Girls Teams Preview - Boys Team Previews - Girls Top 10 Regional Team Rankings - Boys Top 10 Regional Team Rankings - Race Schedule - Course Map - Past Team Qualifiers & Results - Top 50 Boys Times in Meet History - Top 50 Girls Times in Meet History
Pre-meet team rankings for the 2013 Nike Cross Southeast Regionals by Brandon Miles of MileStat.com, a MileSplit US affiliate. A list of the top 10 ranked teams going into this meet which are competing at WakeMed Soccer Complex in Cary, North Carolina. Rankings took in consideration several factors to determine order including state meet performances, head-to-head matchups, speed ratings, history of team's post-season performances in past years, and projecting a team score based on their team's runners and displacers from others.
Earlier in the season at Great American as well as a smaller sample in the adidas XC Challenge both held on the same NXN South Regional course at WakeMed, many of the top teams in the region got a chance to either match-up mid-season against other top teams in the Southeast or post times to be able to compare to at season's end and see how far they have improved. There are several teams who are trending in the right direction or drastically improved since the middle of the season, while other teams have stayed rather stagnant or their team's improvements have been not.
Some teams who possibly could have been in the mix possibly for a top two automatic national berth or at least at-large consideration with a top 4 finish in the regional race have completely skipped the meet with the most glaring absence being arguably the top girls' team in the entire Southeast Region with Virginia Group 6A state team champions Oakton. The Oakton girls and their returning Foot Locker finalist Allie Klimkiewicz will be racing down at the Foot Locker South Regional in Charlotte instead. Oakton had a 30 second faster team average on the Virginia state meet course than the US top 10 nationally ranked Blacksburg girls, who were champions in the Group 3A classification.
Nonetheless, two nationally ranked caliber teams who are ready to compete on the national stage in Portland will be racing at NXN Southeast between Kentucky's Assumption High School and Virginia's Blacksburg High School. Both programs have sent teams to NXN in the past to compete against the best at Portland Meadows. The Assumpton girls have made it to nationals in the past two consecutive years (2011, 2012) and return great experience (6 of top 7) from a 10th place finishing team at Portland Meadows. The Blacksburg last sent a squad to nationals in 2009, which finished 6th in the national race led by two 10 individual finishers in the Stevens twins, Kathleen and Joanna. This year's Blacksburg might have the front two as they did in 2009, but are arguably deeper from top to bottom for their top 5 and 7 than that historic squad.
When Assumption and Blacksburg faced off earlier in the season at Great American, only one point separated the two teams as the Assumpton girls with 95 points and team average of 18:59 were just slightly better on that day than a Blacksburg team with 96 points and team average of 18:56 at WakeMed. Blacksburg had the stronger top three in their lone head-to-head matchup of the season, but Assumption had the better back end of their top five in the #4 and #5 spots to gain the advantage in the final team scoring.
The Assumption girls are the defending NXN Southeast Regional champions as they snapped a streak of regional titles and Southeast dominance by the Tatnall School girls from Delaware. They averaged 18:22 as a squad at WakeMed last November led by top 10 finishers from current seniors Bailey Davis (6th, 17:44) and Katherine Receveuer (10th, 17:52). In their last trip to Cary at Great American against Blacksburg, Receveuer did not race and Davis was the team's #3 finisher behind two other seniors in Emily Bean (12th, 18:34) and Kenzley Defler (26th, 18:54). Bean broke 11 minutes this past spring in the 3200. Assumption was able to place 5 senior runners in the top 15 in the Kentucky 4A state meet with Bean (4th, 18:55), Davis (5th, 18:58), Defler (8th, 19:24), Kate Crawford (13th, 19:32), and Katherine Receveuer (15th, 19:41). Receveuer missed all of the month of September's meets and may benefit from the extra weeks of training between the state meet and NXN regional to have a bigger impact for her team. With 6 of their top 7 runners being seniors and having NXN regional or national meet experience, this veteran group will be tough to beat this weekend.
The Blacksburg girls were a distant 8th place in last year's NXN Southeast Regional, but did not graduate anyone from last year's team and after making improvements over the track season found themselves as a narrow runner-up against last year's regional champions Assumption at Great American in the Race of Champions. Blacksburg will just as strong if not stronger next year with only Claire Ewing-Nelson as the team's lone senior. Bonnie Angermeier is the top runner for the Virginia 3A state champion squad as she claimed her first individual state title with a 18:37 victory at Great Meadow. Blacksburg has nearly 6 girls under 19 minutes this season with arguably the best top three in the meet between Angermeier (18:09 5K PR), Beatty (18:37), and Ewing-Nelson (18:41). For their team to knock off Assumption, Blacksburg will likely need the best races of the season from junior Jennifer Fleming (18:49) or one of their young freshmen Annie Kay Combs and Samantha Marin, who both have season bests of 19:03. Fleming (13th, 19:23) and Marin (14th, 19:27) were both All-State top 15 finishers in their state meet races two weeks ago joining Angermeier (1st, 18:37), Beatty (3rd, 18:48), and Ewing-Nelson (6th, 19:00).
The Green Hope girls are also a program who has enjoyed a Nike Cross Nationals team berth in the past (2010) and their coaches have got them in a good position to potentially knock off one of the top two ranked favorites Assumption and Blacksburg. They look to have made a lot of the distance and gap that existed between themselves and both teams at Great American at the mid-season point when the this fall's North Carolina 4A state champions were a distant third place with 139 points. Green Hope might have the best front runner among all the contending teams in sophomore Elly Henes, who dipped under 18 minutes for the first time for 5K with a 3rd place finish of 17:42 at her state championship race. The Green Hope girls were not allowed to cruise to the North Carolina 4A state team title as they had 3 worthy challengers in T.C. Roberson (2nd, 91 pts), Myers Park (3rd, 97 pts), and Providence (4th, 107 pts) in their classification, but their team score of 81 points was good enough to remain state champions and actually have a 7 second faster than team average than their 2012 state champion squad at Beeson Park.
While there are no remaining varsity members for their 2010 national team, the Green Hope girls are built well to keep for a national spot this year as well as the next few years with many freshmen and sophomores as their team's scorers. If they are unable to finish among the top two auto qualifiers, the Green Hope girls could make a strong case for an at-large berth finishing close to two teams ranked among the top 10-15 squads in the nation throughout much of the fall and post a team average that correlates well with past national qualifier teams in the region who faired well out in Oregon.
The Delaware state champions Padua Academy and Tatnall School raced in different divisions and races at the Delaware state meet earlier this month, but will get a chance to race head-to-head as the final decider of who the best team is from their state. It has never been a question for the last decade of years who the best team in Delaware has been with the Tatnall girls rise to be one of the nation's top and most respected programs in girls' cross country. In the midst of a rebuilding down year, the Padua girls have taken advantage and seized the moment to be #1 in Delaware including a win against Tatnall in their last race before the state meet at the New Castle County Championships. The Padua girls finished 13th in last year's regional race, but are capable of a top 4 finish in 2013. Padua has three girls who have dipped under 19 minutes this fall for 5K in Emily Paolucci (18:33), Erin Spadaccini (2nd, 18:48), Karlee Panella (3rd, 18:52). Paolicci won the Delaware division 1 state title individual title in 18:43, while teammates Panella (4th, 19:17), Angie Spadaccini (5th, 19:24) and Erin Spadaccini (7th, 19:29) were easily among the top 10 runners. Padua would like to be stronger at the NXN Regional in their #5 spot to be competitive for a top 5 finish as their fifth runner Haley Lucey was just over 20 minutes on a moderately quick state meet course.
The Tatnall girls posted similar times to Padua in their Division 2 state title victory with Caroline Foley (3rd, 18:34), Kieran Hanrahan (4th, 18:52), Jill Reinhardt (7th, 19:44), Kate Hastings (8th, 19:45), and Liz Schreiber (12th, 20:10). Schreiber is the team's only senior in their varsity lineup, so while their streak of 7 straight Nike Cross Nationals appearance may be in jeopardy for this season, another streak could certainly begin next fall as they gain experience with a relatively young squad racing this weekend down in Cary. Tough to count out Tatnall as their coaches always seem to have them peak well for this meet specifically and the motivation to attempt to continue their great tradition of sending a team to Oregon for nationals.
The Estero High School girls are looking to defeat not only other top ranked teams in the Southeast Region, but defeat a stereotype that the Florida girls' teams underperform and not run as well at WakeMed on a cold late November day as they do on the flat and fast courses down in warm Florida. Florida has not qualified a girls' team for the Nike Cross Nationals since they went to regional qualifying meet format in 2007. The Episcopal girls from Jacksonville, Florida qualified for nationals in the former committee selection process back in 2005. The Florida 3A state champions from three weeks ago, Estero was able to put three runners under 19 minutes on the Florida state course and among the top 10 places with Araceli Leon (5th, 18:32), Daley Cline (6th, 18:38), and Bethany Jenkins (10th, 18:52). Estero had a bit of a time gap and wait after three runners with their #4 and #5 runners in sisters Katie Slater and Megan Slater coming in 39th and 48th place respectively in the state meet in the upper 19 minute range. The Slater sisters, especially Katie with a 18:37 season best 5K, have had better races performances this season and will be needed on Saturday for Estero's chances of breaking into the top 4.
The last time that the Ocean Lakes girls raced in Cary at the adidas Challenge on September 21st, they were missing three varsity runners including sub 11 minute two miler Nikki Park. The healthiest that they have been all season and at full strength having not only Park, Erica Jackson, and Olivia Bethune for their first race of the season at WakeMed, the Ocean Lakes girls could be the team that catches many off guard and break into the top 4. Ocean Lakes finished 4th in the Virginia 6A state race with a team average of 19:16 at Great Meadow led by top 20 finishes from Madeleine King (18th, 18:43) and Nicole Park (19th, 18:46). Erica Jackson (19:16) and Rachel Boyce (19:18) make for solid #4 and #5 runners, while their team will look to senior Olivia Bethune (19:51) to hopefully regain some of her former sub 19 minute glory as an underclassmen and come up big as a the team's fifth runner. After not being able to train and race a month ago due to a hip injury, Nikki Park should be a stronger front runner for Ocean Lakes and more fit a couple weeks further into regular training.
Great American earlier this season was also a regional meet preview for the Southeast boys with Brentwood of Tennesssee, Broughton of North Carolina, St. Xavier of Kentucky, and Tatnall of Delaware among the top teams in attendance and gathering at the starting line for the Race of Champions. The Broughton boys had been rolling in their meets leading up to Great American with several impressive victories in major invitationals, but had a very humbling day at Great American with their top runner William Roberson not finishing and the rest of the team did not respond well and fell back all the way to 7th place in the team standings. Broughton has gotten back on track since that low point of their season capped off three weeks ago in winning the North Carolina 4A state title at Beeson Park with a team score of 49 points and team average of 15:44. Their top 4 was dominant in their state meet with Roberson (3rd, 15:21), John Dalton Rohr (7th, 15:39), Asher Smith-Rose (9th, 15:43), and Jeremy Brown (10th, 15:45) all among the top 10 places and well under 16 minutes.
Completing their top five scoring in the North Carolina state meet was 27th place finisher Will Sandin (16:11). Sandin just posted a 9:45 3200 meter time on the track on November 16th in the Dash for Doobie 2 mile. In an exhibition of Broughton's depth in the 3200 meter time trial race at Ronald Reagan, their top 5 posted times of 9:06 by Roberson, 9:28 by Brown, 9:32 by Peter Millsaps, and 9:33 by Rohr.
The Brentwood boys did not run a post-season 3200 time trial after winning the Tennessee state cross country title almost 4 weeks ago, but their top 4 guys rolled on the track last spring with swift 3200 times by Alec Thomas (9:10), Aaron Thomas (9:16), Taylor Caldwell (9:17), Coleman Churitch (9:44). No 3200 times on their two runners who fill the #5 runner role, but have run in the low 16's for 5K this season in Waqqas Fazili (16:24) and Francois Llorens (16:27). At Great American, Brentwood destroyed the competition in the Race of Champions with their team score of 99 points putting them well ahead of the runners-up in Kentucky's St. Xavier (170 pts) with an incredible team average of 15:28. If Brentwood can duplicate that performance this weekend or improve their times, they could potentialy post a meet record average time at WakeMed. Brentwood had their top three runners in Taylor Caldwell (2nd, 15:00), Alec Thomas (3rd, 15:00), and Aaron Thomas (5th, 15:07) running right with two of the nation's best individual runners in Providence Day School's Ben Huffman (1st, 14:59) from North Carolina and Thomas Edison's Louis Colson (4th, 15:00) from Virginia. Essentially, Brentwood has three studs up front that could be #1 runners on virtually almost any other team in the meet. That is a huge advantage and luxury to have.
If Brentwood was able to advance onto the national meet, their top three is strong enough to will them to possibly the highest finish by a Southeast Region boys' squad, which is usually what separates teams from finishing in the top half or bottom half in the field out in Oregon. The only way that one can expect another school other than last year's NXN Southeast 4th place squad Brentwood from winning the regional title is their fifth runner is out too long well after the fifth finishers for the other top contendng squads. At Great American, despite winning by the big margin, Brentwood's fifth was well behind the fifth runners from other Southeast Region squads St. Xavier and Tatnall.
Both St. Xavier and Tatnall finished ahead of Broughton at Great American, but get ranked behind them coming into the meet factoring in the point swing adjustment if Broughton's #1 runner Roberson had finished the race. It would not come as a surprise if either team finished ahead of Broughton again at the NXN Southeast Regional and earned one of the top two automatic national berths coming off decisive state meet wins.
St. Xavier won the Kentucky AAA state title cross country title by a huge margin of 80 points, despite having a quality possibly top 10 ranked regional team in their state race in another Louisville school in Trinity High School. Only 36 seconds separated the top 5 runners for St. Xavier in their state meet including 6 runners among the top 20 places between state runner-up Chris Striegel (2nd, 16:00), Ben Metzger (9th, 16:23), Steven Kinny (14th, 16:31), Spencer Hayden (15th, 16:36), Jack Minogue (16th, 16:37), and William Mulloy (20th, 16:48). The Kentucky state meet course was certainly not the fastest course which the St. X boys had raced on this fall with season best times almost 30 seconds faster across the board for all of their top 7 runners from their state meet performances.
The Tatnall boys were head and shoulders the best team in their state and enjoying a rare season experiencing even more success than their consistently nationally ranked girls' squad. Tatnall posted a dual-meet like score of 22 points in their state meet race to claim the Delaware Division 2 title. Tatnall had four of the top five finishers in their state meet race with Stephen Garrett as the state individual champion at 15:31, followed by teammates Jack Hagood (3rd, 16:07), Patrick Lynch (4th, 16:24), Joe Garrett (5th, 16:25). An 8th grader in Henry Paul (9th, 16:45) rounded out their top five scoring and the rest of the top 7 was right behind him in Michael Flanagan (10th, 16:48) and Howard Daniels (11th, 16:57) for a runaway victory at the Brandywine Creek State Park course in Wilmington, Delaware. Tatnall was missing junior Ben Boswell at the state meet, who ran 15:48 for 5K earlier this season and 16:47 at Great American. Both Stephen Garrett (4:18) and Jack Hagood (4:15) were sub 4:20 milers last spring for Tatnall, while Flanagan broke 9:40 for the spring at 3200 meters.
The Maryland state champions Severna Park were one of the few top ranked teams in the region to not compete at Great American, but they made quite an impression against many ranked Virginia schools and four eventual Virginia state champions (Chantilly, Maggie Walker, Deep Run, Lafayette) at the Maymont Festival in late September with the fastest team average (16:19) in meet history ahead of several past Nike Cross Nationals berth teams. Finishing 10th in last year's NXN Southeast Regional, the Severna Park boys are looking to make one of the biggest jumps from 2012 and compete for one of those top two places. In the 4A classification race at the Maryland State Championships held on a three mile course, Severna Park rolled through to a state championship with their team score of 38 points and team average of 16:12 putting them comfortably ahead of the runners-up from Delaney with 114 points. Ryan Forsyth was the individual state champion (15:41) and top finisher for the 4A state champs, while Rhys Burgett (3rd, 15:59), Dillon Cooley (11th, 16:21), Jack Kiely (13th, 16:28), and Kevin Hines (14th, 16:30) were top 15 overall as top 5 runners for Severna Park. Clay Whitney (17th, 16:34) adds extra security for their team as the sixth runner not far behind the team's top 5.
A pack of Virginian squads, normally the deepest state of quality teams in the Southeast Region, will be expected to round out the majority of the top 10 places. One or two of these teams could surprise and move into the top three on a good day. Midlothian and Lake Braddock are two teams which appear to be trending in the right direction after some early or mid-season struggles and came on strong in championship season and appear to be two totally different looking teams after their state meet performances.
The Group 3A state champions Midlothian had the fastest team average among the 6 classification races at the state meet at 16:04 with a 1-2-3 sweep in their race from Tommy Mulroy (15:39), Evan Benjamin (15:46), and Collin Hahn (15:48). Their season turnaround for the better when #4 runner Randy Hahn (16:18 5K season best) returned to their lineup for the first time this fall just before championship season. Hahn ran 4:23 for 1600 and 9:38 for 3200 as a freshmen last year. The Lake Braddock boys went from 5th place in their regional meet to 2nd place and 6A state runners-up at the Virginia state meet, which they actually came out first in the entire results merge from the 6 state meet races at Great Meadow. Lake Braddock has a likely individual nationals qualifier in Alex Corbett (15:35 5K best) to lead them, while they will look to maintain the tight pack found in their state meet race for the rest of their top five with only 5 seconds separating runners #1 through #4 for them.
James Robinson was the preseason #1 ranked squad in Virginia, while Battlefield was ranked #1 at several points this season. Each will be racing at NXN Southeast and looking to make up from just missing a top 2 state meet finish (only 4 points separated the top 4 teams in Virginia 6A race) by being the top team from Virginia and finishing in the top 4 in Cary. Battlefield's issue has been having their fifth runner to step up more to compliment a top four of runners who have all ran under 16 minutes for 5K, while the Robinson boys have relied on a tight pack under 30 seconds but need at least one or two front runners to emerge for them to breakthrough.
Preview of top potential individual qualifiers in NXN Southeast Regional will be posted soon as final entries are released!
MileSplit US will have on-site coverage of the 2013 Nike Cross Southeast Regional including race videos, photo galleries, interviews, stories, and twitter race-day updates!
NXN Southeast Regional Girls Team Pre-Meet Rankings
by Brandon Miles
Note: Excludes teams not competing at the NXN Regional
1. Assumpton (KY)
2. Blacksburg (VA)
3. Green Hope (NC)
4. Padua Academy (DE)
5. Ocean Lakes (VA)
6. Tatnall (DE)
7. Estero (FL)
8. Marvin Ridge (NC)
9. Brentwood (TN)
10. Morgantown (WV)
NXN Southeast Regional Boys Team Pre-Meet Rankings
by Brandon Miles
Note: Excludes teams not competing at the NXN Regional
1. Brentwood (TN)
2. Broughton (NC)
3. St. Xavier (KY)
4. Severna Park (MD)
5. Tatnall (DE)
6. Midlothian (VA)
7. Lake Braddock (VA)
8. Battlefield (VA)
9. James W. Robinson (VA)
10. St. Pius X Catholic (GA)
RACE SCHEDULE - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30th, 2013
8:30am - Girls Freshman/Sophomore race
9:00am - Boys Freshman/Sophomore race
9:30am - Girls Open race
10:00am - Boys Open race
10:30am - Community 5k race (register for community race here)
11:10am - Girls Championship race
11:50am - Boys Championship race
WakeMed Soccer Park Cross Country Course
201 Soccer Park Drive
Cary, NC 27511
Course Maps
Without Terrain | With Terrain
Course Records
(From NCPrepTrack.Com)
Boys | Girls
WakeMed Venue Page
(List of recent meets, directions, recent records)
History of Past Nike Cross Nationals Qualifiers from Southeast Region
Boys Team Qualifiers:
1. St. Xavier (KY) 87 pts - 15:42 avg > 14th place nationals finish
2. Blacksburg (VA) 139 pts - 15:49 avg > 10th place nationals finish
Girls Team Qualifiers:
1. Assumption (KY) 92 pts - 18:22 avg > 10th place nationals finish
2. Tatnall (DE) 93 pts - 18:30 avg > 6th place nationals finish
Boys Team Qualifiers:
1. Belen Jesuit (FL) 88 pts - 15:37 avg > 20th place nationals finish
2. Brentwood (TN) 140 pts - 15:54 avg > 17th place nationals finish
Girls Team Qualifiers:
1. Tatnall (DE) 37 pts - 18:01 avg > 3rd place nationals finish
2. Assumption (KY) 86 pts - 18:36 avg > 18th place nationals finish
3. Midlothian (VA) 89 pts - 18:36 avg > 19th place nationals finish
Boys Team Qualifiers:
1. Midlothian (VA) 168 pts - 15:54 avg > 21st place nationals finish
2. Brentwood (GA) 214 pts - 16:02 avg > 22nd place nationals finish
Girls Team Qualifiers:
1. Tatnall (DE) 82 pts - 18:19 avg > 5th place nationals finish
2. Green Hope (NC) 106 pts - 18:38 avg > 10th place nationals finish
Boys Team Qualifiers:
1. Brookwood (GA) 109 pts - 16:01 avg >
2. Christopher Columbus (FL) 143 pts - 16:10 avg >
Girls Team Qualifiers:
1. Tatnall (DE) 74 pts - 18:25 avg >
2. Blacksburg (VA) 74 pts - 18:25 avg >
3. Hidden Valley (VA) 107 pts - 18:39 avg >
2008 NXN Southeast Regional Results
Boys Team Qualifiers:
1. Jamestown (VA) 115 pts - > 19th place nationals finish
2. Broughton (NC) 155 pts - > 22nd place nationals finish
Girls Team Qualifiers:
1. Tatnall (DE) 45 pts - > 3rd place nationals finish
2. Collins Hill (GA) 72 pts - > 9th place nationals finish
2007 NXN Southeast Regional Results
Boys Team Qualifiers:
1. Oak Ridge (TN) 90 pts - 16:37 avg > 18th place nationals finish
2. Thomas Jefferson S&T (VA) 98 pts - 16:43 avg > 22nd place nationals finish
Girls Team Qualifiers:
1. Collins Hill (GA) 68 pts - 19:24 avg > 19th place nationals finish
2. Tatnall (DE) 79 pts - 19:32 avg > 20th place nationals finish
3. Mountain Brook (AL) 88 pts - 19:31 avg > 6th place nationals finish
NOTE: 2004 thru 2006 Nike Cross Nationals teams selected by a committee and no regional qualifying meets were held.
2006 NXN Southeast Region Selected Qualifiers:
Boys Team Qualifiers:
1. Midlothian (VA) > 14th place nationals finish
2. Chapel Hill (NC) > 20th place nationals finish
Girls Team Qualifiers:
1. Eleanor Roosevelt (MD) > 8th place nationals finish
2. Midlothian (VA) > 10th place nationals finish
3. Tatnall (DE) > 12th place nationals finish
2005 NXN Southeast Region Selected Qualifiers:
Boys Team Qualifiers:
1. Chapel Hill (NC) > 12th place nationals finish
2. St. Xavier (KY) > 17th place nationals finish
Girls Team Qualifiers:
1. Eleanor Roosevelt (MD) > 11th place nationals finish
2. Episcopal (FL) > 14th place nationals finish
2004 NXN Southeast Region Selected Qualifiers:
Boys Team Qualifiers:
1. Hoover (AL) > 15th place nationals finish
2. Winter Park (FL) > 20th place nationals finish
Girls Team Qualifiers:
1. Scottsboro (AL) > 19th place nationals finish
2. C. Milton Wright (MD) > 20th place nationals finish
Top 50 Fastest Boys Times in Meet History
Top 50 Fastest Girls Times in Meet History
