{"comments":{"1419372":{"pb_id":"9184","pb_type":"members","likes":"0","parent_id":"0","pid":"1419372","comment_id":"1419372","member_id":"9184","comment":"A lot of it can be attributed to higher levels of local competition bringing out the best in everyone else, but someone has to elevate the level in the first place.  It seems like these things usually build gradually over several years, then taper off before starting a new cycle.  Utah is at (or ahead of?) where Washington was the past few years.","date_added":"Oct 5th 2015, 1:13am","nest":0,"liked":false,"member":[],"can_delete":false,"item_id":371487,"item_type":"news","pb_image":"members\/avatar\/3295.jpg","pb_title":"dkap","pb_url":"profile.php?member_id=9184","pb_url_dns":"https:\/\/dkap.runnerspace.com\/","pb_wally_id":"10044"},"1415782":{"pb_id":"9184","pb_type":"members","likes":"0","parent_id":"0","pid":"1415782","comment_id":"1415782","member_id":"9184","comment":"Utah at #3-5-11-16, wow, top end and depth.","date_added":"Oct 2nd 2015, 4:54pm","nest":0,"liked":false,"member":[],"can_delete":false,"item_id":371487,"item_type":"news","pb_image":"members\/avatar\/3295.jpg","pb_title":"dkap","pb_url":"profile.php?member_id=9184","pb_url_dns":"https:\/\/dkap.runnerspace.com\/","pb_wally_id":"10044"},"1416250":{"pb_id":"67005","pb_type":"members","likes":"0","parent_id":"1415782","pid":"1416250","comment_id":"1416250","member_id":"67005","comment":"You bring up an interesting observation, dkap.  4 teams each from Utah and California, 3 from Minnesota, and two each from Maryland, Illinois, Texas and New York.  What factors contribute to a certain state or area having strong XC programs?  Maybe just a numbers game could explain California, Texas and New York, but what about the others?","date_added":"Oct 3rd 2015, 3:09pm","nest":1,"liked":false,"member":[],"can_delete":false,"item_id":371487,"item_type":"news","pb_image":"i\/no_avatar.png","pb_title":"frogsonfire","pb_url":"profile.php?member_id=67005","pb_url_dns":"https:\/\/www.runnerspace.com\/profile.php?member_id=67005","pb_wally_id":"1459810"}},"last_id":"1415782","url":"comments.php?item_type=news&item_id=371487&item_url=gprofile.php?mgroup_id=46052"}