Nike Cross Nationals Preview

Buchanan and JSerra are adding to their impressive streaks of consecutive appearances in the girls championship race Saturday at Nike Cross Nationals, with Carmichael Jesuit returning to compete in the boys final in Oregon for the first time since 2006.

Trabuco Hills, following its first Division 1 title and Woodward Park team time record Nov. 30 in Fresno, will make its debut in the girls championship race at Glendoveer Golf Course, with the boys programs from Menlo School and Glendora also earning their first opportunities to compete in Portland.

The girls 5-kilometer final in the meet’s 19th edition is scheduled for 10:05 a.m. PST, followed by the boys championship race at 11:35 a.m.

Evan Noonan of Dana Hills, along with Corona Santiago’s Rylee Blade and Santa Rosa Montgomery’s Hanne Thomsen all secured their third straight berths to race at NXN, with Ventura’s Sadie Engelhardt and Eli Fitchen-Young from Santa Cruz both receiving back-to-back bids.

Hanne Thomsen (Montgomery, 10/12/2024)

Blade and Corona Santiago junior Braelyn Combe are the first set of girls teammates to represent California at NXN since Buchanan’s Corie Smith and Meagen Lowe in 2018.

Woodcrest Christian’s Eyan Turk, Hueneme’s JR Lesher and Tesoro’s Griffin Kushen all received their first bids to compete in the NXN boys race, with South Pasadena’s Abigail Errington qualifying for the girls national final for the first time.

Eyan Turk (Woodcrest Christian, 9/30/2024)

Noonan was 46th in 2022 and 45th last season, Thomsen placed 16th as a sophomore to receive All-America recognition and 24th last year, with Blade finishing 158th in her debut and improving to 76th last season.

Evan Noonan (Dana Hills, 11/8/2024)

Fitchen-Young was an All-American last year with a 19th-place effort and Engelhardt finished 26th in her NXN debut.

Trabuco Hills, which has Holly Barker returning to compete at NXN after she earned All-America honors with a 12th-place performance last year, prevailed by a 48-57 margin against Buchanan in the Division 1 state final as both lineups earned automatic berths to compete in the 22-team field.

Holly Barker (Trabuco Hills, 11/8/2024)

Buchanan secured its fifth all-time bid to race in Portland, including its fourth in a row, also qualifying in 2019 before the meet was canceled in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Southlake Carroll of Texas and Lone Peak from Utah join Buchanan as the only girls programs in the country with an active streak of four consecutive appearances at NXN.

JSerra received one of four national at-large berths to return to Glendoveer Golf Course, earning its third straight trip to compete in Portland.

Buchanan and JSerra joined Great Oak (2012-19) and Saugus (2006-12) as the only California girls programs to qualify for NXN at least three years in a row.

Trabuco Hills joins Corona del Mar, Dana Hills, Esperanza, Fountain Valley and JSerra among Orange County girls programs to compete in Nike Team Nationals or NXN in meet history.

Carmichael Jesuit, which captured its California record 10th Division 2 boys state championship, earned a third opportunity to race in a national final, although the Marauders will be making their NXN debut.

Jesuit secured seventh at Nike Team Nationals in 2005, followed by a fourth-place finish at Portland Meadows in 2006.

Menlo School achieved the second boys automatic berth after winning its first state title and setting the Division 5 record for fastest team time at Woodward Park.

Menlo became the first Division 5 program in California prep history, regardless of gender, to qualify for the national championship in Oregon.

Glendora received one of four national boys at-large berths to race at Glendoveer Golf Course following a runner-up performance behind Jesuit by a 73-91 margin in the Division 2 state final.

California has produced five boys national team champions in meet history, with Arcadia winning in 2010 and 2012, Great Oak securing victory in 2015 and Newbury Park prevailing in 2019 and 2022.

The state has showcased three boys individual champions in Larkspur Redwood’s Liam Anderson in 2018, followed by Newbury Park standouts Nico Young in 2019 and Aaron Sahlman in 2022.

Sarah Baxter of Simi Valley won girls individual titles at NXN in 2011 and 2012, but California is still seeking its first girls national team championship following five runner-up finishes in Portland.

Saugus secured second twice in 2007-08, Great Oak placed runner-up in 2014 and Davis Senior achieved the feat in 2015-16.

Herriman High of Utah, coached by former Great Oak program head Doug Soles, is the reigning NXN boys team champion. American Fork from Utah was second and Southlake Carroll of Texas took third.

Air Academy led a Colorado sweep of the girls team podium last year, along with Niwot and Mountain Vista.

Herriman, American Fork, Niwot and Christian Brothers Academy from New Jersey are among the leading contenders for the boys team title Saturday, with Mountain Vista, Air Academy, Trabuco Hills, Buchanan and Bethlehem Central of New York among the elite challengers for the girls team championship.

By Erik Boal