A Handful Of Weekend Meets Confirmed Rankings And Showed Where New Adjustments Will Be Made
By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor
Ethan Buck Photo
The performance by Niwot CO, especially the girls, will get close scrutiny this week after its victory on Friday night at the Desert Twilight in Mesa, Ariz.
The Niwot girls came into the meet ranked No. 3, but the showed the quality of its depth in both the sweepstakes (top section) and championship (second section) races. The Cougars have 13 high quality runners led by senior and NAU commit Addy Ritzenhein.
Keep in mind, the Southwest region was so good last year that Niwot’s girls finished sixth and did not qualify for Nike Cross Nationals after placing second in 2023.
The looming question now is can Niwot possibly sweep the team championships at Nike Cross Nationals, something only one team has ever done. Fayetteville-Manlius NY, led by the great coach Bill Aris, achieved that feat in 2014.
The Niwot boys, already No. 1 and defending national champions, confirmed their status as the top team with a dominant 48-point score at Desert Twilight. RESULTS | RECAP
New DyeStat team rankings will be released this week on Thursday.
>>> In Rochester, N.Y., 7,000 runners competed at the 60th McQuaid Invitational.
Great Oak of California got a rare taste of New York cross country by flying out to be part of the occasion. The Wolfpack made the most of the trip, defeating Corning for the boys team title.
The girls competition had more rankings implications. No. 21 Bethlehem Central defeated New York rival and No. 17 Shenendehowa Central, 92-103, with Great Oak CA taking third.
Canadians Brody Clark (Milton ONT) and Eleanor Voykin (Birchmount ONT) won the boys and girls individual titles.
>>> At Nike Portland XC, the No. 5 Heritage CO girls were pushed to the limit by No. 36 Boise ID, 120-121. RESULTS/VIDEOS
Heritage fell a bit off its norm with its fifth scorer. But Boise will certainly gain some additional respect in the new rankings.
Likewise in the boys race, unranked Mira Costa CA pulled out a two-point victory over No. 37 Summit OR and also beat No. 33 Clovis North CA, No. 20 Redondo Union CA, No. 10 Matilda Torres CA and No. 22 Crater OR.
>>> At the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Mo., Liberty North MO, a team that hasn’t yet cracked the Midwest top-five, defeated No. 12 Bentonville AR, 98-105. RESULTS
Sophomore Jack McGovern of Rockhurst MO also served notice with his victory in…
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