Window open for wide variety of teams in the Southeast

By Adam Kpoet of DyeStat

The Southeast Region looks to be close this year with little separating the top five teams. The third through fifth spots appear particularly close.

Blacksburg VA, the defending NXR Southeast champions, leads the way once again, although graduation has hurt its potential to be as competitive on the national stage this year.

For the past two years Blacksburg and Lake Braddock VA held a lock on the berths to NXN. This year, following the graduation of Kate Murphy (now a freshman at Oregon), Lake Braddock does not look as strong as it has in the past. That leaves the door open for a diverse set of teams from all across the region to challenge for a spot on the starting line in Portland.

Last year’s surprise team was Cardinal Gibbons NC. The Crusaders finished the season on a high note, culminating in a third-place finish at NXR Southeast. They will once again be in the hunt for a spot at NXN.

1. Blacksburg VA: The Bruins graduated two of their top three runners from last year, yet the defending NXR Southeast champions remain early favorites to repeat. Junior Ailene Edwards is the top returner on the team, having run 17:49 for 5K.

2. Riverside SC: Riverside has been the best team in South Carolina for several years. This year will be no different for the Warriors. While they lost several runners to graduation, they remain deep and can surprise other teams with their pack running.

3. Cardinal Gibbons NC: The Crusaders came on strong at the end of last season, finishing third at NXR Southeast. They lost one runner from last year’s team to graduation. Juniors Sloan Walter and Katharine Priu lead the team.

4. Pine Crest FL: The Panthers are a young squad. Their projected top seven is made up of underclassmen. However, the sophomore and freshman sister tandem of Tsion and Mahdere Yared give Pine Crest formidable firepower up front.

5. Auburn AL: The Tigers return four of their top five from last year and look poised to make a mark on the region both this year and next. Sophomores Harper Gowan and Samantha Rogers lead the way for Auburn.

Watch list:

University WV

Niceville Senior FL

Lawton Chiles FL

Tatnall DE

South Forsyth GA