ALL-TIME TOP 5 HIGH SCHOOL XC RUNNERS BY STATE

Minnesota would be top 10.

Wisconsin would be tough to beat in the grand scheme of things and up there on the list

Gabe Jennings

Chris Solinsky

Steve Lacy

Tim Hacker

Drew Bosley

Don’t know, but Centro would be #1 from MD

Colorado and Michigan would hold their own.

Michigan would definitely have a dog in the fight with:

Dathan Ritzenhein

Grant Fisher

Hobbs Kessler

Riley Hough

I don’t know who the 5th would be though, maybe Carter Solomon?

Speed ratings for IL and CA tell us something:
IL:
1. Virgin - Unknown
2. Sage- 210
3. Derrick- 208
4. Torres- 208
5. Verzbicas- 207

CA:
1. Nelson- Unknown
2. Keflezghi- 209
3. Davis- 209
4. Fernandez- 209
5. Dameworth- 209

CA would win.

Woody Kincaid

Adam Goucher

Scott Fauble

Brent Vaughn

Brett Schoolmeester/ Cole Sprout

Blanking on a few names (old man brain) that might make list.

Pretty sure CA runs away with this. German, Nico Young, Jeff Nelson, Leo Young, Lex Young, Colin Sahlman, Aaron Sahlman. You can make a real argument that a national XC champ with 3:56/8:33 PRs wouldn't be top 5

Yep, add Parker Wolfe too. CO doesn't get noticed because of the altitude, until these guys go to low elevation and kick butt. Same with the women. Elise Cranny, Katie Rainsberger, Brie Oakley, Lauren Gregory, Riley Stewart.

NY:
1. Josh McDougal
2. John Trautmann
3. John Gregorek
4. Matt Centrowitz
5. Peter Meindl, Charles Millioen?

Garry Bjorklund

Mark Nenow

Steve Plasencia

Hassan Mead

Joe Klecker

Ben Blankenship

Garrett Heath

Elliot Heath

Steve Holman

Bob Kempainen

Many more…

CA has 3x the population (39 million people) vs. IL (12.7 million) and California also has way better weather for training.

Compare runner's success after college, when they go pro. I mean, looking at ON Athletics roster: Alisha Monson is from WI, Jared Nuguse is from KY, Klecker is from MN. People are from all over.

Hunter Jones?

Sick. Not the premise of this thread

I might replace him over Kessler or Solomon. Don’t know how I would rank these 3 runners based solely of XC ability.

Bruh... Michigan HS I individual XC national champions:

Brian Grosso

Ritz

Abdul Alzindani

Tim Moore

Riley Hough

Grant Fischer

Can we at least start with these guys before recency bias kicks in with Jones, Kessler, etc.?

Grant Fischer is from Colorado

Agreed. Todd Williams could make that list as well?

I beg of you, please, please, please stop with the speed ratings. Please.

LV almost got left off the Illinois list. Not a single Newbury Park runner on the California team.

Athletes (especially across 40 years) can’t be reduced to a single number. We must employ the tiniest bit of critical thinking.