NXR Southeast 2024

On the boys side, Belen Jesuit is the obvious favorite.

Second spot is up for grabs. Some teams that can go for the second spot are Knoxville Catholic, McCallie, Huntsville, Vestavia Hills, and Marvin Ridge.

Catholic has an edge if they run well. Neither they nor McCallie ran their best at TN State. Keegan Smith, though, looks great.

On the girls side, I think Cardinal Gibbons NC will win.

Brentwood TN will take second.
Webb School of Knoxville TN and James Robinson VA have a good shot too, but Webb School of Knoxville has a big gap between 3 and 4, and James Robinson has a big gap between 4 and 5, which can be a problem in a large field like NXR.

Blacksburg? Can the Cole Hocker magic pull them through?

Individual boys qualifier predictions

Ty Steorts, Tommy Latham, Jack Bowen, Eric Moore, Luke Alverson

Marcelo Mantecon is obviously going with his team because Belen Jesuit is unbeatable in this region.
Keegan Smith will make it individually if Knoxville Catholic doesn’t make it

Actually, St Albans DC beat Blacksburg by almost half the score at the VA showcase. Another team that could challenge for an NXN spot.

I don’t think any DC team has ever made NXN before. This could be the first. We’ll see

va.milesplit.com

The VA XC Showcase 2024 - 1- Showcase Boys

MileSplits official 1- Showcase Boys formatted results for the 2024 The VA XC Showcase, hosted by Atlee in Mechanicsville VA.

Link:va.milesplit.com/meets/622787-the-va-x...

GIRLS PREDICTIONS:

1. Lilly Beshears (AR)

2. Abby Faith Cheeseman (TN)

3. Averi Lowen (GA)

4. Elaina Pierce (VA)

5. Katie Payne (DE)

Also: Carolina Areheart (TN), Kate Loescher (VA), Gabbie Bishop (AR), Samantha Nitzsche (VA)

Will be interesting to see how Mantecon does against Steorts and Latham, who I think are the top 2 kids in the region.

Knoxville Catholic has 2 freshman on varsity, and the rest of their varsity have been in their top 7 since freshman year

Was going to say I think the individual battle on the guys side will be interesting.

Sterorts is my pick to win it but Mantecon is 2-0 vs Latham this year. Can’t count out Alverson, Moore, or Bowen either for the individual title (assuming they’re all running NXR that is).

Prediction: 1. Sterots 2.Mantecon 3. Bowen 4. Alverson 5. Moore (I reserve the right to be wrong)

In 2012, Blacksburg took second in a tiebreaker. Third place team got no at large

Chantilly had 5 finishers. just found out that Sean McGorty was their #1 and he didn’t participate here because he did Footlocker instead

Just found out? It was 12 years ago.

DYESTAT PREVIEW:

BOYS - Current Prediction:
Belen Jesuit FL (Miami Havana)
Marvin Ridge NC (Union Elite)

Outlook: Belen Jesuit (Miami Havana) has answered the call throughout the fall and is a heavy favorite to return to Portland or Nike Cross Nationals for a fourth time. Sophomore Marcelo Mantecon, who won the individual the Florida state title last Saturday, led the team to victories at the Southern Showcase and Great American XC Festival that brought together nearly all of the notable teams contenders. North Carolina champion Marvin Ridge (Union Elite) has been consistently strong throughout the season and has the edge on what should be a fierce competition for the second automatic team berth. Another team of interest is St. Albans (Mt. St. Alban TC) from D.C., which could become the first team from the nation's capital to make NXN if it can grab second. Sebi Hume and William Strong give the team a strong 1-2 punch. Blacksburg (Blacksburg Track Club) has it going right now after proving to be the best team at last weekend's Virginia state meet. Knoxville Catholic (Smoky Mountain Distance Project) and McCallie (McCallie Ridge Runners) are also legitimate contenders out of Tennessee and both have low sticks: Keegan Smith for Smoky Mountain Distance Project and Jack Bowen of McCallie Ridge Runners. Lafayette KY (Redwoods Track Club) is also a threat to be in the top five. The top-ranked runner in country, Ty Steorts from Hurricane WV (Teays Valley Track Club) will have a chance to confirm whether he is an NXN individual contender but he should have company up front with Luke Alverson (unattached Alabama), Tommy Latham of Marist GA (Ave Maria), 2023 Foot Locker finalist Riku Sugie (Renegade Running KY), Mantecon, Smith and Bowen.

GIRLS - Current Prediction:
Cardinal Gibbons NC (Raleigh Catholic)
Brentwood TN (Bruins XC)

Outlook: Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh Catholic) has been running like an NXN team all season and there has been little debate about who is the best team in the Southeast. Cardinal Gibbons traveled to Minnesota and won the Roy Griak Invitational and also won Great American. Hannah Rae Shaffer gives the team a strong No. 1 and nobody else matches Cardinal Gibbons' depth. The team that comes closest is Brentwood (Bruins XC), led by Lauren Banovac, Lydia Cromwell and Abi Cobb. Delaware has had strong representation in the past from Tatnall School, but another team, Padua (The Creek XC Club), appears to have dark horse potential after rolling through its state meet. Tatnall (Wilmington XC) is led by potential individual winner Katie Payne and has an outside chance of returning to NXN, but will need big performances from its 4 and 5 to be close. Webb School of Knoxville (Spartans RC), a preseason pick for the second spot, is really strong with its first three, Carolina Areheart, Calysta Garmer and Jazzlyn Garmer, but has a big gap back to 4 and 5. Leah Penick leads always tough Assumption KY (Derby City Athletic Club). James Robinson VA (Rampage XC) is also coming out of a victorious weekend at the Virginia state meet, winning a tiebreaker of West Springfield (West Springfield XC Club). Top individuals start with No. 12 Abby Faith Cheeseman (unattached), a five-time Tennessee state champion. Elaina Pierce (Charlottesville VA), Kerrigan Chaney (unattached/Virginia), D.C. champion Vivian Kelly (Cub Athletics) are all in the mix for the top five.