Nike Southwest Regional Preview

The Nike Southwest Regional produced the top four girls teams in the country, along with the individual champion, as well as the two elite boys programs at last year’s Nike Cross Nationals, and they are all scheduled to compete again Saturday in Arizona, as the event returns to Toka Sticks Golf Course in Mesa for the first time since 2013.

The boys lineup from Herriman High in Utah and the girls team representing Air Academy in Colorado both placed second at last year’s regional meet at Coyote Run Golf Course at Leisure World in Arizona, before each group captured Nike Cross Nationals titles two weeks later at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Ore.

Herriman and rival American Fork took the top two spots in the NXN boys final, with Niwot from Colorado finishing fifth and Riverton – another Utah Class 6A program – taking ninth in Oregon.

Air Academy and Niwot were joined on the NXN girls podium last season by Colorado Class 5A counterpart Mountain Vista, with Lone Peak from Utah finishing fourth. Mountain Vista and Lone Peak were also third and fourth at the regional final behind Niwot and Air Academy.

The Southwest Region is again the deepest and most challenging among all the nine qualifying meets nationally to secure berths to compete Dec. 7 at NXN.

Herriman, American Fork, Niwot and Riverton all have the potential to advance from the boys 5-kilometer regional final at 10:45 a.m. MST, along with Rio Rancho of New Mexico, Hamilton from Arizona and Valor Christian of Colorado.

Herriman and Niwot are both seeking their first boys regional title in program history, with American Fork looking to secure a 12th berth to NXN, as well as a potential third straight Southwest team crown and ninth overall. 

Mountain Vista, Air Academy and Lone Peak are the top contenders in the girls 5-kilometer regional championship at 11:25 a.m. MST, with Niwot and fellow Colorado programs Fossil Ridge and Chaparral also capable of qualifying for NXN.

Mountain Vista has won regional girls titles in 2016 and 2018, with Niwot capturing the past two Southwest championships and Lone Peak winning in 2019. Air Academy, Chaparral and Fossil Ridge are all looking to win the regional crown for the first time.

The Southwest Region has earned at least one boys at-large berth to compete at NXN in eight consecutive seasons, including a pair of at-large qualifiers in 2015, 2017 and last year.

The girls regional final has produced an NXN at-large qualifier in 10 straight seasons, with the Southwest finally being rewarded with a pair of at-large bids for the first time last year.

Gianna Rahmer of Eldorado High in New Mexico captured the girls individual title last year as an eighth-grader, with Addy Ritzenhein of Niwot taking third in Arizona, before winning the NXN championship in Oregon.

Ritzenhein set the 5-kilometer course record at Toka Sticks by running 16:41.3 on Sept. 27 at the Desert Twilight Festival.

Katie Rainsberger of Air Academy still boasts the fastest female performance in Southwest championship history by clocking 16:23.4 in 2015 at the Grande Sports Complex in Casa Grande.

They are part of an exceptional girls regional final that also includes returning NXN individual qualifiers Ella Hagen of Summit High and Payton Meineke from Riverdale Ridge in Colorado, in addition to Lily Alder of Timpview High in Utah.

Alder’s teammate Jane Hedengren, who finished 11th at the 2022 regional championship at Coyote Run Golf Course at Leisure World, returns to the Southwest final representing Timpview and is a potential title contender.

Utah is also expected to showcase American Fork’s Skye Jensen, Union’s Jaylie Jenkins, Mountain View’s Julie Moore and Adria Favero of Olympus, along with a Lone Peak lineup that includes Maya Bybee, Boston Bybee, Anna Bybee, Zoey Nilsson and Paytin Rohatinsky.

Arizona is led by two-time Division 1 state champion Taylor Drewry from Basha, with Kambri Felsted of Spanish Springs and Eleanor Raker from Galena scheduled to represent Nevada.

Delaney Reuter from Eaton, the Colorado Class 3A state champion, and Emily Cohen of Cherry Creek are also potential NXN individual qualifiers.

Colorado will also be well represented with Claire Guiberson, Keeghan Edwards, Juliet Frum, Peyton Adams and Zoe Brandt leading Mountain Vista, as well as an Air Academy lineup featuring Tessa Walter, Jordan Banta, Chamorra Cooper and Mariah Hook.

Niwot, competing as REAL Training, will need strong efforts from Anna Prok, Elise Hagen and Wendy Cheruiyot in support of Ritzenhein, especially against a Fossil Ridge lineup that includes Tatum Berg and Mia Williams, and a Chaparral program that features Kapri Parry, Kaylee Ellsworth and Sky St. Louis.

Niwot, which won the boys team title Sept. 27 at the Desert Twilight Festival at Toka Sticks, is led by Ryder Keeton, Hunter Robbie and Rocco Culpepper.

REAL Training is ready to challenge Herriman and American Fork in pursuit of its first boys regional title.

Herriman is led by Jackson Spencer, Tayshaun Ogomo, Jonah Tang and Micah Tang, with American Fork relying on Kaden Evans, Carter Moore and Ryker Bement.

Riverton features Christian Ruf, Landon Nunley and Corbin Randall, with Hamilton’s lineup showcasing Zarian Rodriguez, Dominick Muller and Ryan Estrada.

Charlie Vause and Cody Sullivan could lead Rio Rancho to a potential qualifying berth, but also have the opportunity to secure individual entries to NXN, in addition to fellow New Mexico standouts Corbin Coombs and Jeron Wisner of Organ Mountain.

Vause set the Toka Sticks 5-kilometer course record Sept. 27 by clocking 14:42.2 to win Desert Twilight.

Cole Sprout of Valor Christian in Colorado still boasts the fastest performance by a male athlete in Southwest championship history with his 14:39.1 effort in 2018 at the Grande Sports Complex.

Benji Anderson and Ben Adams from Mountain Vista, Aiden Le Roux and Brogan Collins of Cheyenne Mountain, Kaeden Dendorfer from Valor Christian, Ben Lee of ThunderRidge and Oliver Horton of Coronado are all Colorado competitors capable of advancing to race at the national final in Oregon, in addition to Kenan Dagge from Desert Oasis in Nevada and Henry Dilworth of Liberty in Arizona.

By Erik Boal