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BOYS RACE
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Racing conditions will be a little messy. There's snow on the ground in Terre Haute. But temperatures should be moderate and in the 40s. So things should be interesting. Check out all the information you need to know below.
Previous Placement:
2018: 1. Hersey (IL); 2. Wheaton Warrensville South (IL); 3. York (IL); 4. Naperville South (IL)
2017: 1. Downers Grove North (IL); 3. Lyons Township (IL); 3. Carmel (IN); 4. Neuqua Valley (IL)
2016: 1. Naperville South (IL); 2. Downers Grove North (IL); 3. Mahomet-Seymour (IL); 4. Lyons Township (IL)
2015: 1. Sandburg (IL); 2. Neuqua Valley (IL); 3. Lyons Township (IL); 4. Wildwood Lafayette (MO)
2014: 1. Sandburg (IL); 2. Carmel (IN); 3. York (IL); 4. Wildwood Lafayette (MO)
CONFIDENCE PICKS BY MILESPLIT:
1. St. Charles East (IL): 2. Wheaton Warrensville South (IL); 3. Fort Wayne Concordia (IN); 4. York (IL)
Teams To Pay Attention To:
- St. Charles East (IL): It's go-time for the Fighting Saints. Illinois teams have won this regional five straight times in the past five years, and Illinois' Class 3A champs are the strongest squad here at the Midwest. Dominant wins at Regionals and Peoria showed just how talented this team is. But faced with strong tests from its competitors (see below), St. Charles East will need to perform when it matters most on a national stage. Terre Haute generally is a cunning course, so the top five will be tested. Seniors Bob Liking and sophomore Micah Wilson will lead from the front.
- Wheaton Warrenville South (IL): WWS has the benefit of qualifying in 2018. And the program was just five-points shy of beating St. Charles East in Class 3A at its state championships. So it's not like this thing is in the bag. At Detweiller Park, this team was just two seconds off on average and had a closer spread. That could make the difference in a bigger field. Senior William Hauenstein has a chance to score in the top five.
- York (IL): Much like WWS, York's been there, done that. The squad was third in its state's Class 3A championships and third in this regional last year. If senior Ethan Kern, a Kentucky commit, fares better than he did at state, York could gun for a auto-qualifier here.
- Sandburg (IL): Illinois teams run this region. And it goes deep with Sandburg, which finished fourth at its state championships in Class 3A. The beauty of regionals is that it's an even playing field -- a neutral course for most, and a much larger field than what most athletes see at the state championships. That will level matters for Sandburg, which averaged 14:55 for 3-miles at Detweiller Park and had a 47-second spread.
- Fort Wayne Concordia Luthern (IN): Indiana's state champions averaged 16:08 for 5K and a 50-second spread. Terre Haute is where Indiana ran at state, so it will be familiar territory. Senior Reece Gibson will be the tone-setter for this team.
- Carmel (IN): The squad finished second at state behind FWCL and are led by senior Grant Moon and freshman Kole Mathison.
Top Returners From 2018:
2. Josh Methner, Hersey (IL); 5. Ethan Kern, York (IL); 7. Tyler Cushing, Bolingbrook (IL); 8. Evan Bishop, East Grand Rapids (MI); 13. Luke Combs; 14. William Hauenstein, Wheaton Warrensville South (IL); 17. Gabriel Sanchez, Lowell (IN); 18. Reece Gibson, Fort Wayne Concordia Luthern (IN).
Individuals:
- Josh Methner, Hersey (IL): He was seventh in 2017 and second in 2018. Methner is due for a win at Midwest, and he's likely to get it. The now all-time leader at Detweiller Park ran an incredible 3-mile time of 13:49.90 at his Class 3A state championships. This will be his first 5K of the season.
- Caleb Brown, Shelby (OH): The Wisconsin commit has dominated Ohio all year long. He's undefeated and owns a personal best of 14:51.20. He's the next standout Ohio athlete to represent the state at NXN, if all goes to plan.
- Evan Bishop, East Grand Rapids (MI): Bishop won his LP Division 2 state championship on Nov. 2 and ran a personal best 14:56.40 at his regional race the week prior. He's won nine of 10 races and is a returning All-American at NXN. What's not to like on that resume?
- Luke Combs, Lapel (IN): Combs had a killer race in September, posting his first sub-15 in 14:56.17 at the Riverview Health Invitational. He responded a few months later by finishing third at state and has posted seven wins on the season.
- Gabriel Sanchez, Lowell (IN): Everything went right for Sanchez at state. The Indiana commit won his first title in a PR of 15:28.70. But next up is a qualification to NXN. He was 17th in this race last year.
- Jack Spamer, Brighton (MI): Perhaps the one thing eluding Spamer this season is a big win. He's run extremely fast, posting a career best 14:48.10 in October. But a qualification for NXN would be an even better touch.
- Anthony/Michael Hancock, Dearborn Divine Child (MI): The brothers from Michigan, and commits to the hometown university, should pose a threat to qualify for NXN.
- Mhalicki Bronson, Defiance (OH): He was second at his Ohio Division 2 state championships and owns a PR of 15:00.30 on the season.
- Matt Duvall, Pickerington North (OH): He won Ohio's Division 1 state championships and ran a personal best of 14:57.90 in October.
Other Athletes To Watch: Nathan Walker, Fremont (MI); Jack Kovach, Brebeuf Jesuit (IN); Elliott Cook, Dublin Jerome (OH); Owen Huard, Dexter (MI); Zachary Stewart, Brighton (MI); Brendan Favazza, Clarkston (MI); Alex Frey, North Central (IN); Reece Gibson, Fort Wayne Concordia (IN); Jared Kreis, Lincoln-Way Central (IN).
Note: Carter Solomon, who would be the top ranked runner in this region, did not run NXR Midwest last year and instead opted for Foot Locker Nationals. That will be his likely destination again.