The fabulous matchup was made possible when meet director Ed Bowes agreed to bend his usual policy of spreading the boys power across eight seeded races.

The sheer number of athletes is impressive. The precision of putting on consecutive races is remarkable. But the significance of virtually every one of the varsity races is undeniable.

It's not just bragging rights that are on the line. It's rankings. For the first time in the history of this sport, the best boys and girls teams in the US get the chance to race each other in December at the inaugural Nike Team Championships.

Because the Manhattan Invitational traditionally balances the best teams among the races, most of the ranked boys teams will have to depend upon comparisons of average times to make their cases. But the field is so deep this year, that several of the races have significant clashes - two of which have two top ten teams squaring off. But the seeded girls' teams go head-to-head in the Eastern States race at 2:25 against US#1 Saratoga NY, which comes off an overpowering victory at the Great American in North Carolina last weekend.that had many observors calling them the best US high school girls cross country ever.

The stats: 10,600 athletes from more than 350 schools from 15 states and the nation's capital. There are 14 varsity races, six JV, nine freshman, five sophomore, and two intermediate.

But stats only scratch the surface. We're talking races that teams have been aiming for all year. Many of the New York teams thought the Manhattan Invitational looked good because it would give them another week of training, and would be a shorter trip than going to North Carolina for Great American a week earlier. They get an assessment of where they are, and then reload and aim for Federations, where a win would establish end-of-season credentials for post-season laurels.

Boys Varsity

First, the boys Varsity races. Right off the bat, it's a match-up of ranked teams in the Boys A race at 1:03pm. NE#6 Lockport NY gets to face NE#7 Monsignor Farrell NY. Lockport is coming off a defeat at the feet of NE#1 Fayetteville-Manlius NY at the McQuaid Inv in Rochester NY. FM simply set a team time record average of 15:20 for the 3-mile course. And it was raining!

Lockport's average was 15:48. Then turn around and watch the start of 1;15 Varsity Boys B where it's former NE#7 Warwick Valley NY facing a challenge from PA's North Penn, always a strong program.

Then it's the big one! NE#1 vs. NE#3.

"The guys are itching to get 'em," said CBA coach Tom Heath.
"We're looking forward to it," said Fayeteville-Manlius coach Bill Aris

If ever there were understatements about the significance of the Boys Varsity C race, it was said this week by Christian Brothers NJ coach Tom Heath and Fayetteville-Manlius NY coach Bill Aris as each looked ahead to his team's race against each other in the Boys C race at 1:27pm. Heath requested the match-up, and now he and XC fans have their wish. It's NE#1 vs. NE#3.

CBA, if you recall, was the pre-season NE#1. You already know about FM's great race in Rochester. On the same day in north Jersey, CBA posted the 14th fastest team average ever recorded on the Holmdel NJ course at the Shore Coaches Invitational. That's the Groups and All-Groups course, so it sees the best teams and races each year. With five guys under 17, the 16:34 average shows this group is for real. Holmdel is not a fun run.

In the Varsity Boys D race, it's NE#8 Shenendehowa NY. Challenging them will be a strong Hatboro Horsham PA team. In Race F, former NE#8 Chaminade NJ gets a chance to get back into the rankings with a race against current NE#10 Bishop Hendricken RI. Hendricken won a race in VA this past weekend, while Chaminade was two points shy of beating Guilford CT at Saint Anthony's NY Invitational.

Girls

All that action happens between 1 and 2:15pm. And then the fireworks begin again. It's Eastern States girls at 2:25!.

There are 11 ranked, or formerly ranked teams in this one race. Obviously, Saratoga Springs NY is the favorite. After their Great American performance, people are talking all-time here. But that's why they run the races, and the back woods of Vanny have seen some amazing things happen in cross country.

Challenging Saratoga, and looking for dominance over the rest of the field, will be NE#2 Bay Shore NY, which set a team average meet record at McQuaid. NE#3 Bethlehem Central NY ran great at Great American. But with 154 points, they were way behind Saratoga. California #8 Thousand Oaks was an easy winner last weekend, and will hope to show the east coast teams how deep CA is this year. SE#10 Eleanor Roosevelt MD and NE#10 Unionville didn't race last weekend and both will be looking to make an impression. Also joining the fray will be previously ranked teams Warwick Valley NY, Saint Basil PA, Hatboro-Horsham PA, Morris Knolls NJ, and Columbia NY.

It's 2.5 miles x 36 races at Vanny Saturday. Does it get any better than this?