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No. 15 Mountain Vista (CO)

Analysis: On paper, the team has five of its top seven returning, including its three best runners from 2018. And on paper, that would make Mountain Vista talented enough to compete with any team in the country. However, it would be wise to pump the brakes as the season begins. The Golden Eagles will be a slow burn that could, eventually, put it all together. But as it stands, the team is down two important runners -- who could come back by the end of the season. As a result, the squad will have to develop depth from within. 

The plus side to all of this is that head coach Jonathan Dalby -- historically a good developer of talent -- can try to work his magic and lean on training to make sure a solid five-to-seven funnels out. Considering the tradition of Mountain Vista, it would be wise to keep them in the hunt for another qualification to NXN. While last year didn't add up to a top five finish at NXN -- the Golden Eagles were 14th -- the season was strong, with a win at NXR Southwest, another win at the Colorado Class 5A State Championships, and two invitational wins at Dave Sanders and Liberty Bell. 

Biggest Question: Just what Mountain Vista team will we see in 2019? 

The jury is still out on a team that's down a couple runners, but history has shown us that the Golden Eagles usually reload rather than rebuild.