State Champions Congregate At Eagle Island State Park For Step Up In Competition

By Doug Binder and Erik Boal, DyeStat Editors

The Nike Cross Regional Series, which begins with Saturday's Northwest meet in Idaho, will serve thousands of high school cross country runners at each of nine regional meets that span the country. The NXR Northwest meet also begins four compelling weekends of live webcast coverage of every regional. 

The first three meets are on tap this weekend – Northwest on Saturday and Heartland and Midwest on Sunday. 

NXR NORTHWEST LIVE WEBCAST | ENTRIES

Isaac Teeples will lead Braves Souls back to Eagle Island State Park, looking to defending the regional title that the team won in 2018 and 2019. 

Teeples is fresh off a dazzling performance at the Washington state championship meet in Pasco, where the Kamiakin High senior threw in an amibitious surge in the final third of the race to breakaway from Olympia's standout senior, Ethan Coleman. 

Teeples' 14:57.9 clocking at Sun Willows Golf Course is one of the top performance by a Northwest runner this fall. 

Saturday, he faces the prospect of a rematch with Coleman, who will be able to formulate a new game plan and see if he can even the score. 

Brave Souls also returns Grayson Wilcott from the 2019 regional championship team. He was third last Saturday at the state meet. The rest of the team is younger and the trip to Eagle Island State Park will be a new experience. 

"Obviously we want to do well and continue building on the great culminating effort the boys put out on Saturday at the state meet," Kamiakin coach Matt Rexus said. "And Isaac and Grayson are trying to continue running at a high level for upcoming national meets."

Teeples vs. Coleman Part II is worth the price of admission, but there is a wealth of talent in the boys championship field. 

Brave Souls will be in serious contention for the team title against Green Lake Harriers (Washington 4A champion Bishop Blanchet), the GRIT XC Club (Idaho 5A champion and Northwest#3 Rocky Mountain), Central XC (Wyoming 4A champion Cheyenne Central) and Hellgate XC (Montana AA champion). 

GRIT XC Club, which had a dominant performance on the Eagle Island course two weekends ago and has had a bit more time to recover, may be the favorite. Trent Wigod and Landon Heemeyer went 2-3 in the state final to help the team win. 

Top individuals from Oregon making the trip include Apollos XC senior Benjamin Balazs (Sunset OR), the Metro League champion and ninth-place finisher at the Oregon 6A final; Michael Maiorano of Buncom Boys (South Medford OR, eighth place Class 6A); Class 4A state champion Alex Garcia-Silver (Marshfield OR); Class 3A champion Zac Knapp of Enterprise; and 2A/1A champion Colin Friend of Archers Elite (St Stephens Academy OR).

Luke Athay, the Idaho 5A champion, will compete with his IFXC Tigerstripes team (Idaho Falls). Eli Gregory, the Idaho 4A champion, will be with his Broncos teammates (Blackfoot ID). Daniel Simmons (Salmon ID), the Idaho 2A runner-up, also figures to be in the lead pack as one of the best runners in the state.  

Alaska state champion Daniel Abramowicz, competing unattached (West Valley AK) was the dominant runner in the state, winning the Division 1 final by 17 seconds a month ago. David Sliwinski, the Alaska D2 champion, will also compete, representing Run for JOY (Grace Christian AK). 

Wyoming 4A champion Mason Wheeler will lead the Broncs (Jackson WY).  

Marquardt, Borsheim Headline Girls Field

The individual battle in the girls championship race is highlighted by a pair of Washington state champions, with Ella Borsheim of Lions XC – representing Bellarmine Prep – following her 4A title with a clash against 3A winner Macy Marquardt of Kennewick, who is competing unattached.

Chloe Overberg, the Washington 1B state champion from Asotin, is also scheduled to compete.

Idaho will be showcasing 4A state winner Nelah Roberts of Grizz XC – representing Skyline High – as well as 1A champion Allie Black of Raft River, with Montana’s entries led by AA state champion Kensey May of Hellgate.

Anna Callahan and Sydney Collier of Spartan XC – competing on behalf of Skyline High in Washington – are entered following second- and third-place finishes in the Washington 4A state final.

Three of the top four finishers in the Washington 3A final are also scheduled to participate, with runner-up Lily O’Donoghue-McDonald of Seattle Prep, third-place Lily LaPorte of Green Lake Harriers – representing Bishop Blanchet – and fourth-place Hannah Lee of Peninsula, competing on behalf of the Seahawks.

Samantha Wood of Post Falls, representing Premier, is entered following a fifth-place finish in the Idaho 5A state final, with 3A runner-up Emma Hillam of Fruitland – competing for Grizzly Running Club – is also scheduled to race.

Alexia Corona of Ridgevue will look to rebound from a 16th-place performance in the Idaho 4A final. Corona secured 14th in the 2019 regional championship race.

Kylie Hartnett of Helena Novas, the Montana AA runner-up, is also expected to compete. Hartnett is the top returning finisher from the 2019 regional, placing 10th in the championship race, with Borsheim finishing 26th and Wood grabbing 33rd overall.

Breanna Schmitt of Newberg, who earned 19th place in the Oregon 6A state final, leads an Oregon contingent that includes fourth-place 5A finisher Isabel Swain of North Salem.

The girls team competition will showcase several state champions, including Bozeman XC, the Montana AA winner, led by third-place finisher Hayley Burns.

The Spokane Striders, with athletes representing Washington 3A winner Mead Senior, are led by ninth-place finisher Alanna Parker, and Preston Club – the Idaho 4A champions – are also scheduled to compete, led by third-place finisher Angelie Scott.

The MudRunners, representing Oregon 5A state champion Corvallis High, are led by fifth-place finisher Ava Betts.

Although Boise Senior, the Idaho 5A team champions, won’t be competing with a full lineup, seniors Annika Zuschlag and Jamie Hamlin are scheduled to race for Run Brave XC.