7. Juan Gonzalez
2023 Notable XC Finishes: 1st at the Heartland Classic, 1st at the NSAA Class State Cross Country Championship, 3rd at the NXR Heartland Regional, 6th at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional, 42nd at Nike Cross Nationals, and 10th at Foot Locker Nationals.
Analysis: Juan Gonzalez had a standout 2023 season, living out a dream year for distance runners. The junior qualified for both major national championship meets and set school course records in 11 of his 12 races. Notably, he delivered the fourth-fastest 5K time on the Nebraska state meet course in the last 35 years.
Gonzalez, a rare double-national qualifier, placed 10th at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships and 42nd at the Nike Cross Nationals Final, making him one of only four prep boys in the country to compete in both championship fields. He won seven races throughout the season, including the Class A state meet, where he clocked a time of 15:26.6 for the fastest all-class performance. His 14:33.8 at the Nike Cross Heartland Regional was the fastest 5K time by a Nebraska prep this year and was good enough for a 3rd place finish. His run at Foot Locker Nationals earned him Second Team All-America honors.
After a dream cross country season, Gonzalez excelled on the track, winning the Nebraska state titles in the 1600m and 3200m, plus a 2nd place finish in the 800m. He then went on to compete at the RunningLane Track Championships where he placed 13th in the mile with a new PR of 4:11.48 and 3rd in the 3200m with a time of 8:47.01.
COROS MILESPLIT50
PRESEASON BOYS INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL RANKINGS
*Click on the athlete names below for analysis
RANK | ATHLETE |
|---|---|
| 25 | Jack Bowen, McCallie School (Tenn.) |
| 24 | Luke Pash, Ridgewood HS (N.J.) |
| 23 | Alex Fisher, Loomis Chaffee (Conn.) |
| 22 | Benjamin Anderson, Mountain Vista (Colo.) |
| 21 | Riku Sugie, Thomas Nelson (Ky.) |
| 20 | Jack Graffeo, Westford Academy (Mass.) |
| 19 | Caden Leonard, Carroll (Ore.) |
| 18 | Landon Pretre, Menlo School (Calif.) |
| 17 | Tayvon Kitchen, Crater (Ore.) |
| 16 | Josiah Tostenson, Crater (Ore.) |
| 15 | Marcelo Mantecon, Belen Jesuit Prep (Fla.) |
| 14 | Eli Fitchen-Young, Santa Cruz (Calif.) |
| 13 | Kaden Evans, American Fork (Utah) |
| 12 | Owen Powell, Mercer Island (Wash.) |
| 11 | Tommy Latham, Marist (Ga.) |
| 10 | Broen Holman, Sonora (Calif.) |
| 9 | Joe Barrett, Christian Brothers Academy (N.J.) |
| 8 | Daniel Skandera, Unattached (Ala.) |
| 7 | Juan Gonzalez, Fremont (Nebr.) |
| 6 | TJ Hansen, Freeland (Ore.) |
| 5 | Robert Mechura, Roseville (Minn.) |
| 4 | Evan Noonan, Dana Hills (Calif.) |
| 3 | Tamrat (Tam) Gavenas, Phillips Academy Andover (Mass.) |
| 2 | Manny Putz, Onalaska (Wisc.) |
| 1 | Ty Steorts, Hurricance (W. Va.) |