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XC Zone - 2018 Boys Teams National PreviewPublished by
Loudoun Valley looks to repeat in 2018
By Michael Newman TFX National Director
Every year it seems that it is a wide-open race to Nike Cross National Boys Championships. Arcadia (CA) is the only school in the history of the meet to win twice. Loudoun Valley could be the second team to win twice and the first Boys team to win in back to back years. It won’t be easy for the Vikings. There are several teams that are itching for the national title including California’s Great Oak and St. Francis (Mountain View) along with New York’s Burnt Hills and perhaps Fayetteville-Manlius who finished second last December. The road to Portland starts in September. There are so many teams that are looking for a spot on the starting line at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland. There are only 22 spots for teams available. Here is what I came up for the top 35 Boys teams for the beginning of this season. Regional Top Ten rankings will be released later this month
1 – Purcellville Loudoun Valley VA NXN Region – Southeast Top Runners – Sam Affolder SR, Jacob Hunter SR, Connor Wells SR, Kevin Carlson JR, Kellen Hasle JR, Brayden Cassidy SR, Elliot Peterson JR. Notes – The defending national champions could win in Portland for the second year in a row. They do lose Peter Morris and Colton Bogucki who were in their top three and have since graduated. Sam Affolder was the team’s top runner at NXR SE and their state meet, but just missed All-American honors by one spot as the team’s second-runner. He should be in the top ten at Glendoveer in December. Jacob Hunter is a possibility in the national top 25 and gives his team a solid second runner. Connor Wells and Kevin Carlson, who ran at NXN last December will need to move closer to Hunter. The two averaged 30 seconds last fall. Kellen Hasle, who ran in the championship race at the Southeast Regional, gives Loudoun Valley a strong fifth runner. This team will need to keep their five-runner spread under 60 seconds for a national repeat.
2 – Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake NY NXN Region – New York Top Runners – Tyler Berg SR, Aidan Gillooley SR, David Metacarpa JR, Evan Brennan SR, Nick Hunsiker SR, Kevin Board JR, Dante Ubriarico JR. Notes – The Spartans ended last year winning the state Class B title and then the following week the New York Federation Championships. Burnt Hills finished third in last year’s regional race missing out on a trip west. Six runners are back from that regional team that could be one of two New York schools to challenge for the national title. Tyler Berg made the trip to Nike Cross Nationals as an individual finishing 60th overall. Berg, along with Aidan Gillooley, should give the team a solid 1-2 up front. Gillooley did not have his best race at regionals as the team’s fourth runner. The team had a 3-5 spread in their state race of only five seconds. In their regional race, their 2-5 spread was 20 seconds but a minute behind Berg. Gillooley/Berg up front gives this team single digit numbers. If that happens along with that packing mentality, this could be a school to watch in December.
3 – Temecula Great Oak CA NXN Region – California Top Runners – Gabriel Abbes JR, Chris Verdugo JR, Tyler Tickner SR, Ryan Shields SR, Cameron Hylton SR, Grayson Boyce SR, Mateo Joseph SO. Notes – Great Oak traveled to Portland last December as one of the team favorites. The Wolfpack left with an unsatisfactory sixth-place finish. They reloaded with a solid track season that points to a strong fall campaign not wanting to duplicate their 2017 performance. Great Oak only returns four from last year’s top seven. That’s not a thing to worry about this fall. The talent is deep with this 2018 squad. Gabriel Abbes and Tyler Tickner both ran under 9:20 for 3200-meters on the track this spring. The Wolfpack does have 13 runners back that ran under 10-minutes for 3200-meters. Chris Verdugo and Ryan Shields lead the pack behind Abbes and Tickner. The team ran a strong five-runner spread most of last season. It was only 18 seconds in their state championship race. It was 48 seconds on five-runners in Portland. The emphasis will be on their pack throughout the season. Togetherness in their final race of this season could mean massive things for the Wolfpack.
4 – Mountain View St. Francis CA NXN Region – California Top Runners – Colton Colonna SR, Eric Eng SR, Juan Pablo Garcia JR, Aiden Maddison JR, Danny Skahill SR, Mason Elefant SR, Mateo Dominguez SR. Notes – This team was wide-eyed as they were at Nike Headquarters the Thursday before the Nike Cross Nationals. When the Lancers make the trip to Portland in December, it will just be another race. St. Francis finished ninth at Nike Cross Nationals after winning the California D2 State title the week before. They do lose their top runner Shyam Kumar due to graduation. St. Francis will be strong returning six of their top seven. Eric Eng and Colton Colonna traded off the second and third spot towards the end of the season and should lead this team. Juan Pablo Garcia and Daniel Skahill are solid behind Eng/Colonna and will make this team go. Four of the six returning will be seniors. Their split on two through five at state was only 25 seconds. It was 29 seconds at NXN. Keeping their five-runner spread under 50 seconds at the end of the year will make the Lancers a contender for the national championship.
5 – Fayetteville-Manlius NY NXN Region – New York Top Runners – Garrett Brennan SR, Matthew Tripp SR, Geoff Howles JR, Peyton Goehrer SO, Samuel Otis SR, Eli Capri SR, Max Perry SR. Notes – While most of the focus has been on the school’s Girls program, it could be this team that the focus will be on this fall. The Hornets peaked once again at the right time finishing second at the Nike Cross Nationals. Manlius also won the NXR New York Region after narrowly finishing second behind Corning-Painted Post at the Class A State title. Five runners are back from that national team led by Garrett Brennan who stepped up to the top spot for the team in his final two races of the season. Matthew Tripp and Geoff Howles lead a strong nucleus behind Brennan. The key for this team once again will be their scoring spread. It was 31 seconds in Portland, but up to 63 seconds the week before. You could see minute spreads on their scorers during the season, but Coach Bill Arias will have this team ready when the moment is right.
6 – Dana Point Dana Hills CA NXN Region – California Top Runners – Caleb Niednagel JR, Simon Fuller SR, Carrick Dunkin SR, Eddie Wagenseller SR, Hayden Stein SR, Garrett Hough SR, Brandon Pizano SO, Gianni Viola SO. Notes – The third California school to land in the top ten. Dana Hills made the trip to Portland two years ago. The Dolphins could be racing in Oregon this December. Five runners return from last year’s team that finished third in the California D1 State Championship race. Caleb Niednagel, who finished 10th in the state race, could be one of the top runners on this team. Simon Fuller was Dana Hills’ top runner in the South Section Finals and will push Niednagel. Fuller finished 13th at state. A key for this team will be closing the gap between their top two and the rest of the pack. It was 43 seconds at state between their third runner and the rest of the pack. The talent is here for this team to make a trip to Portland. Getting their five-runner spread under 45 seconds by the time Dana Hills gets to the section finals will be a key.
7 – Wheaton-Warrenville South IL NXN Region – Midwest Top Runners – Sean Maison SR, William Hauenstein JR, Scott Maison SR, Jacob Kluckhohn JR, David Zeller JR, Jared Peaslee JR, Matthew Lifka SO, Ethan Seng JR. Notes – Wheaton-Warrenville South will be the team to watch in the Midwest and Illinois. The Tigers finished fifth at the NXR Midwest Regionals after finishing third in the 3A State race. They are loaded returning six from last year’s top seven. The top four for the Tigers is solid led by brothers Sean and Scott Maison along with juniors William Hauenstein and Jacob Kluckhohn. The four ran between 9:24 to 9:34 on the track for 3200-meters with the Maison’s and Hauenstein within three seconds of each other. The four stayed close to each other last fall with splits of 25 seconds in their state race and 18 seconds in their state’s sectional race. The team had five-runner spreads near 35 seconds at the end of last year. A formula like that could see this squad move into the top five by the end of the season.
8 – Jacksonville Bolles School FL NXN Region – Southeast Top Runners – Charles Hicks SR, Alex Hastings SR, Chase Rivera SR, Ben Foltz SR, Kameran Khan SR, Cole Rutkowski SO, Wyatt Farace SR. Notes – We did get an idea how good this team was last fall with strong performances at the Great American XC Festival and the Manhattan HS Invitational. The Florida 2A State Champions made it to Portland finishing 20th in that race. Expectations should be high for the Bulldogs as five of their top seven return. What makes Bolles go is the combination up front of Charles Hicks and Chase Rivera. Hicks had a great race in Portland finishing ninth overall earning All-American status. Hicks had a good track season that included running 8:58.78 for 3200-meters at Arcadia. Rivera did not have a great race at NXN as the team’s third runner. He was within 22 seconds of Hicks in the Southeast Regional race and gives Bolles a strong 1-2 in the front. The Bulldogs could be a top ten team at the end of the year if they can get their pack within 30 seconds of each other and within 10 seconds of Rivera.
9 – Lewisville Flower Mound TX NXN Region – South Top Runners – Alex Maier SR, Jarrett Kirk JR, Jonathan Flint JR, Tommy Romanow JR, Eddie Morcoe SR, Jacob Ricks JR, Nathanael Villalon SR. Notes – One team to keep an eye on as this season progresses. Flower Mound finished 14th at Nike Cross Nationals last December and again will be a factor in the national story with five runners back. It helps to Alex Maier back leading your team. He should be one of the top runners in the nation this fall finishing 14th in Portland. Jarrett Kirk had a breakout sophomore season winning the Texas 6A State individual title. Those two runners will give low points for Flower Mound this season. A key will be getting their pack led by Jonathan Flint within 40 seconds of their two front runners.
10 – Veradale Central Valley WA NXN Region – Northwest Top Runners – Ryan Kline SR, Evan Peters SR, Joseph Nicholls SR, Tyler Hunter JR, Sheamus Mahoney SR, Calvin Whybrew SR, Damon Sheneman SR. Notes – Five runners are back from last year’s team that finished 13th at the Nike Cross Nationals. The Bears finished second in the Washington 4A State Meet just one point behind Lewis and Clark. They rebounded the following week by winning the Northwest Regional title. Ryan Kline was a consistent runner in the front and should again lead this team in 2018. The loss of graduated Gabe Romney could hurt this squad who was one-place ahead of Kline in Portland. The development of their pack will be something to keep an eye on as this season goes on. We will get an idea of how good this team is when they compete in the Bob Firman Invitational at the end of September.
11 – Lincroft Christian Brothers NJ NXN Region – Northeast Top Runners – Luke Reid SR, Troy Hill JR, Tommy McInerney SR, Mike Morris JR, Tanner Crochet SR, Justin Durney SR, Nolan Kus JR. Notes – The tradition of Christian Brothers Academy traveling west to Portland should continue in 2018. The Colts finished seventh in last year’s national race and return four from that group. There is depth in this team as eight runners ran 10-minutes or faster on the track for 3200-meters. Troy Hill, Luke Reid, and Timmy McInerney will lead this squad this fall. Their depth will be a difference maker this fall. Keeping their five-runner spread under 55 seconds will also be something to watch.
12 – American Fork UT NXN Region – Southwest Top Runners – Luke Grundvig SR, Carson Clinger SR, Dalton Brems SR, Aaron Steed SR, Kobe Serrano SR, Joc Corbridge SR, Nate Hess SO. Notes – It was a rebuilding season for the Caveman last fall as they finished fifth in the Southwest Regional after winning the Utah 6A State Championships. Five runners are back from that state team led by Carson Clinger, Dalton Brems, and Luke Grundvig. The three runners were only separated by seven seconds at state as well as the Southwest Regional. This team will rely on tight pack running to get to Portland with a pack of 35 seconds or faster a part of it. Five seniors lead this team. That experience, along with the history of this program, will play a big part of the 2018 success for American Fork. 13 – Kennewick Kamiakin WA NXN Region – Northwest Top Runners – Ryan Child SR, Stanford Smith JR, Parker Grigg SR, Andrew Halladay JR, Payton Hill SR, Jax Weide JR, Cameron Gutierrez SR. Notes – Kamiakin could make a repeat trip to the Nike Cross Nationals after finishing 17th in 2017. The Braves return five led by last year’s second runner Ryan Child. Their pack behind Child, led by Parker Grigg and Stanford Smith, will need to stay within ten seconds of Child with an overall five runner spread of 45 seconds to run in December. Kamiakin won the Washington 3A title running a 42 second spread on their top five.
14 – Warwick Bishop Hendricken RI NXN Region – Northeast Top Runners – Aidan Tierney SR, Nick Braz SR, Jack McMahon SR, Jonathan Iamarone SR, Luke Henseler JR, Ryan Mallozzi SR, Matt St. Jean SR, Dylan Manning SR. Notes – A team to keep an eye on in what is a greatly improved Northeast Region this fall. The Hawks just missed making it to Nike Cross Nationals finishing third in their regional race. Things could be different especially with six runners back from the 2017 squad. Five of those six are seniors. Their pack running will be a key. Aidan Tierney and Nick Braz ran side-by-side in that regional race with an overall spread of 26 seconds. Hendricken should repeat as the Rhode Island State Champions. A trip to Portland is also a possibility.
15 – Middleton WI NXN Region – Heartland Top Runners – Caleb Easton SR, Roman Ystenes JR, Michael Madoch SR, Braedon Gilles JR, Zachery Leffel JR, Egan Johnson JR, Frank Thornton SR. Notes – Middleton made their first national trip last fall finishing 16th in that race. The Cardinals have a good chance to make it back to Portland with four back from that squad. Middleton was the 2017 Wisconsin D1 State Champions. Caleb Easton will again lead this team having run 4:12 in his state race for 1600-meters last spring. Finding a runner for the fifth spot will be a key. Their split on five was near 35 seconds towards the end of the year. We will see how good this team is at the Roy Griak Invitational at the end of September.
NXN Region – California Top Runners – Chris Middleton-Pearson JR, Loic Scomparin SR, Kyle Morrison SR, Hunter Lampi SR, Surya Marimuthu SO, Ishaan Jain JR, Kyle Elias JR. Notes – The Gaels finished second behind St. Francis last fall in the California D2 State Championships. It could be a tough grind for Dublin early in the year losing their top two runners from 2017 to graduation. Loic Scomparin and Christopher Middleton-Pearson should battle for the team’s top spot. The Gaels should be one of the top five teams in California this fall. A top three spot would be even better.
17 – Littleton Dakota Ridge CO NXN Region – Southwest Top Runners – Connor Ohlson JR, Austin Vancil SR, Ben Morrin JR, Ben Piegat JR, Jacob White SO, Riley Abrashoff SR, Drew Valerio SR. Notes – The Eagles finished seventh in the Southwest Regional and fifth at the Colorado 5A State Meet. Dakota Ridge should be a team to keep an eye on in what might be a down year in the Southwest Region. They return six of last years top seven led by Austin Vancil and Conor Ohlson. Vancil was the team’s top runner at state. Ohlson led the way in the regional race. Their spread on five at state was 62 seconds, 78 seconds at regionals. Moving the pack up and dropping the split on five under 60 seconds could get this team to Portland.
18 – Providence LaSalle County RI NXN Region – Northeast Top Runners – Max Dimuccio JR, Jack Wilbur JR, Dominic Campagna SR, Joseph Dosiers SR, Tyler Chambers JR, Jack McLaughlin SO, Steve Walsh JR. Notes – A team that could challenge Bishop Hendricken for the Rhode Island Championships this fall. The Rams finished second in the state race and tenth in the Northeast Regional. Those numbers could change this fall with five of their top six coming back. Max Dimuccio should have a break-out fall as one of the top runners in the region. The pack behind Dimuccio, led by Jack Wilbur, should be tight running within 25 seconds of each other. Keeping it within 20 seconds of Dimuccio will be a key.
19 – Indianapolis Cathedral IN NXN Region – Midwest Top Runners – Cole Hocker SR, Jackson Carlile SO, Rodney O’Neal SR, Ryan Pehlman SR, Nick Hruskoci JR, Josh Hoeft SR, Joseph Mathioudakis JR. Notes – A team that finished 20th at the Midwest Regional and fifth at the Indiana State Championships should be the top team in their state this fall. They could be one of the top five teams in the Midwest. The Irish are running with a ton of confidence finishing third in the Distance Medley at the New Balance Outdoor Championships in June. Cole Hocker who ran 4:08/9:06 last spring will be giving his team single digit numbers in the spring. They will have a huge five runner split on Hocker but keeping their two to five under 25 seconds could mean big things to the Irish this fall.
20 – Camas WA NXN Region – Northwest Top Runners – Daniel Maton SR, Spencer Twyman JR, Jackson Lyne SR, LJ Floyd SR, Samuel Geiger SO, Luc Utheza JR, Andrew Puffer JR. Notes – The third team in this list from a tough Washington this fall. Camas finished seventh in the Northwest Regional and fourth in the Washington 4A State Meet. This year could have better results with six runners returning led by Daniel Maton. He did not have his best race of last year finishing 42nd in the regional race. Maton did finish second at state and then had an outstanding track season running 1:51 for 800-meters and 4:07.50 for 1600-meters at his state meet winning both. He will be a national threat this fall. The pack will need to stay within 35 seconds of Maton with a 20 second spread between the group for success for the Papermakers.
21 – West Des Moines Dowling Catholic IA NXN Region – Heartland Top Runners – Will Ode JR, Cole Schroeder SR, Zach Fry JR, Sam Hall JR, Drew Brase SR, Kevin Conner SR, Mike Gipple JR. Notes – The Maroons came close to advancing to the Nike Cross Nationals finishing third in the Heartland Regional. Dowling Catholic finished third in the Iowa 4A State Championships. Expectations are higher this season with four runners back. Will Ode should step into the top spot vacated by graduated Matt Carmody. The Maroons should have a good one to four pack. Finding a runner for the fifth spot will be something to watch for.
22 – Wexford North Alleghany PA NXN Region – Northeast Top Runners – Zach Kinne SR, Daniel McGoey JR, Luke Turkovich SR, Ethan James SR, Stephen Nalepa JR, Rene Abdalah JR, Andrew Kallitz SO. Notes – A team that has not been mentioned in the things that I have read so far this summer. It is a team to keep an eye on. One reason why is the transfer in of Zach Kinne from Illinois. Kinne finished fourth last fall in the Illinois 3A state race and then ran 9:03.55 for 3200-meters to finish second in 3A state last May. He will be a difference maker for the Tigers this fall. Add in Daniel McGoey who finished third in the D1 State Meet last fall and then ran 9:24 for 3200-meters last spring gives this team a strong 1-2. Their two to five pack at 2017 state was only 10 seconds. Getting that pack closer to Kinne/McGoey makes this team the state favorite, and maybe a possibility to make a statement in the Northeast Regional.
23 – Claremont CA NXN Region – California Top Runners – Ryan Cowgill SR, Aaron Reyes SR, Vicente Huerta SR, Adam Trafecanty JR, Blake Bertrand JR, Diego Denson JR, James Settles JR. Notes – The Wolfpack finished fourth in the California D2 State Meet and returns five runners from their state team. They are led by Ryan Cowgill who finished 29th in that race. The team only had a 17 second spread on their top five in that state race. With their second and sixth runners from that state race graduated, work will need to be made on the pack for the 2018 season.
24 – Haddonfield Memorial NJ NXN Region – Northeast Top Runners – Martin Riddell JR, Ethan Spellmayer SR, Greg Eisenhower SR, Sean Campiglia SR, Stephen Kasko JR, Andrew Gostovich JR, Griffin Weiner SR. Notes – Haddonfield finished 12th last year in the regional race and sixth in the state’s Meet of Champions. The Bulldawgs will be one of the top teams in New Jersey with six runners back including all their top five. Junior Martin Riddell should again be the team’s top runner.
25 – Edina MN NXN Region – Heartland Top Runners – William Gokemeijer SR, Lucas Selman SR, Maxwell Manley SR, Bradley Squarek SR, Noah Koebel JR, Russell Gokemeijer JR, Gus Hubbell JR. Notes – The Hornets missed making it to Portland finishing fourth at the Heartland Regional. It could be tough again this fall having lost their second through fourth runners in that race to graduation. Edina finished third in the Minnesota AA State Championships. Maxwell Manley was the team’s top runner at state but had an off race at regionals as the team’s sixth runner. William Gokemeijer, the regional top runner, gives Edina a strong presence in the front. Getting their five-runner spread under 60 seconds will be a thing to watch from this squad.
26 – Middletown Xavier CT NXN Region – Northeast Top Runners – Peter Schulten SR, Dillon Selfors SR, Owen Curran SR, Robbie Cozean JR, Julen Lujambio SR, Ryan Grochowski SR, Matthew Prydun FR. Notes – Xavier advanced to Portland last fall finishing 18th at Nike Cross Nationals. Four of their top five are back from that team. Finding a fifth scorer could be one of the keys to making a return trip west. Dillon Selfors, Owen Curren, and Peter Schulten were the team’s top runner in the final three meets of 2017. Moving the first four up will be something to watch since they could keep a 25 second spread among them. Their first big race at the Bowdoin Park XC Classic on September 22 will give us a clue of where this team is at.
27 – Spokane Lewis and Clark WA NXN Region – Northwest Top Runners – Will Smith JR, Patrick North JR, Patrick Korus SR, Brett Bergler SR, Anders Nielson SR, Ethan Crawford SO, Danny Maxwell JR. Notes – The Tigers suffered at set back after winning the Washington 4A State Championship finishing fifth the following week at the Northwest Regionals. Lewis and Clark will reload for 2018 with five of last year’s top seven back. Juniors Will Smith and Patrick North should be the leaders of this Tiger pack. The two were separated by 30 seconds at the end of last year. The two runners were need to run closer together in this campaign. Patrick Korus, who was the team’s fifth runner at the end of the season, was 60 seconds behind Smith and will lead the other scorers. Getting that spread down will also be a priority.
28 – Edmonds-Woodway WA NXN Region – Northwest Top Runners – Deyago Peraza SR, Dylan Hartono SR, Lucas Lacambra SR, Jacob Willcox JR, Grant Christian SR, Kalevi Paavola SR, Josiah Ponton SO. Notes – Edmonds-Woodbury did not run in the NXR Northwest Regional finishing their season placing fourth at the Washington 3A State Meet. The Warriors will make their presence known on the Washington cross-country scene in 2018 since they return all their top seven. Deyago Peraza and Lucas Lacambra were the front runners at the end of the year and should lead this team. Their spread on five was only 21 seconds at state. The team could be a difference maker if they only move that pack closer to the front.
29 – Overland Park St. Thomas Aquinas KS NXN Region – Heartland Top Runners – Ethan Marshall SR, Reece Jones SR, Luke Godard SR, Keegan Straats SR, Owen Soverign SO, Jackson Mallot SR, Aiden Higgerson JR. Notes – St. Thomas Aquinas finished sixth at the Heartland Regional. Two weeks before at the Kansas 5A State Meet, the Saints won the state title. They will look to duplicate the state finish of last year but move up closer to the front in the regional race. Ethan Marshall, the defending state champion, and Reece Jones, who finished fifth at state, gives their team security in the front. Aiden Higgerson did not run his best race at regionals but will lead the pack behind Marshall/Jones. The spread on five could again be near 60 seconds so that will need to come down. Tests early in consecutive weeks at Forest Park (MO), Heartland Classic (IA), and Rim Rock (KS) will give us an indication how good this team could be.
30 – Plymouth Wayzata MN NXN Region – Heartland Top Runners – Grant Price SR, Andrew Brandt SR, Zachary Miller SR, Patrick Leonard SR, Cameron Arkesteyn SR, Luke Sharpe SR, Luke Maly SR. Notes – Does this team make it back to Portland this December? The Trojans finished 11th at Nike Cross Nationals and won the Minnesota 2A State title but do return only two of last year’s top seven. Grant Price suffered from injuries most of last fall but did run as the team’s fifth runner in Portland. Andrew Brandt is also back and had a solid track campaign running 4:18/9:22. There is a good group of seniors that could fill the other three scoring spots. Wayzata returns only three runners that ran 10-minutes or faster on the track in the spring. A lot of questions will need to be solved early in this season if the Trojans expect to head back to Nike Cross Nationals.
31 – Southlake Carroll TX NXN Region – South Top Runners – Jack Myers SR, Vishnu Nair SR, Drew Bliss SR, Noah Castro SO, Lucas Levant JR, Nate Lannen JR, Antonio Florcruz SO. Notes – The Dragons enter this season as the second ranked team in the South Regional with chances of returning to Nike Cross Nationals good. Southlake Carroll finished 19th in last year’s national race. Three are back from that squad led by three/four runners Jack Myers and Vishnu Nair. Early season races will determine who will fill in the three to five spots. The team is not as strong as they were last August. The Dragons should be a team to keep an eye on at the end of October.
32 – Corning-Painted Post NY NXN Region – New York Top Runners – Bryce Derick SR, Torrey Jacobson-Evans JR, Nathan Lawson SR, Camden Zaidel SR, Johnny Cleary SR, Collin Hauptman JR, Brody Glick SR. Notes – This could be a team to watch again in New York. The Hawks made it to Portland last year finishing 12th at the Nike Cross Nationals. Corning was successful before that winning the New York 1A title two points ahead of Fayetteville-Manlius and then second behind the Hornets at the New York Regional race. Their top runners are interchangeable with Bryce Derick, Torrey Jacobson-Evans, and Nathan Lawson vying for that spot. The Hawks need to keep their five -runner spread under 50 seconds for success in 2018.
33 – Glen Ellyn Glenbard West IL NXN Region – Midwest Top Runners – Rory Cavan SR, Stephen Moody SR, Ian Repking SR, Will O’Brien SR, Bennett Fate SR, William Hohe SO, Pierce Cousins SO. Notes – The Hilltoppers are looking for big things this fall after finishing seventh in the Illinois 3A State Meet. They return two of the top ten runners in the state with Rory Cavan and Stephen Moody. Will O’Brien and Ian Repking will lead the pack with several runners going after the fifth spot. With Moody/Cavan in the front, keeping their pack within 28 seconds and within 15 seconds of each other could be keys for Glenbard West success this fall.
34 – Mundelein IL NXN Region – Midwest Top Runners – Robert St. Clair SR, Dillon Blake JR, Michael Parduhn SR, Aidan Alfonso SR, Dario Carillo SR, Matt Olorvida SR, Elian Salgado SO. Notes – The Mustangs started quickly last fall before an injury to one of their top runners slowed them down. Mundelein finished 12th in last year’s 3A State Meet in Illinois. With their nucleus returning, this team could threaten for a state title and possibly a trip to Portland. Robert St. Clair and Michael Parduhn lead this team that returns five of their top seven. Keeping their spread on five near 40 seconds could be a telling sign of good things in 2018.
35 – Humble Kingwood TX NXN Region – South Top Runners – Nick Majerus JR, Carter Storm SR, Trent Nolen SR, Justin Moore JR, Alec Fernandez SR, Josue Orduno SR, Kevin Matz SR. Notes – Finished seventh in the South Regional and sixth in the Texas 6A State Meet. The Mustangs could be in position for one of the two qualifying spots in the South Regional. Six of their 2017 top seven are back led by Nick Majerus who finished fourth in the state meet. Carter Storm should be within five to ten seconds or Majerus this fall. Those two will give Kingwood low numbers. The split on their top five needs to be under 70 seconds for the Mustangs to extend their 2018 season to December. |
