Two Of The Biggest Races Of The Year Are Full Of Intrigue

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Storylines and assorted notes heading into Saturday's Nike Cross Nationals at Glendoveer Golf Course in Northeast Portland. 

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Weather Forecast: After a prolonged mostly dry spell, rain is expected to hit the Portland area late Friday afternoon/evening. That rain will continue overnight and Saturday is supposed to be wet. However, the golf course is in great shape and the overnight rain will likely not make it as muddy as it has been in the past. The grass will be wet and it probably be raining during both races with temperatures about 45 degrees. 

The Boys Team Race

Erik Boal's story this week about the very real possibility of a California 1-2 sweep involving Great Oak and Newbury Park painted a clear picture of two deep, talented programs striving to break through and capture this year's championship. The two schools compete in different divisions at the CIF finals, but split their two regular season competitions – Newbury Park winning by 33 points at Woodbridge and Great Oak winning the Clovis Invitational by eight points. They are pushing one another, locally and nationally.

Will it be a California sweep? 

When I spoke to Loudoun Valley coach Marc Hunter on Thursday about whether his team was prepared to win an unprecedented third straight national title, his answer was emphatic:

"Absolutely. Yes."

Loudoun Valley's boys are 2-0 at NXN. The team's expectation is to win. 

And there's a fourth team that's feeling pretty good about it's chances. 

Utah, one of the nation's cross country hotbeds, has never produced an NXN champion. But the Corner Canyon lineup that includes transfer Easton Allred, last year's fifth-place finisher, can't be overlooked. 

The NXR Southwest champions said they are ready to compete for the win. 

"It's feeling really good right now," senior Mark Boyle said. "It's not going downhill."

This is a group that would like nothing more than to channel some of the winning spirit of the NCAA champion Brigham Young men's team on Saturday. Boyle and Allred are both committed to the Cougars. 

The Girls Team Race

You might be curious to know that not everything goes Summit's way, not even in Oregon. 

On Nov. 2, after the No. 1-ranked girls won their conference meet with 20 points, head coach Carol McLatchie did not win the Mountain Valley Conference coach of the year award. Didn't win it last year, either. 

Pettiness happens. 

Instead, Carol and Jim McLatchie will fly to Orlando, Fla. next week to accept a national coach of the year award.  

With all of last year's team back, the defending national champions re-tooled and while not becoming uptight about being the favorite. Last week, there were some good workouts and a chance to breathe.

"It was a good week to take it down a notch before we pick it back up again," Fiona Max said. 

Summit knows that another team could step up and take the trophy on Saturday. All it can do is give a maximum effort and hope for the best. Same as it did last year.

Fayetteville-Manlius NY has a front four that can match up with Summit, and the fifth runner is doing a better job of late. After so many wins through the years, who would be shocked if Bill Aris' team won for a 12th time? Claire Walters has been part of three national championships already and is making her fifth appearance.

"From a pure cross country standpoint, Claire Walters is the best runner I've ever had," Aris said.

F-M has been a few points better than the young, yet supremely talented Saratoga Springs teams the past two meetings, at the New York state meet and at NXR New York. 

North Central WA is a team to watch, with good energy, a proud history, and belief. 

Beavercreek OH has a tremendous leader in Taylor Ewert and has been rock solid all fall. 

The top Californians, Buchanan and Great Oak, are race sharp after competing at the CIF f Division 1 finals last Saturday. 

The Boys Individual Race

This one is a blockbuster. Five different runners may have what it takes to win it. 

Cole Sprout of Valor Christian CO is the highest placing returner from 2018. He was third in 15:02.7. If not for a mid-season loss in a terrific race against Leo Daschbach at the Desert Twilight in Arizona, he would be ranked No. 1. Coming down from altitude, he's got a great chance to win. 

Nico Young of Newbury Park CA is also a co-favorite. Not only did he run 8:40 for 3,200 meters on the track eight months ago, he ran 13:39 for 3 miles at Woodbridge to start the season. He finished two seconds behind Sprout last year, for fourth. He's also got a chance to lead his team to the championship, so he'll be motivated to the final step.

Josh Methner of Hersey IL has to be on the short list, simply because he's on fire. Not only did he break Craig Virgin's course record at famed Detweiller Park, he has reeled off wins at NXR Midwest and Foot Locker Midwest. If there's any reason to hesitate on him, it might be that he's trying to do too much. 

E.J. Holland of Ashland OR made it his mission to win the Nike Cross Nationals title over the summer and he crafted a training plan to do that one thing. Along the way, he skipped some early meets, ran an all-time meet record 14:30 at the Oregon state meet and used NXR Northwest as a rehearsal. At Boise, Holland used a burst with 1,000 meters to go and tore away from Nathan Green and other challengers. If Holland is at the front with a 1,000 to go on Saturday, look out. This is a 3:46.59 1,500-meter runner. 

Ryan Schoppe ran 14:14 on the 5K state championship course in Texas and then won impressively again at the NXR South regional. Schoppe is on the national stage for the first time, so he may inject an element of surprise into the lead pack. Or that lack of experience could become a problem. Either way, he's been running great and could be in the mix right to the end. 

The Girls Individual Race

Katelyn Tuohy is on the cusp of a possible third NXN national championship, which would break a tie with Sarah Baxter (2011-12) and further pad her legacy as the greatest female high school distance runner in U.S. history. 

Tuohy is happy to be back and even happier that North Rockland teammate Haleigh Morales was able to make the trip with her this year. 

At the heart of her tremendous success at NXN is a deep well of experience. Tuohy will run in her fifth NXN on Saturday – she's run in all of the championships at Glendoveer except the first one, in 2014. Tuohy was 49th as an eighth grader and 13th as a freshman before her development zoomed as a sophomore and she won her first title by 40 seconds. 

There are more runners than ever who can keep Tuohy within their sights this year. And that's not because she's getting any slower. Perhaps because of the bar she sets, more girls are stepping up to go after her. 

Walters, who was 71 seconds behind Tuohy at the 2017 NXN race, has closed the gap to 20-25 seconds. 

Marlee Starliper of Northern PA, who has joined the legendary Kim Gallagher as the greatest Pennsylvania female distance runner of all-time, has long awaited a chance to race Tuohy. 

Ewert was third at NXN last year, when she was 30 seconds behind Tuohy. 

Katelynne Hart is the best ever from Illinois and looking to atone for a less-than-spectacular 16th place last year. 

One more who has belief is Rawlins WY junior Sydney Thorvaldson, who ran 16:50 to win the NXR Northwest title for the second straight year – the fastest ever 5K in the state of Idaho. 

Full Circle

Lincoln OR coach Eric Dettman, in his first official season as the head cross country coach at the downtown Portland school, is believed to be the first person to run on a winning Nike Cross Nationals team and then return as a coach. 

Dettman was a member of the Kroy (York IL) team that won the inaugual Nike Team Nationals in 2004. He and twin brother Matt went on to the University of Oregon. 

Back in 2004, Eric recalled, he held the infant son of coach Charlie Kern, named Ethan. 

On Saturday, Ethan Kern will also be in the meet with York. 

"This meet feels special for so many reasons," Dettman said. 

Not to mention that is father, Ross Dettman, is Nike's lead photographer for the event. 

On The Rise

Here's a name to remember for when it comes up later. 

Jesuit (Portland) qualfied its boys team for the third time in program history with a tightly packed group that includes three seniors. 

Eighth man Jacob Nenow is a freshman who ran an end-of-season 5K in 15:54 is waiting in the wings 

He's the son of Mark Nenow, who held the American record in the 10,000 meters from 1986-2001 (27:20.56). 

"He's a very talented kid with a big future," Jesuit coach Tom Rothenberger said of the freshman.