Photo Credit: Tim Healey/Oregonian
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NORTHWEST REGION:
Some of the toughest runners in the U.S. come from the Northwest Region.
Hailing from Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming, these athletes have seen it all, from snow and freezing rain, to steep climbs and high elevation.
Entering the meet, three nationally-ranked teams are in the field, including No. 4 Rocky Mountain (ID), No. 6 Portland Jesuit (OR) and No. 11 Crater (OR).
Rocky Mountain, in particular, has performed exceptionally over its last few meets, culminating with an Idaho state championship on Oct. 29 which saw the team score 30 points and land two runners under 15 minutes for 5K.
Teams with depth and versatility are best-suited for the Eagle Island XC Course, which features a few difficult hills and a looper course.
Rocky Mountain, as fate would have it, resides right here in Boise where the race is held.
That added home-town advantage could boost the squad's overall finish.
But of course, experience makes a difference. Portland Jesuit has been in this position many times before. Teams like Portland Central Catholic (OR), Bozeman (MT) and Bishop Kelly (ID) could also make runs.
On the individual front, this seems like Tyrone Gorze's race to win. The Washington signee, ranked No. 3 on the MileSplit50, last ran at the Oregon state championships on Nov. 5 and blitzed the course in 14:37.90, scoring a new course record.
At the regional on Saturday, he could have his hands full with Rocky Mountain's Landon Heemeyer, who entered the national rankings this week and who's coming off a state title of his own in 14:38.
Coos Bay Marshfield's (OR) Alexander Garcia-Silver, Portland Jesuit's (OR) Jacob Nenow and Sehome's (WA) Zack Munson are also in the mix here, as are Walla Walla's (WA) Brody Hartley, Portland Central Catholic's Wesley Shipsey and West Salem's Jack Meier.
MileSplit50 Northwest Regional Rankings
1. Rocky Mountain (ID)
2. Portland Jesuit (OR)
3. Crater (OR)
4. Central Catholic (OR)
5. Bozeman (MT)
Team Northwest Team Predictions
Cory's Picks
| finish | team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Portland Jesuit (OR) |
| 2 | Rocky Mountain (ID) |
| 3 | Bozeman (MT) |
| 4 | Eastlake (WA) |
| 5 | Bishop Kelly (ID) |
Ashley's Picks
| finish | team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Portland Jesuit (OR) |
| 2 | Rocky Mountain (ID) |
| 3 | Crater (OR) |
| 4 | Bozeman (MT) |
| 5 | Central Catholic (OR) |
Team Northwest Individual Predictions
Cory's Picks
| finish | Individuals |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tyrone Gorze, Crater (OR) |
| 2 | Landon Heemeyer, Rocky Mountain (ID) |
| 3 | Alexander Garcia-Silver, Marshfield (OR) |
| 4 | Jacob Nenow, Jesuit (OR) |
| 5 | Zack Munson, Sehome (WA) |
Ashley's Picks
| finish | individuals |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tyrone Gorze, Crater (OR) |
| 2 | Landon Heemeyer, Rocky Mountain (ID) |
| 3 | Jacob Nenow, Jesuit (OR) |
| 4 | Zack Munson, Sehome (WA) |
| 5 | Alexander Garcia-Silver, Marshfield (OR) |