While many teams across the land feature some of the top individual runners as well, the NTN Heartland Regional Championships are going to be a pack dominated meet. With few stellar front runners participating in the event, depth is the key to earning one of those two automatic qualifying positions.
Road to Portland: NTN Heartland Regional
Date: December 10, 2007
Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Boys
State champions will dot the landscape as the buses roll into Sioux Falls Saturday. A slew of talented teams hope for the best, competing for the Heartland's two spots at NTN. Three favorites lead the pack, as Wayzata XC Club (Wayzata H.S., MN), Team Swanson (Shawnee Mission NW H.S., KS) and Pleasant Valley TC (Pleasant Valley H.S., IA) all show strong pack running ability.
Wayzata and Team Swanson are freakishly strong running as a pack. Each team won their respective state championships using the "run like a fist" strategy. Wayzata crushed the field by over fifty points using a 29 second split, while Team Swanson put six in the top twelve off of a 22 second split. While neither team has a top ranked individual, both have the hope and strength of team unity.
Pleasant Valley enters under a little bit different circumstances. State champion Devin Allbaugh leads the way, and should finish in the top three individually. After Allbaugh the team splits just over a minute, which will hurt them greatly at regionals. However, if senior leader Blake Irwin closes the gap from 3-4 Pleasant Valley will roll with the other two squads.
Two others to keep an eye are St. Louis XC Club (St. Louis University H.S., MO) and Rosemount TC (Rosemount H.S., MN). These two teams run strong and are showing strength at the time of year that counts most. St. Louis does not have a front runner to follow, but their 43 second split is as good as anyone in the field. Rosemount finished a distant second to Wayzata at state, but have one of the best top men in the field in Jordan Carlson. Their 2-5 split seven seconds at state.
The Dakota crew of 3-D Running Club (Yankton H.S., SD), Bismark TC (Bismark H.S., ND) and Sioux Falls XC Club (Sioux Falls Roosevelt H.S., SD) each have potential to win. 3-D returns loads of experience, a solid top four and a great front runner in senior Brad Anderson. The talented squad beat Sioux Falls at state by four points. Sioux Falls looks for payback as senior Bill Kogel gives them a very low point up front. Bismark won big at state behind junior Joash Osoro, who won the meet. Their 53 second split 2-5 should earn them a top five finish.
Girls
While the team match-ups are obviously the highlight of the day, the most watched battle comes between Katie Flood (So., Dowling Catholic, IA) and Emily Sisson (So., Millard North, NE). Earlier in the season Sisson, who finished third at FL Nationals in '06, lost big to Flood at the Roy Griak Invitational. This time around you can bet Sisson is looking to beat Flood, or at least hang closer than before.
Both girls also will be hoping to finish on top to help their team qualify for Nike Team Nationals. Flood's Dowling Catholic TC squad enters the meet ranked incredibly high and has the look of a team worthy of the national meet. Flood and fellow front runner Ashlie Decker finished 1-2 in the Iowa State Meet, giving this team perhaps the best 1-2 combination on the day. Their 3-5 are equally as solid, giving Dowling Catholic the favorite label.
The team chasing Dowling Catholic is three-time qualifier 3-D Running Club (Yankton H.S., SD). 3-D finished in the top five the past three years, and while they are noticeably weaker than in years past up top, they are a strength team through their pack. The squad beat perennial power Sioux Falls Roosevelt at state 58-75 while following the lead of sophomores Mariah Hofer and Megan Hilson. Their 53 second split comes in handy against heavy competition.
Sioux Falls XC Club and the Burnsville Skinnysk are two other squads to keep an eye on. Sioux Falls qualified for NTN in 2004 and 2006 and follow the lead of sophomore Bailey Breems. Breems brings with her a strong top three, while their fifth runner needs to be with their fourth runner if they hope to qualify. Experience may lead this team to Portland.
Talking about spreads, Burnsville laid an eight second bomb on the field at the Minnesota State Meet. A 1-5 spread of less than ten seconds may crush many other teams. Lack of front running ability may hurt, but in a race dominated by a strong 3-5, Burnsville can beat nearly all.
Four other teams ride the wave of momentum heading into Saturday's meet. Millard North RC (Millard North H.S., NE) follows Sisson into action, while her old squad Omaha Marian CC Club (Marian H.S., NE) beat Millard North at state, and has the leg up on 4-5 runners. Bismark RC (Bismark H.S., ND) and Fargo South TC (Fargo South H.S., ND) battled at state, with Bismark coming out on top by three. However, Fargo looks for redemption, as both squads follow talented front runners.