2. Riverton: brings back 4 juniors who will get stronger but needs a 5th man
3/4 Valor: looks similar to Niwot, but they will have a sole senior finishing in the top 3 along with a bunch of 15:40-16:00 juniors
3/4 Niwot: no seniors on the team but they could have a bunch of 15:30-50 juniors led by rocco the only soph
Niwot and Valor order could be flipped. American Fork will be looking to win it all which will increase chances of an at-large.
I don’t think Valor will finish that high. They only finished 13th at NXR last year, and are losing their #2
Another team that should be in this conversation is Lone Peak. They return these 5K PRs: 15:35, 15:39, 16:03, 16:03, and 16:24. They have a whole year to improve and close the 4-5 gap.
They reloaded very well after returning only 2 of their top 7
Evan Noonan (barely made varsity for Dana Hills in 2021. Made NXN in 2022 without a team. If he makes another big jump in 2023 he will be one of the best in the nation)
Jason Parra (started off as a top CA junior in 2022. But failed to qualify for NXN)
Anthony FastHorse (part of next year’s #1 team in CA. Made it individually)
Broen Holman - there was a story on RunnersWorld where he ran a 15:23 5K as a 13 year old. He will be a junior next year. He was somewhat close to making NXN as an individual
On the girls side, Godsey and Thomsen are others to watch too
19 - Fayetteville Manlius NY - would have made NXN if they ran the full squad. But they lose 2 scorers and will need to improve the backend of their scoring 5. They make good improvements each race though
If FM gets plagued by injuries again, one NY girls team that people will need to watch is Sayville. They got 3rd at NXR and return everyone but their #5 who is the same as their #6. It’s clear that Saratoga will dominate the region again.
1. Daniel Simmons. Got second at NXN to a guy who is going to college. 2. Nathan Neil. Listed as a senior at NXN but he is actually a junior. First year of XC after doing soccer. With a year of experience he should be able to crack this position. He has also beaten teammate Weston Brown. 3. Byron Grevious. Took 12th at NXN. Second returner. 4. Cameron Todd. Did not run NXR so we will see if he decides on it. Top nonsenior at ChampSports 5. Drew Griffith. Second nonsenior at ChampSports. Not sure if he will be doing NXR since it’s on the same day as Champ Sports South. He has to choose one or the other. 6. Landon Heemeyer. 9th at ChampSports. He started making a name for himself last XC season. He should be up here. 7. Manny Putz. With top Heartland guys like Heidesch/Breker/Birnbaum gone, Putz is looking to be the new leader of the Heartland region. He has been making big jumps since AAU. He should also be able to make a big sophomore-to-junior-year jump. 8. Patrick Koon. Should be the top guy of the Southeast region. Also looking to lead his team to do big things in Florida. 9. Ryan Pajak. 12th at ChampSports nationals. Not sure if he will do NXR next year. 10. Connell Alford. 14th at ChampSports. Missed NXN by one spot, which should motivate him for this year
Northeast Boys - Byron Grevious Girls - Sophia Rodriguez
Southeast Boys - Ty Steorts Girls - Stella Kermes
I think Ellie Shea would be a solid #1 for the NE girls. Abby Cheeseman for SE girls
neither will be running NXN though. Kermes is a great runner but she may be third fastest on her team. Cuthbertson is just bulging at the seams with really fast girl milers. The Preisano sisters are both great and Charlotte Bell is better than all of them. All easily sub 5 milers. Bell sub 4:50. They are going to put up some fast distance relay times this year.
Kermes is a great runner but she may be third fastest on her team. Cuthbertson is just bulging at the seams with really fast girl milers. The Preisano sisters are both great and Charlotte Bell is better than all of them. All easily sub 5 milers. Bell sub 4:50. They are going to put up some fast distance relay times this year.
and sure enough... Cuthbertson ladies just ran the 8th fastest 4X8 of all time at the Virginia Showcase this morning.
St Anthony’s NY has a lot of guys from last year’s JV XC stepping up already. Next year they return 3 of their top 5 that raced at nxn and also the following times from other runners: Wigutow (9:49 3200i / 4:39 1 mile indoor) Kennedy (10:05 3200i / 4:42 1 mile indoor) Also Melloy who ran a 13:37 4k last fall but ended his season early. Has not ran track yet.
All 3 will be seniors
So this team has set themselves up to maybe make NXN next year again, even after losing 4 varsity seniors. But all teams around them are losing many seniors too
Herriman was 3rd at NXN. Trabuco and Calvert Hall are overrated. Neither will make NXN. AF wins first NXN.
How is Trabuco overrated? They took 11th in the CIF merge and return their 1-4. All they need is a 5th man to close the gap on their 4th, and they might be able to make it to NXN. Griggs is a good candidate. He actually was their #3 at Nike Portland XC 2022.
Alyssa Preisano is a senior. Headed to Wake Forest. But I think shes the only senior of that group. And they have other younger girls waiting in the wings. Its not just these four. They had a couple freshman in 5:20 territory so they should be in contention for a while.
Alyssa Preisano is a senior. Headed to Wake Forest. But I think shes the only senior of that group. And they have other younger girls waiting in the wings. Its not just these four. They had a couple freshman in 5:20 territory so they should be in contention for a while.
Yeah they are a good program too, so they should be able to reload anyways
Herriman was 3rd at NXN. Trabuco and Calvert Hall are overrated. Neither will make NXN. AF wins first NXN.
How is Trabuco overrated? They took 11th in the CIF merge and return their 1-4. All they need is a 5th man to close the gap on their 4th, and they might be able to make it to NXN. Griggs is a good candidate. He actually was their #3 at Nike Portland XC 2022.
Trabuco also has the fastest returning 5k times for next season
Girls predictions 1- Andie Aagard. Won the NXR SW region in her first year of running ever. With another year of experience she should be able to win the entire thing. 2- Bethany Michalak. Should be able to finish one spot higher after finishing 3rd at NXN 2022. Will be a nice battle between Michalak and Aagard. 3- Ellie Shea. Finished second at Champ Sports. Should make the podium if she chooses NXN. 4- Sadie Engelhardt. Ran a sub-17 5K at the state meet. She should be up here. 5- Abby Faith Cheeseman. 4th at Champs Sports. 6- Helen Sachs. Won NXR MW as a sophomore 7- Isabel De Frankenberg. 6th at NXN. 8- Isabel Allori. Second at NXR SW 9- Payton Godsey. Second at CIF state. 10- Anna Callahan. Won NXR NW
Don’t look past Jesuit out of the Northwest. Yes they loose there top 3. But there is a storyline in that they return 4 from NXN. Schumacher will be back in the mix and they have 4 on there JV squad under 16:30. Not predicting a podium finish yet for them but more or less saying they will not fall off the radar screen in the Pacific Northwest and could return to NXN. Especially when you look at the talent graduating this year out of the region. The coach has a history of developing talent and you can never rule out the potential for some transfers especially after this years performance.
The crazy thing about Jesuit OR is the future of the program.
They got some stud freshmen: 15:35 - 9 16:27 - 9 16:42 - 9
And some promising ones that can step up: 18:15 - 9 18:36 - 9
And some stud sophs too 15:59 - 10 16:38 - 10 17:15 - 10 (Bromert but he focuses on soccer I heard. He plays varsity soccer now).
I’m sure there will be stud freshmen along the way in the future
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