Sandburg IL the new US#1

By Paul Schmitz for DyeStat

Sandburg of Illinois moves into the top spot this week previously top-ranked Christian Brothers Academy placed third at Manhattan.  The biggest mover of the week is the winner of Manhattan's Eastern States race, Downingtown West PA, which zooms from 30 all the way up to 8.  Besides CBA, Downingtown West also defeated ranked or previously ranked teams Needham Broughton NC, Liverpool NY, Fayetteville-Manlius NY, and La Salle Academy RI.  It will be interesting to see if Downingtown West's success on the unique Van Cortlandt Park course transfers to the potentially snow covered course at the Nike Northeast Regional in Bowden Park.  

Lone Peak UT debuts in the Top 30 with its regional win over American Fork.  Lone Peak edged AF by six points on the strength of their nine-second 1-5 spread even though AF had a faster average on the 3 mile course, 15:33 to 15:41.  American Fork will have to close its gaps, or welcome back injured star McKay Johns to overcome the Lone Peak pack.  In other Utah news, Timpanogos continued their dominance as it scored 20 points in a regional meet with a 15:00 average on the 3-mile course.  Mountain Vista CO is hoping to make things interesting for the Utah schools in the Southwest.  MV just finished off its conference meet with a 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 12 finish and a 21-second 1-5 split.  

Our top team in Texas, Southlake Carroll traveled to California to run with many top teams in that state at the Clovis Invitational in Fresno.  SLC finished a disappointing 11th.  However, the team did not run its full squad and we project them at fourth in that meet if they had. That slots them at the #26 spot behind  #17 Jesuit and California powerhouses #4 Great Oak and #5 Dana Hills.  

We nearly bumped Lafayette MO all the way up to No. 1 after its very strong 1-4 finish and 15:52 team average on the 5K Cedar Hills course.  Lafayette has the best quartet right now with Austin Hindman, Alec Haines, Devin Meyrer and Dylan Quisenberry and if it can close the gap between 4 and 5 will be dangerous at NXN.  

The Top 30, 10/15

1.  Sandburg IL

2.  Lafayette MO 

3.  Timpanogos UT 

4.  Great Oak CA 

5.  Dana Hills CA 

6.  Davis UT 

7.  Hopkins MN 

8.  Downingtown West PA 

9.  St. Ignatius OH 

10. Needham Broughton NC

11. Neuqua Valley IL 

12. American Fork UT 

13. Christian Brothers Academy NJ 

14. Lone Peak UT 

15. Dowling Catholic IA 

16. Desert Hills UT

17. Jesuit CA

18. East Aurora NY

19. Liverpool NY 

20. Marietta GA 

21. Edina MN 

22. Mountain Vista CO 

23. Carmel IN 

24. Dulaney MD 

25. Trinity Prep FL 

26. Southlake Carroll TX 

27. Martin Luther King CA 

28. Fayetteville-Manlius NY 

29. Wayzata MN 

30. The Woodlands TX