Qualifying and travel for NXN makes it look like some regions are better than others. I am not sure to what extent, but it clearly has an effect. There are reasons Nike does it this way, so it won't change. NE and NY qualify on a tough course as well. Any good coach would recognize the downfalls for some regions with this schedule:
November 10, 2024 - NXR Heartland Regional - Sioux Falls, South Dakota November 16, 2024 - NXR Northwest Regional - Eagle Island, Idaho November 17, 2024 - NXR Midwest Regional - Terre Haute, Indiana November 23, 2024 - NXR Southwest Regional, NXR South Regional, NXR Southeast Regional November 30, 2024 - NXR Northeast Regional, NXR New York Regional, California
CIF races 4 weeks in a row before NXN. Two of those races were at Mt Sac, literally the most brutal hill course you can find. I am not saying it's necessarily a disadvantage but it most certainly is not an advantage.
But people on here keep act like California has this huge advantage where they don't have to run a NXR regionals. Oh Please. CIF Finals is a more competitive than any state meet outside of maybe Utah and Colorado.
League - CIF Prelims - CIF Finals - State - NXN. Like I said not saying it's a disadvantage but I tired of people trying to make arguments about how it's such a huge 'advantage.'
This is my point. Cali has a huge disadvantage. Racing the week before makes it tougher. The mental and physical recovery needed after events of that level is tough to achieve in a couple days. That's a lot at NXN. I would also argue that teams with too much time in between NXR and NXN may have a tough time.
This is my point. Cali has a huge disadvantage. Racing the week before makes it tougher. The mental and physical recovery needed after events of that level is tough to achieve in a couple days. That's a lot at NXN. I would also argue that teams with too much time in between NXR and NXN may have a tough time.
Belen Jesuit guys ran their state meet than nxr 2 days later and everyone was sick. I personally think that is more brutal than anything the other regions can ask for
This is my point. Cali has a huge disadvantage. Racing the week before makes it tougher. The mental and physical recovery needed after events of that level is tough to achieve in a couple days. That's a lot at NXN. I would also argue that teams with too much time in between NXR and NXN may have a tough time.
Belen Jesuit guys ran their state meet than nxr 2 days later and everyone was sick. I personally think that is more brutal than anything the other regions can ask for
And fortunately for Belen, there was no team in the Southeast that was near their level
NXN boys qualifying team predictions (with at-large predictions included, which is why I included more than 2 teams for some regions)
Southwest: Herriman UT / Niwot CO / American Fork UT / Mountain View UT
Northwest: CDA ID / Crater OR / Jesuit OR
Midwest: Downers Grove North IL / Plainfield North IL / Plainfield South IL
California (merge): Great Oak CA / Jesuit CA (There are many CA boys teams that can qualify, so this one’s hard to predict. Although Great Oak is not returning the best group of track times in CA, I’ll give them the benefit of doubt based on their history, what they return from XC, and the fact that they qualified last year without Westin Brown. They are also returning 3 scorers from NXN and added a little more depth during track. Great Oak is the top returning team from the state XC meet (if you add Westin Brown), and track is different than XC)
I think Southwest deserves 2 at-larges solely based on their performance at nxn last year.
I personally think that the 2 extra at-larges could go to either the Northwest, Midwest, South, Northeast and California. Maybe even Southeast. Who knows? Maybe they have some sleeper teams coming up.
I think it should come down to 2 factors -
1 - How well the team competes at their NXR regional.
2 - A team that makes an effort to compete against another region's team. The team traveling will be at a slight disadvantage but at-least they make the effort to try to beat another region. (they also should be some leeway if the traveling team does poorly)
My reasoning for this is simple: If regions are not competing against each other how will we know who is really better? NXN 2023 never made it clear. After the southwest region, it could be anyone.
BATTLE OF THE JESUITS. This is hype. If La Jesuit can get in there b4 the team crashes and burns it will be super cool. Maybe throw Belen Jesuit or Brebeuf Jesuit and it would be super fun to watch a bunch of rich white Christian Jesuit kids battle it out.
Jesuit LA might still be around for a couple of years because the returners will probably use what they learned from Doody.
Brebeuf Jesuit Prep was the best in the Midwest in 2021 but they started going downhill ever since Krishna graduated. Last fall they didn’t even make state, and now they are losing their best runner in school history and some other seniors.
Second best* team in the Midwest. Sandburg won NXR Midwest in 2021. Brebeuf took second
NXN boys qualifying team predictions (with at-large predictions included, which is why I included more than 2 teams for some regions)
Southwest: Herriman UT / Niwot CO / American Fork UT / Mountain View UT
Northwest: CDA ID / Crater OR / Jesuit OR
Midwest: Downers Grove North IL / Plainfield North IL / Plainfield South IL
California (merge): Great Oak CA / Jesuit CA (There are many CA boys teams that can qualify, so this one’s hard to predict. Although Great Oak is not returning the best group of track times in CA, I’ll give them the benefit of doubt based on their history, what they return from XC, and the fact that they qualified last year without Westin Brown. They are also returning 3 scorers from NXN and added a little more depth during track. Great Oak is the top returning team from the state XC meet (if you add Westin Brown), and track is different than XC)
New York: Monroe Woodbury NY / Saratoga Springs NY
I don't get why Midwest is being held so highly on here. What have their teams done the past 5 years? Nothing. South teams are miles better than the Midwest teams this year. There is no way 3 teams from Illinois can beat Southlake Carroll, Austin Vandegrift, Bentonville, Woodlands TX, Jesuit LA, etc
NXN boys qualifying team predictions (with at-large predictions included, which is why I included more than 2 teams for some regions)
Southwest: Herriman UT / Niwot CO / American Fork UT / Mountain View UT
Northwest: CDA ID / Crater OR / Jesuit OR
Midwest: Downers Grove North IL / Plainfield North IL / Plainfield South IL
California (merge): Great Oak CA / Jesuit CA (There are many CA boys teams that can qualify, so this one’s hard to predict. Although Great Oak is not returning the best group of track times in CA, I’ll give them the benefit of doubt based on their history, what they return from XC, and the fact that they qualified last year without Westin Brown. They are also returning 3 scorers from NXN and added a little more depth during track. Great Oak is the top returning team from the state XC meet (if you add Westin Brown), and track is different than XC)
New York: Monroe Woodbury NY / Saratoga Springs NY
I don't get why Midwest is being held so highly on here. What have their teams done the past 5 years? Nothing. South teams are miles better than the Midwest teams this year. There is no way 3 teams from Illinois can beat Southlake Carroll, Austin Vandegrift, Bentonville, Woodlands TX, Jesuit LA, etc
With Coronado recent xfer, we have to add them to the Southwest list.
NXN boys qualifying team predictions (with at-large predictions included, which is why I included more than 2 teams for some regions)
Southwest: Herriman UT / Niwot CO / American Fork UT / Mountain View UT
Northwest: CDA ID / Crater OR / Jesuit OR
Midwest: Downers Grove North IL / Plainfield North IL / Plainfield South IL
California (merge): Great Oak CA / Jesuit CA (There are many CA boys teams that can qualify, so this one’s hard to predict. Although Great Oak is not returning the best group of track times in CA, I’ll give them the benefit of doubt based on their history, what they return from XC, and the fact that they qualified last year without Westin Brown. They are also returning 3 scorers from NXN and added a little more depth during track. Great Oak is the top returning team from the state XC meet (if you add Westin Brown), and track is different than XC)
New York: Monroe Woodbury NY / Saratoga Springs NY
I don't get why Midwest is being held so highly on here. What have their teams done the past 5 years? Nothing. South teams are miles better than the Midwest teams this year. There is no way 3 teams from Illinois can beat Southlake Carroll, Austin Vandegrift, Bentonville, Woodlands TX, Jesuit LA, etc
Cute!
Here, I took the liberty to go through the last five NXN’s for you and list what places the Midwest teams were and what place the MIGHTY South teams fibi. Numbers might hurt your brain, so trying to help you out!
2017:
-MW: 4, 10
-S: 14, 19
2018:
-MW: 13, 19
-S: 20, 22
2019:
-MW: 4, 10, 12
-S: 14, 15, 22
2022:
-MW: 8, 11, 13
-S: 19, 20
2023:
-MW: 7, 15
-S: 3, 13
So, I assume when you asked what MW teams have done the last 5 years, and then so confidently answered yourself with a resounding “Nothing”, that you actually only went back one year and then made a false extrapolation from that? Granted, I’ll give it to you that the Midwest hasn’t stood a chance the last 5 years against the South at grabbing those coveted spots from 20-22. You guys have had that on lockdown!
Neither region has been a dominant region, but stop pretending like the South has been better than the MW.
Now let me try this southern thing: Bless your little heart! (Did I do it correctly?)
NXN boys qualifying team predictions (with at-large predictions included, which is why I included more than 2 teams for some regions)
Southwest: Herriman UT / Niwot CO / American Fork UT / Mountain View UT
Northwest: CDA ID / Crater OR / Jesuit OR
Midwest: Downers Grove North IL / Plainfield North IL / Plainfield South IL
California (merge): Great Oak CA / Jesuit CA (There are many CA boys teams that can qualify, so this one’s hard to predict. Although Great Oak is not returning the best group of track times in CA, I’ll give them the benefit of doubt based on their history, what they return from XC, and the fact that they qualified last year without Westin Brown. They are also returning 3 scorers from NXN and added a little more depth during track. Great Oak is the top returning team from the state XC meet (if you add Westin Brown), and track is different than XC)
New York: Monroe Woodbury NY / Saratoga Springs NY
I don't get why Midwest is being held so highly on here. What have their teams done the past 5 years? Nothing. South teams are miles better than the Midwest teams this year. There is no way 3 teams from Illinois can beat Southlake Carroll, Austin Vandegrift, Bentonville, Woodlands TX, Jesuit LA, etc
Cute!
Here, I took the liberty to go through the last five NXN’s for you and list what places the Midwest teams were and what place the MIGHTY South teams finished. Numbers might hurt your brain, so trying to help you out!
2017:
-MW: 4, 10
-S: 14, 19
2018:
-MW: 13, 19
-S: 20, 22
2019:
-MW: 4, 10, 12
-S: 14, 15, 22
2022:
-MW: 8, 11, 13
-S: 19, 20
2023:
-MW: 7, 15
-S: 3, 13
So, I assume when you asked what MW teams have done the last 5 years, and then so confidently answered yourself with a resounding “Nothing”, that you actually only went back one year and then made a false extrapolation from that? Granted, I’ll give it to you that the Midwest hasn’t stood a chance the last 5 years against the South at grabbing those coveted spots from 20-22. You guys have had that on lockdown!
Neither region has been a dominant region, but stop pretending like the South has been better than the MW.
Now let me try this southern thing: Bless your little heart! (Did I do it correctly?)