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Heartland Region Boys Preseason Rankings 2019Published by
Mounds View, Middleton Aim To Hold Top 2 Spots In Heartland By Paul Schmitz of DyeStat Boys NXR Heartland Preview There was a changing of the guard in the Heartland region last year. In the previous five seasons (2013-17), teams from the Lake Conference in suburban Minneapolis had secured 10 of the region's 12 NXN bids and won five consecutive NXR titles. Mounds View MN (not a Lake Conference team) was the surprise Heartland champion in 2018 and Middleton WI locked down its second trip to Portland with a second-place finish. This fall, Mounds View and Middleton begin the season as the top picks to make the podium in Sioux Falls, S.D. again. No Heartland preview would be complete without an update on regional powerhouses Edina and Wayzata and their combined 14 trips to NXN. Edina graduated four of its top five from a Minnesota Class AA championship team (third at NXR) and Wayzata will be starting from scratch with the graduation of all seven of its top runners. Expect these teams to be back and competitive, but for now both are placed on the Watchlist rather than the top five. Along with Mounds View, there are a few teams in Minnesota that could step up and compete in the region, led by Highland Park and Eastview. In the rest of the region, there are only two teams not from Minnesota that project to be within striking distance of a Heartland title – Middleton WI and Dowling Catholic IA. 1. Mounds View MN. The defending Heartland champions lost their top two runners, but still project as the regional favorite based upon the massive losses to graduation by the other top teams in the region. This team does not have a projected low stick and will have to rely on pack running. The Mustangs will need some underclassmen to step up in order to repeat, including potential breakout freshman Elliott McArthur (4:22.40 1,600 meters in the eighth grade). The team is led by seniors Finn Sokolowski, William Sacay and Alec Nelson. 2. Middleton WI. The Cardinals struggled with injuries all season in 2018, but put a full team effort together just just in time at NXR Heartland. The team returns four of five scorers from a group that placed second in the Wisconsin Division 1 meet. If healthy and consistent, expect this team to make it three in a row to Portland and potentially move into the top spot in the region. This is an experienced team, led by seniors Roman Ystenes, Zachary Leffel, Peter Hoferle and Braedon Gilles that could even move up in the national rankings if clicking on all cylinders. 3. Dowling Catholic IA. The Maroons squeaked out a one-point victory at the state championships over Dubuque in 2018 and are the team to beat in Iowa again in 2019. After a disappointing seventh-place Heartland finish, this team will need to close the gap behind front runner Sam Hall in order to secure its first NXN bid since 2012 and second in program history. 4. Highland Park MN. The Scots are a legitimate darkhorse in the Heartland region. This team finished 10th in the state in Minnesota in 2018 and 13th in the region. That is a lot of teams to leapfrog, but they return their top four runners and have some potential based on improved track times. Senior Oliver Paleen leads the way. 5. Eastview MN. The Lightning projects well behind the top three in the region, but has reason for optimism. Senior A.J. Green is a solid No. 1 and the team returns five of its top six after placing eighth in Minnesota last year. Watchlist More news |
