A Quick Look At The Rest Of The XC Season In New York


As the XC Season begins to sharpen its' point, we take a quick look at the weeks ahead.

Sectional drama is cross country at its' finest

For fans of the sport, the upcoming week is one of the most thrilling. It's the first elimination week in Cross Country. Win as a team, or place Top 5 as an individual, or else your Season may be over. With nearly 88 races for each gender, there is plenty of drama unfolding across the states. Once again, MileSplit NY will be producing our Sectional Scorecard (release schedule below), where we preview each of the contests, and give our best guesses as to who moves on. For the last ten years, we've averaged roughly 88% accuracy with both teams and individuals, which should give an indication that just about anything is possible on race day.

Weather to be a factor moving forward

Last week, New York was hit with the remnants of the "Bomb-Cyclone." With much of the ground saturated from an already wet Summer, flooding was a concern. With rain expected in the next week, Sectionals could be that much more interesting.  Section 4 is doing everything they can to preserve the State Meet Course. No teams are allowed to scout the course before Sectionals, and golf carts have been banned as well, to preserve the home of States. But the good news is the temps will remain above freezing, so staying clear of Plattsburgh conditions looks to be the case in 2021.

Potential for a thrilling Federation Meet

Over the years, the inclusion of the New York Regional for Nike Cross Nationals has encouraged top teams to take a rest week, in order to attempt to qualify for the big show. Unfortunately, that has pulled top teams away from the Fed Meet. However, with the cancellation of NXN, there is no longer that 'carrot' of qualification.

That's good news for Feds.

We fully expect a revitalized Federation Championship in 2021, one that truly brings in the best of the best in New York State, teams and individuals. The numbers of At-Large bids have been reallocated, as the PSAL is unable to compete outside of New York City. That means 9 automatic, and 9 At-Large picks will be joining the best of the CHSAA and AAIS.

On the boys side, Class B Burnt Hills will have a shot at taking on Class A Corning, whereas on the girls side, Pearl River can see just how high they can climb into the Class A ranks in a single race. The magic of Feds is that there is no conflict of interest with Foot Locker on the same weekend, meaning your top individuals can race head-to-head with the top team scorers. It's a true test for New York State supremacy, and a welcome return.

EastBay takes over for Foot Locker

Early this month, it was announced there would be a return of the Foot Locker National Championships, rebranded as EastBay, a subsidiary of the company. Once again, the 10 best athletes from each of the four regions across the country will descend on Balboa Park in San Diego, for one final race. Typically producing the highest Speed Ratings of the Season, the race has been held annually for over 40 years, with recent champion Molly Seidel able to transition her Foot Locker victory into an Olympic Medal in the Marathon. The Northeast Qualifier is held on 11/27, with the finals on 12/11.

In the wake of the NXN cancellation, RunningLane in Alabama retooled their last chance invitational, allowing for wider participation from the Country at-large.  With a course specifically designed to produce fast times, it's put together an impressive list of committed teams on the Boys side of the competition. However, with a qualifier, teams would have to pay their own way to attend, and be seeded high enough in the MileSplit National Rankings to make the seeded heat.

Despite a lack of a National Meet, Nike will still be holding a regional meet at Bowdoin Park, for those looking for one more meet. For teams in the Northeast Region, its a chance to combine the New England Championships atmosphere, with teams from NJ and PA. New York will also have their Regional.

Preview Released 11/2
Section 411/4Chenango Valley State Park
Section 911/4Bear Mountain State Park
Section 1011/4Malone HS
Preview Released 11/3
Section 211/5Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Section 611/5East Aurora HS
Section 711/5Cobble Hill Golf Course
Section 1111/5Sunken Meadow State Park
Preview Released 11/4
Section 111/6Bowdoin Park
Section 311/6VVS HS
Section 511/6Letchworth State Park
Section 811/6Bethpage State Park
Preview Released 11/5
PSAL11/7Van Cortlandt State Park
AAIS11/7Van Cortlandt State Park
Preview Released 11/10
CHSAA11/13Van Cortlandt State Park