MileSplit is on-site with coverage from the Nike Cross Nationals South Regional meet at Bear Branch Soccer Fields in The Woodlands, Texas. Complete results, race videos, photos, and interviews to be posted after Saturday's races. Note that meet management has made changes to the meet schedule in wake of the recent significant rainfall in the area.
The region is often jokingly considered as the Texas regional with the state always dominating the meet on an annual basis in sending the two auto team qualifiers and the majority of the individual qualifiers to nationals, but this year could see a little more variety and real competition from the border states.
In particular, the Jenks boys from Oklahoma are looking to become the first non-Texas team to qualify out of the region after defeating the best in Texas in the 6A state champions from Southlake Carroll twice earlier in the season. Southlake Carroll boys are attempting to win their fourth straight NXN South region title. The Woodlands and College Park boys were second and third to Southlake Carroll in the Texas 6A race and both hope to catch either Jenks or Southlake Carroll slipping it up in the mud or run well enough in the third spot to garner at-large consideration.
The Lewisville Hebron girls saw their boys qualify last year for NXN and the Marcus girls have seen their boys (2010 NXN regional champs) in the past make it to nationals as well, but both programs are looking to this year to be the year their girls get over the hump and move onto Portland. The Marcus girls were considered the top ranked team in Texas for most of the year especially after a win earlier in the season at the Nike South Invite, but the Lewisville Hebron girls overtook them two weeks ago for the 6A state title.
The boys individual race has several potential winners led by Saucony Flo50 #19 ranked Carter Blunt, who won the Texas 5A state title two weeks ago in Round Rock with the fastest time of the day in 15:22, but the 6A state champion David Strome was just a tick slower at 15:23 and will also be in the race with Blunt on Saturday at Bear Branch Soccer Fields.
Strome raced earlier this season on the same course with a narrow runner-up finish at the Nike South Invite to The Cooper School's Pedro Nasta. Strome lost to fellow junior Blunt early in the season at two invitationals, but Nasta and Blunt have yet to race yet. Being a private school runner, Nasta did not get a chance to race and see the best in the state two weeks ago at the state meet.
New Braunfels junior Paige Hofstad is the defending NXN South Region champ after a 17:38 performance in last year's race and won earlier this season in an identical time on the same course at the Nike South Invite. While Hofstad is certainly capable of a repeat, the favorite for the race will be Devin Clark, who is undefeated this season in Texas including several victories against Hofstad. The recent University of Arkansas commit Clark has one of the fastest 5K times in the nation this fall at 16:40 and set the Texas State Meet course record two weeks ago in 17:10 to win the 6A title (Hofstad was 2nd in 17:18). Clark was 7th in last year's NXN South race.
Coaches, Athletes, Parents and Fans,
