Nike Cross Nationals Recap
Jane Hedengren of Timpview High in Utah continued to run away from even the most elite competition in the country Saturday at Nike Cross Nationals.
Charlie Vause from Rio Rancho High in New Mexico enjoyed the stretch run he had been visualizing his entire prep career.
And several California entries put together complete races at the ideal time under challenging conditions at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Ore.
Despite a steady rainstorm, muddy terrain and temperatures in the 40s throughout both championship races, Hedengren delivered the most commanding female performance in meet history, producing a 5-kilometer course record by running 16 minutes, 32.7 seconds.
Following a final kilometer that saw several lead changes and athletes struggling to maintain consistent footing as a result of the water-logged layout, Vause made the last surge cresting a pair of hills one of the most definitive moves of his entire career, holding off a pack of 11 challengers separated by less than 10 seconds to capture the title in 15:28.1.
Mountain Vista High of Colorado, competing as Denver XC, won its first national girls team championship by placing five scorers in the top 90 – led by senior Keeghan Edwards taking fourth in 17:15.2 – to prevail with 75 points.
Lone Peak High of Utah was second with 107 points and Buchanan High, competing as Clovis XC, held off last year’s winner Air Academy of Colorado – racing as Academy XC – by a 123-129 margin for third, with Bethlehem Central from New York, racing as Delmar XC, taking fifth at 149 points.
It marked the second time Buchanan achieved third at NXN in the past three years, including a 116-point performance in 2022.
Buchanan relied on four athletes being separated by less than four seconds to finish between 52nd and 56th, led by freshmen Gaby Gutierrez (18:27.5) and Brooklyn Buckley (18:27.8).
Buchanan joined Davis Senior, Great Oak and Saugus among the California girls programs with multiple podium finishes in meet history.
Trabuco Hills, which set the Woodward Park record for fastest team time on the 5-kilometer course Nov. 30 to win the California Division 1 state title, relied on senior Holly Barker becoming a two-time All-American with a 14th-place performance in 17:37.9 to secure seventh place as a team in its NXN debut with 211 points.
JSerra, a three-time NXN qualifier and winner of four consecutive California Division 4 state championships, achieved 16th place with 396 points.
Following a runner-up effort Nov. 23 at the Nike Southwest Regional in Arizona, Niwot High of Colorado – competing as Niwot XC – had five competitors in the top 70, including All-American Hunter Robbie placing 21st to lead four athletes among the first 35 finishers to triumph with 70 points.
American Fork of Utah also elevated from its Southwest Regional performance, moving from third at Toka Sticks Golf Course to capture second Saturday in Oregon with 96 points. It marked the fifth time in 13 years that American Fork finished runner-up at NXN, including back-to-back seasons.
Herriman, the reigning NXN champion and winner of the Southwest Regional crown in Mesa, took third at 106 points to become the only boys program in meet history to earn a podium finish in three consecutive seasons.
Southlake Carroll of Texas, making its 16th all-time appearance including its 13th in a row, benefited from Caden Leonard capturing third in 15:31.0 to achieve fourth as a team with 135 points, with Christian Brothers Academy from New Jersey – also a 16-time qualifier and advancing for a 13th consecutive time – grabbing fifth at 147 points.
Carmichael Jesuit, the 10-time California Division 2 state champion, finished 11th with 289 points, with Division 5 state winner Menlo School – competing as Menlo Park XC – earning 15th place at 387 points and Southern Section Division 2 title holder Glendora achieved 17th with 412 points.
Jesuit was making its first appearance at the meet since 2006, with Menlo School and Glendora both enjoying their NXN debuts.
Victoria Garces of Midland Dow High in Michigan was second in the girls final, well behind Hedengren in 17:13.4 and reigning Foot Locker champion Elizabeth Leachman from Boerne Champion in Texas took third in 17:13.7.
TJ Hansen from Freeland High in Michigan, who fell just before the finish and had to crawl across the line Nov. 17 in order to qualify at the Nike Northwest Regional at the LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind., placed second behind Vause in 15:30.6.
Evan Noonan of Dana Hills, a three-time NXN qualifier after capturing his third consecutive California Division 3 state title, achieved All-America honors for the first time by grabbing fifth place in 15:32.7.
Noonan had finished 46th and 45th the past two years at Glendoveer Golf Course.
Eyan Turk from Woodcrest Christian, the back-to-back California Division 5 state champion, also earned All-America recognition with an 18th-place effort in 15:45.2.
Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura, the three-time California Division 2 girls state winner, became an NXN All-American for the first time after taking 11th in 17:35.0, elevating from a 26th-place performance in 18:14.0 last year.
Rylee Blade from Corona Santiago, a three-time NXN qualifier, was 28th in 17:54.5, and another three-time finalist Hanne Thomsen of Santa Rosa Montgomery captured 33rd in 17:58.0.
Corona Santiago’s Braelyn Combe, a two-time NXN qualifier, finished 41st in 18:12.6 and South Pasadena’s Abigail Errington – the Division 3 state champion – clocked 18:48.4 to secure 82nd place.
Eli Fitchen-Young from Santa Cruz, the Division 4 boys state winner, was looking to become a two-time NXN All-American, but took 34th in 16:03.4.
Hueneme’s JR Lesher, the Division 2 state title holder, was 78th in 16:29.2 and Tesoro’s Griffin Kushen – the Southern Section Division 2 winner – achieved 106th in 16:44.6.
By Erik Boal