligned in an unimaginable way. Mine had 3000 students, state track titles more years than not, but not a single person under 9:20 ever.
did you go to school in Texas? my school has never been above 2000 people and our school record is 8:58. something like that seems more common than not, at least in california.
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