NXR SW early predictions thread

Will see what Tully thinks, but I think his Arapahoe was better (depending on course)

Extreme mental toughness and fitness is required to run 14:38 by yourself on that course. Seems like Oliver Horton is the best boy in colorado right now by far, possibly the best in the nation.

At arapahoe invite, he beat two boys who ran 15:10 at liberty bell by over a full minute. His teammate Xzavier Campos was 30 seconds behind him.

Xzavier Campos was just second at cherry creek invite to benjamin adams (both ran around 15:00)

Ben Adams ran 14:30ish at liberty bell

I wouldn’t have been surprised if Horton ran a 14:10-20 at liberty bell. He’s my favorite to win NXN. Ran sub 9 as a freshman as well, ran at NXN last year, only a junior.

Of course I hope he didn’t peak too early, it is only September.

I fully agree

Vista did it without Guiberson!

Not a bad start to the head coaching careers of Rouse and Brandt

Dalby’s new squad Cherokee Trail took 5th on the boys side and 7th on the girls side

Doesn’t look like Mountain Vista ran their boys varsity team

Good news for Coronado is that Horton is having a season for the ages, with only Goucher’s 1993 season and Wolfe’s 2020 season as company among the best in Colorado boys history (both of those ended in national titles). Bad news is that there was > 2’ gap to their #5. Today TCA had three guys ahead of their #5, and I doubt TCA is a SW championship caliber team. I don’t think there’s enough depth 4A this year for that to matter, but at NXR SW, that will need to improve.

Good catch. I thought i saw her name at 1.4k so i didnt pay much attention after

Wasn’t there, but looking at results, no Ritz, Prok, Beltran, Elise Hagen, or Cheruiyot. In other words, their likely top 5.

Injuries? Hope not

Anna Prok was in lead pack at 2 mile split but finished 85th. Idk why.
scarlett Parks ran 18:51.
looks like rest of "varsity" 5 - at least from Centaurus did not run.

look Christiansen(sp?) is a very good coach. 1000 x the coach I ever was but I hope he isnt being "too smart" with his team.

I think his 196 from Arapahoe is the fastest SR nationally this year. I think this effort will be a bit better. Beat the field & Campos by more. But I wouldn’t be surprised if someone came over the top of it at Woodbridge, either. On flat courses, I don’t think he loses this year. My only question is whether he can be as good on hilly courses or bad conditions, which historically has been an Achilles heal.

I think Heritage is a shoo in for #1 at this point, and the excuses seem to be piling up for Niwot.

Herriman 1st and Boulder 3rd at Woodbridge.

Is Boulder now the favorite for that 4th spot? Probably not, because if you’ll recall, Riverton actually beat Herriman in a cross country race this year. But NXR SW is going to be on fire this November.

Note to national editors: it is unacceptably lazy to rank teams like Matilda Torres above Riverton and Maple Mountain.

I could probably spend the time to go check but ...

did all if the top Cali teams skip Woodbridge this year? Cali had more teams ranked than the SW but Boulder which has a maybe chance of maybe getting the last at -large bid just beat all but one Cali team that was at Woodbridge.

Matilda Torres wasn’t close to being one of the top two CA teams at Woodbridge

The only nationally ranked boys teams that didn’t do Woodbridge were Campolindo and Clovis North.

But the national rankings have way more California teams than there should be. These rankings will change a lot after all these big meets this weekend