Best All-Time HS All-Star XC Team by State

Bonkers wrote:

I'd help put together the Vermont list, but there are some heady names being tossed around on this thread right now. It's more than a little intimidating.

Are we allowed to claim Wheating? Native Vermonter but ran for a prep school in NH.

State of Maine....state motto: "Dirigo.". No, I don't know what it means.

Women: Joanie Benoit (Samuelson).

Men: Ben True.

That's about it unless you throw in some chubby kids from greater Portland.

I'm fine with the addition of Connelly, and while I think Brophy beat slightly softer fields he was on my list for inclusion.

However I disagree with removing Gottlesfeld and Russell, I had put my list in a rough order initially and believe Vandegrift and McWilliams should get the ax

1. Craig Miller

2. Dan Coval

3. Ian Gottesfeld

4. Jake Brophy

5. Paul Springer

6. Tony Russell

7. Mike Connely

one thing to keep in mind is that both of those guys were there to win, they rarely chased times. in fact I remember Russell being tactical at states his senior year to ensure that his teammate could place highly for the team title.

Gottesfeld was incredibly dominant while he was running and could have stretched things out more if he hadn't always run in tandem with Williams, to his detriment at states although he also ran into the arguably the best runner in PA in Miller.

SonjaHenie wrote:

Bonkers wrote:

I'd help put together the Vermont list, but there are some heady names being tossed around on this thread right now. It's more than a little intimidating.

Are we allowed to claim Wheating? Native Vermonter but ran for a prep school in NH.

State of Maine....state motto: "Dirigo.". No, I don't know what it means.

Women: Joanie Benoit (Samuelson).

Men: Ben True.

That's about it unless you throw in some chubby kids from greater Portland.

Good fail. J B-S was a field hockey player.

And yeah, the rest of Maine has never been good at XC. Not Louie Luchini or Matt Lane or Bruce Bickford for instance. Or Matt McClintock.

And if you want to do a women's list, you could start with some FL all-americans from Maine.

Alright, I realize I am quite tardy for the party, but I hope we are still doing this!

Here's my picks from my home state North Dakota

1. Jake Leingang (8:51 two mile)

2. Corey Ihmels (9:03 two mile)

3. Sam Clausnitzer (9:10 two mile)

4. Hunter Lucas (9:09 two mile, 14:53.69 5k)

5. Greg Rohde (15:05 5k)

6. Jeff Dick (9:10 two mile)

7. Joash Osoro (9:12 two mile)

Lucas has yet to win a state Xc title but has his senior year in 2016 and his track numbers compared to others in the state prove he still deserves a spot.

The rest have each won 1 or more state Xc titles

Michigander wrote:

Rtiz

Grant Fisher

Greg Meyer

Herb Lindsay

Todd Williams

Other Footlocker champs

Michigans real HS G.O.A.T.S.

Men: D-Ritz

Women: Megan Goethals

Realizing these are completely subjective, I would say that any list of VA's best must include Sharif Karie. Ignoring what he did on the track, he was a two time Kinney/Footlocker runner up, and 3 time national qualifier. His 14:19 2.98m time at Burke Lake was the course record until Webb ran 13:57 (since tied by Sean McGorty). He was far and away the best runner in any race he ran in VA in his junior & senior years, when the state was sending 2-3 other FL qualifiers.

In no particular order, I'd say that VA's list should include:

1. Alan Webb

2. Drew Hunter

3. Sharif Karie

4. Bobby Lockhart

5. Sean McGorty

6. Charles Alexander (based on FL win, but I'm not sure if he was actually better than Jim Hill or George Watts overall)

7. George Watts (slightly longer peak than Hill)

Honorable Mention

Jim Hill

Ahmed Bile

Ibrahim Aden

Eric Post

Jayhawk wrote:

Billy Mills was born in South Dakota but ran high school cross country in Kansas.

Where?

Sharif Karie would be next in line multiple FLXC appearances - I believe 2 in the top 5.*Landry did not qualify for Foot Locker

Lenny Leonard wrote:

VA 1st draft, someone else should add a couple more maybe?

Alan Webb

Drew Hunter

Bobby Lockhart

Sean McGorty

Charles Alexander

Not sure who should be 6 and 7. Maybe Christo Landry, Ahmed Bile, Thomas Porter, Seneca Lassister, Kippy Keino?

Texas

Ruben Reina-footlocker course record holder

Leo manzano- pretty obvious

Craig lutz- nxn champ

Reed brown and sam worley- they're still in high school but their 3200 marks of 8:50(state record) and 8:51 + they're mile race from the nike elite camp sets them up to have a really damn good xc season.

Beat this list

denzel_vilsaint wrote:

Texas

Ruben Reina-footlocker course record holder

Leo manzano- pretty obvious

Craig lutz- nxn champ

Reed brown and sam worley- they're still in high school but their 3200 marks of 8:50(state record) and 8:51 + they're mile race from the nike elite camp sets them up to have a really damn good xc season.

Beat this list

This is the TX roster I had before. You've listed 5. Who do you think needs to be moved? What order do you see as the TX roster?

Texas

1. Reuben Reina (FL1st 1985 14:36; State 5A XC: 1st 1985 15:07)

2. Craig Lutz (FL 4th 2010 15:30; NXN: 1st 2009 15:09 (5th 2008, 3rd 2010) State 5A XC: 1st 2009 14:45, 1st 2010, 14:41 (3rd 2008)

3. Brad Hauser (FL 4th 1993 15:09 (21st 1992, 29th 1994; State 5A XC: 1st 1993 15:43, 1st 1994 15:18)

4. Colby Lowe (FL 4th 2007 15:12 (29th 2005, 10th 2006); NXN: 2nd 2007 15:42 (4th 2006, 30th 2004); State 5A XC: 1st 2006 15:05, 1st 2007 15:11)

5. Reed Conner (NXN: 1st 2008 15:13 (24th 2007); State 5A XC: 1st 2008 14:47)

6. Alan Culpepper (FL 4th 1990 15:25;State 5A XC: 1st 1989 15:54 1st 1990 15:38)

7. Daniel Vertiz (FL 5th 2011 15:23; NXN: 2nd 2011 15:27; State 5A XC: 2nd 2011 15:21 , (3rd 2010)

You need to have reed brown and Sam Worley because they've ran faster than all of them and they still have a season to go. I guess you can forget manzano. Take out vertiz and culpepper

Ohio: I recall Ricky Pittman being very good back in the day... Wasn't he from Cinci or Cleveland? (went on to Tennessee)

-- Edit --

I see he was mentioned already - sorry!

Michigander wrote:

Rtiz

Grant Fisher

Greg Meyer

Herb Lindsay

Todd Williams

Other Footlocker champs

Uhm Herb Lindsay didn't do squat in high school cross country.

Doug Brown belongs on that list for sure.

You need Eric Henry for sure.

Update on CT

1. Kevin King

2.. Ahmed Haji

3. Donn Cabral

4. Alex Ostberg

5. Gavin Coombs

6. Mike Cotton New Canaan 2 x state open champ

7. Eric van der Els Brien McMahon (Not the fastest on xc course, but holds several state records)

8. Pete Rea Farmington 15:32 (course record for 17 years)

For historical purposes,Johnny Kelly New London was a 2 x state open champ

9. Bill Rogers- 1965 Class LL champ

Girls

Liz Mueller Waterford 4 x state open champ 4k course record (Footlocker champ)

Hannah Debalsi Staples 3 x state open champ 4k course record

Ceci Hopp Greenwich (Kenny champ)

Cindy Davis Darien

Jackie Nicholas Nonnewaug

Lindsay Crevoiserat Glastonbury

Meghan Owen Killingly

McWilliams was a beast, clearly better than Gottesfeld and many of the others named.

Son of Bum wrote:

Colorado:

Just going off the top of my head real quick:

Melody Fairchild

Elise Cranny

Katie Rainsberger

Pattie Sue Plummer

Megan Kaltenbach

Katelyn Kaltenbach

Lauren Gregory

Alternates are - Emma Cobirn, Eleanor Fulton, Katie (Follet) Mackey, Natalie Hughes, Annie Bersagel, Lize Brittin, Jordyn Colter, Erin McLaughlin, Laura Thweatt.

I know I'm forgetting some. Again, just off the top of my head. Also, many of the alternates, particularly on the girls side had better careers post high school.

I did not realize Lauren Gregory was still in HS this year (12th). She has been running so well for so long, I had thought she must be in college by now.

Every time that IA list is reposted I get a little closer to the edge. And it's not just that the order is wrong--it's utterly whack.

My unedited notes on the top 7 (chronologically):

-Mark Johnson '69-'72 4X champ @ 2 mi. XC; Won by 5-10-13-21 seconds chronologically; 9:13y at the state meet in track

-Jim Eicken '73-'74 champ @ 2mi. XC; Won by 9 & 12 seconds - beat D. Korir 9:28-9:40, 9:28 stood as the all time 2mi. XC state meet record, all classes; 8:55y

-Rob Brock '94-'95 champ, 9:09 3200 at state and 4x large school 3200 champ

-Chris Francois '97-'98 champ, 15:05 in '97, 4:16 1600 FTW '99 state meet

-Stephen Dak '05-'06 champ - fastest time in all classes by 26 & (58!) seconds, 15:32 and 15:05 in cold, windy weather. 9:07/4:16.

-Thomas Pollard '14 champ in 15:04; 13th & 12th at FL nats in '13 & '14, 8:50/4:08

-Chandler Austin '12-'13 champ - 15:05 in '13, 8:51 3200

*Lots of recent honorable mentions who failed to win twice, which all of these kids except Pollard accomplished. Pollard was runner up as a Soph & Junior.

Ok, so if I have to give them a predicted order (real crapshoot), I'd say:

1. Thomas Pollard

2. Jim Eicken

3. Stephen Dak

4. Chandler Austin

5. Mark Johnson

6. Chris Francois

7. Rob Brock