Nike Cross Regional Southwest: By The Numbers

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Saturday, Nov. 19 at Coyote Run Golf Course, Arizona 

States in the Heartland Region:  Five

Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada

The regional meet will serve to qualify teams to Nike Cross Nationals for the first time since 2019.

BOYS

States represented at NXN/NTN:

Utah 25 times

Colorado 8 times

New Mexico 7 times 

Arizona 1 time

*Wyoming 1 time - Wyoming was moved to the Nike Northwest in 2007 

Nevada has never qualified a team for Nike.

States with the longest streaks, current and all-time:

Utah for 12 years. 2008-19.       

 

At-large bids:  9

2010 Davis UT

2014 Timpanogos UT

2015 Lone Peak UT and American Fork UT

2016 Springville UT  

2017 Timpanogos UT and Desert Vista AZ

2018 Mountain Vista CO

2019 Dakota Ridge CO

 

Current nationally ranked teams (as of 11/10/22):  4

No. 8 Mountain View UT 

No. 11 American Fork UT

No. 19 Herriman UT

No. 23 Lone Peak UT

 

Number of different teams to qualify for NTN/NXN: 14

Teams with the most NTN/NXN appearances:

American Fork 9 times

Davis UT 6 times

Albuquerque Academy NM 5 times

Mountain Vista CO 4 times

Timpanogos UT 3 times

Mountain View UT 3 times

Fort Collins CO 2 times

Los Alamos NM 2 times 

Springville UT 2 times 

Dakota Ridge CO 2 times

Corner Canyon UT, Desert Vista AZ, Lone Peak UT and Alta UT have qualified once.   

 

Longest team streak appearances: 

American Fork UT 8, 2009-16.   

Longest current team streak of appearances:

Dakota Ridge CO and Mountain Vista, 2, 2018-19

 

Highest national finish:

2007 Los Alamos NM 2nd 

2012 American Fork UT 2nd 

2015 American Fork UT 2nd

2016 American Fork UT 2nd

 

DyeStat preseason picks to qualify for NXN:

Niwot CO

Riverton UT

Current Prediction:

Mountain View UT

American Fork UT

* Herriman UT (at-large)

Notes: With Nike Cross Nationals berths on the line for the first time since 2019, and a new qualifying venue at Coyote Run Golf Course, the stakes are high for the top programs in the talent-rich states of Utah and Colorado. 

This year, it seems, the tide has swung to Utah after Colorado got two teams (out of three) to NXN in 2019. American Fork UT, under coach Timo Mostert, is seeking its 10th trip to Portland and the team has been training consistently since winning the Utah Class 6A championship meet Oct. 25. Led by Danny Simmons, Seth Smith, Ben Bradshaw, Ben Jastert and Chase Pack, this team might rate as a co-favorite. 

In 2019, American Fork's hopes of qualifying for NXN were dashed when several members of the team came down with a mysterious illness that impacted their breathing. In hindsight, it was likely an indication that COVID-19 was prevalent in the population but the virus was still unknown and there was not testing for it. 

Mountain View, the Utah Class 5A champion led by Liam Heninger, had a slightly better day than American Fork in the Utah state meet and could be in position to reach NXN for the fourth time. 

Herriman of Utah, which won the 41st Woodbridge Cross Country Classic on Sept. 16 in Southern California to stake its claim as a top-five team nationally, suffered a bit of a letdown and state and finished fourth in the 6A meet. Look for the Mustangs, led by Noah Jenkins and mentored this year by NXN championship coach Doug Soles, to bounce back with a strong effort. 

Riverton, Lone Peak, Orem and Park City are among the handful of Utah teams who also carry hopes of crashing the party and earning an NXN berth. 

Colorado's top teams, Valor Christian, Cheyenne Mountain, Niwot and Classical Academy, all have the potential for strong showings but seemed to fall off with 1-5 depth. Valor Christian, the 5A state champion led by Drew Costelow and Dane Eike, had a 72-second gap between its top three and its fourth scorer. 

Cheyenne Mountain, the No. 2 team in the country last year, rebuilt quickly this fall behind returner Kaden Levings. Niwot, which hasn't quite lived up to its preseason billing, was led at state by freshman Rocco Culpepper. Both teams have had three weeks to reassemble and get better ahead of NXR Southwest. 

Orem UT's Tayson Echohawk is the top returner after getting edged at the finish line by Jefferson McMullin of Lehi in last year's meet. New Mexico Class 4A champion Rendon Kuykendall was third in last year's NXR Southwest and could be in the hunt for an individual NXN berth, along with Porter Middaugh and Will Brunner of Battle Mountain CO, Arizona Division 1 champion Gibson Kibia, Steven West of Sandia NM, Tyler Ball of Lyons CO and Hunter Strand of Cherokee Trail.

 

GIRLS

States represented at NXN/NTN:

Colorado 24 times

Utah 10 times

Arizona 5 times

New Mexico 2 times

Nevada has never qualified a team for Nike.

States with the longest streak, current:

Colorado 4 years. 2016-19

Longest consecutive state streak all time:

7- Colorado 2007-13

 

At-large bids: 7

2012 Pine Creek CO

2013 Monarch CO

2014 Davis UT

2015 Davis UT

2016 Broomfield CO

2017 Broomfield CO

2018 Niwot CO

2019 Niwot CO

The Southwest Region received three bids to NTN in 2004 and 2005.

 

Current nationally ranked teams (as of 11/16/22): 8

No. 2 Niwot CO

No. 10 Air Academy CO

No. 12 Lone Peak UT

No. 16 Mountain Vista CO

No. 18 Cherry Creek CO* (not attending)

No. 19 Valor Christian CO

No. 21 American Fork UT

No. 23 Arapahoe CO

 

Number of different teams to qualify for NTN/NXN: 21

Teams with the most NTN/NXN appearances:

Fort Collins CO 7 times

Davis UT 5 times

Mountain Vista CO 3 times

Fremont UT 2 times

Classical Academy CO 2 times

Monarch CO 2 times

Xavier College Prep AZ 2 times

Desert Vista AZ 2 times

American Fork UT 2 times

Broomfield CO 2 times

Battle Mountain CO 2 times

Niwot CO 2 times

Smokey Hill CO, Los Alamos NM, Rocky Mountain CO, Fairview CO, Eldorado NM, O'Connor AZ, Pine Creek CO, Lone Peak UT and Valor Christian CO have qualified once.

 

Longest team streak appearances:

Fort Collins CO 7 2007-13.

Longest current team streak of appearances:

Niwot CO 2 2018-19

 

Highest national finish:

Smokey Hill CO 2nd 2004

 

DyeStat preseason picks to qualify for NXN:

Arapahoe CO

Niwot CO

Current Prediction:

Niwot CO

Air Academy CO

* Lone Peak UT (at-large)

* Valor Christian CO (at-large)

Notes: The Southwest has never received four overall bids, despite being the deepest region in the country for the past decade, but this year could finally be the opportunity.

Despite Cherry Creek deciding not to attend the event, Colorado will still be well-represented with five-time Class 4A champion Niwot returning to Coyote Run Golf Course after winning the sweepstakes race Sept. 30 at the Desert Twilight Festival on the same 5-kilometer layout.

Niwot, competing as Real Training, has never won the regional title.

But the group is a significant favorite this season, especially with the addition of freshmen Addison Ritzenhein and Anna Prok, plus the return of senior Lex Bullen to a veteran roster that already included Madison Shults, Mia Prok, Bella Nelson and Olivia Alessandrini as members of last year’s lineup that triumphed at the Garmin RunningLane Championships in Alabama.

Air Academy, led by junior Bethany Michalak and sophomore Tessa Walter and competing as Kadet AC, doesn’t boast a senior in its lineup and is looking to build off a runner-up finish at Desert Twilight and the program’s first Class 5A state title thanks to the development of freshmen Jordan Banta and Lauren Myers to earn its first trip Dec. 3 to Glendoveer Golf Course in Oregon for Nike Cross Nationals.

Lone Peak, the 2019 regional champion, also showcases a lineup without a senior and includes freshmen Anna Bybee, Brielle Nilsson and Zoey Nilsson as well as junior Andie Aagard, the Utah Class 6A individual champion.

The pursuit of the second automatic berth could be determined by which of the two young lineups from Lone Peak and Air Academy demonstrates the most composure in the second half of the championship race.

Valor Christian, which placed second at the 2019 regional to secure its first NXN appearance, boasts a formidable presence up front with senior Brooke Wilson and sophomore Keeghan Edwards.

Although Valor Christian finished behind Mountain Vista and tied Cherry Creek in the Colorado Class 5A final, the presence of Wilson and Edwards carries significant weight in the regional field, especially with them placing first and third Sept. 30 in the sweepstakes race at Desert Twilight.

Mountain Vista and Arapahoe are both Colorado programs capable of finishing in the top four and becoming eligible for at-large consideration, along with American Fork and Mountain View from Utah, in addition to Highland from Arizona.

The individual field is expected to be highlighted by two of the three fastest competitors in Colorado state meet history, with Class 5A champion Wilson squaring off against Class 3A winner Isabel Allori of Liberty Common.

Emma Stutzman, the Class 5A runner-up from Pomona, in addition to Class 4A champion Ella Hagen of Summit and two-time Class 2A winner Nadhia Campos of The Vanguard School are also scheduled to compete. Ava Mitchell, a senior, will represent Arapahoe.

Jane Hedengren of Timpview and Mari Konold of Mountain View, the top two athletes in the Utah Class 5A final are entered, along with Class 6A champion Aagard and runner-up Avalon Mecham of American Fork, who finished fifth at the regional last year at Shalimar Country Club.

Four-time Arizona state champion Lauren Ping of Valley Christian, last year’s regional winner, is seeking a big performance in her final prep cross country race on Arizona soil, with three-time Division 3 champ Kylie Wild of Salpointe Catholic also expected to compete.

Emma Baugh, the Arizona Division 1 winner, leads Highland, with three-time Division 2 champion Mia Hall of Flagstaff still uncertain about competing after racing for the first time in more than a month Nov. 12 at the state final after recovering from an IT band injury.

Leah Futey, the New Mexico Class 5A champion from Sue Cleveland, is also scheduled to compete, in addition to Utah Class 2A winner Kenidee Glazier of Kanab.