Boys Individuals
JoJo Jourdan lost his region by ten seconds. Charlie Vause was third at his. Aaron Sahlman entered NXN having not finished higher than third the entire season.
What do they have in common? They've all won NXN.
In predicting the winner of the Boys race, the question is really, do you go with the favorite, or the field? For the past three years, the field has won.
Still, it's hard to bet against this crop of athletes, as there is not only talent, but depth.
Your best bet is to look toward the Southwest. Jackson Spencer took down both Oliver Horton and Yohanes VanMeerten to win the region. Realistically, it was a controlled effort until the final stretch, but Spencer's ability to change gears and his demonstration that he can run fast when he needs to, puts him as the top athlete to watch.
Sean Gray and Sean Fries come into the meet undefeated. Their path has been easier, but not easy. Fries has had solid competition throughout the Season, culminating with a big effort at Regionals, which mirrors that of Gray, who went #2 All-Time at his Regional Course, only behind a HS sub-4 Miler.
Caden Leonard is an example of the field. He was strong last year throughout the Texas scene, but a fourth place at Woodbridge hampered his National Rank. However, at NXN, he was leading the race before slipping. He managed to get up and finish, taking fourth overall, making him the top returner. The Course will look to be in similar conditions this year, and that grit and experience proves Leonard can run in just about anything.
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There really is a multitude of athletes who could pull an 'upset.' Niwot alone could provide a sweep of the top of the podium for both team and individuals. Marcelo Mantecon is undefeated, and makes his way to the starting line via a late auto-bid. With the race this close, and athletes this good, it's hard to predict the outcome. Run the race five times, and you'll probably get five different winners. That's what makes the sport exciting, and keeps us coming back year after year. Check out our full staff picks tomorrow.