Watch Finn Gessner and Seth Hirsch battle to course record times of 14:39.4 and 14:39.5 at the NXN Heartland Regional.
The Challengers
Seth Hirsch | Millard West, NE | SENIOR
Saucony Flo50 Ranking: #2
Seth Hirsch and Finn Gessner--both of whom will be Wisconsin Badgers next year-- are also friends. The duo pushed each other to break the course record at NXN Heartland, as Gessner crossed slightly ahead in 14:39.4. Gessner recently told us that he is skipping NXN to focus on Foot Locker, leaving Hirsch as the top Heartland competitor in Portland. Hirsch is the Nebraska state champion, Roy Griak champion and placed ninth at both NXN and Foot Locker in 2015.
Watch Brodey Hasty and D.J. Principe break the meet record at the Great American XC Festival:
Brodey Hasty | Brentwood, TN | JUNIOR
Saucony Flo50 Ranking: #4
D.J. Principe | La Salle Academy, RI | SENIOR
Saucony Flo50 Ranking: #6
D.J. Principe has demolished course records left and right this season. He won his third consecutive Rhode Island state title in 14:56, a new record ahead of his old standard of 15:09, and twice broke the Bowdoin Park course record this year --first lowering the standard from 15:27 to 15:23 at the Bowdoin XC Classic in September, then all the way down to 15:18 to win the NXN Northeast Regional. The NXN NE effort earned him a speed rating of 202, the highest for any boy this season. His only loss this season came at the hands of Brentwood, Tenn. junior Brodey Hasty in an epic battle that saw them both break the meet record at the Great American XC Festival, 14:32.2 to 14:32.4. Hasty won the Tennessee State Championship and the NXN Southeast Regional. He placed seventh at NXN last year as just a sophomore (!), a stat that actually makes him the top returner to Portland behind Clinger. Principe was 17th last year.
