These past two weeks have seen the country exist in two parallel worlds. Depending on where you are, and when your season started, you are either in 'survive & advance' mode through your qualifiers, or you are leaving it all out on the line at your respective State Championships.
The middle of the country, generally, are the ones having their state championships, highlighted by the excellent battles in Utah, Texas, and Colorado. All in all, roughly half of all state meets have happened, and the rankings have withstood those pressures, albeit with some surprise additions in the upper echelons. On the coasts, Mt. SAC served as the final major invitational of the season, while the Northeast was only starting up their local league meets. The next two weeks will round out all state championships, and our ranks will be given a week to rest, as we then ramp up the regional qualifying for both Foot Locker and NXN.
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A Look At The Top
US #1 Addison Ritzenhein (Niwot) has stayed atop the rankings all season and with good reason. She capped off her regular season with an impressive win at the Colorado State Meet. Ritzenhein earned that spot by winning the Nike Cross National Championship in 2023 and coming back after a strong track season. But it's that US #2 spot that saw some shakeup this weekend, and it leaves some questions.
US #2 had been Elizabeth Leachman (Boerne Champion) by nature of her Foot Locker National Title in 2023, alongside impressive credentials on the track. 2024 has been rocky, however, and it culminated over the weekend at her State Championship. She had only made the meet by nature of her team qualifying, after dropping out the weekend before at her qualifier. At State, she won her race, defending her State Title, but it was far off where she had been a year ago. After the race, she detailed her season, where she picked up an injury early on from running into a teammate at practice, then suffered a stomach bug that postponed significant training, and finally dealt with strep throat over the final few weeks. She ended the conversation by questioning whether or not this would be her last XC race of High School, giving it some time before making that final decision. With that in mind, her ranking reflects her current fitness and not that of her obvious potential at full strength.
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With Leachman's potential absence, it leaves the defending Foot Locker National Champion out of the picture. So it begs the question, who becomes the favorite at Foot Locker?
Of the current Top 15 athletes, only four of them ran Foot Locker over NXN last year.
Jessica Jazwinski (MI) is the top returner in Leachman's absence, placing 9th, but is the lowest ranked nationally this year. Much of that is because she is running unattached, and hasn't had the head-to-head competition others have had.
Zariel Macchia (NY) has the highest average between returning position, 10th last year and current M50 ranking, but there are some questions. She is part of the Nike NIL program, and now has the opportunity to run both Regionals, after the NXN-NY Region was moved one week earlier. She's also been dealing with some illness issues, so it remains to be seen if she is at full strength. Her legs will be tired if she chooses to do both Nationals.
Libby Dowty (IN) ran both Nationals the year before, placing Top 20 in both, but outside the Top 15. She had an off day at States but has had an impressive season outside of that.
Victoria Garces (MI) had a big breakout at her State Meet, shooting up to Top 10 in the current M50, but was the lowest of the returners on this short list, placing 20th last year.
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The wild card here could be Sadie Engelhardt (CA), whose choice of National will largely depend on the status of the invite to her team. Ventura is currently ranked nationally, as well as in the State of California, but their Region is determined through an abstract merge, in a very competitive state. If she chooses to go to Foot Locker, she will bump up to favorite status immediately.