Folders |
Northwest Region Girls Preseason Rankings 2019Published by
With All Seven Back, Summit Still On Top In Northwest By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor Girls NXR Northwest Preview No girls program from the Northwest had even made the podium, let alone been a significant threat to win a national championship before last season. But after finishing 22nd at Nike Cross Nationals in 2016, then placing third at NXR Northwest in 2017 and not earning an at-large bid to return to Portland, Summit of Bend became the first team from Oregon, regardless of gender, to capture a national championship last year. Even better for the Storm is all seven athletes who competed last season at NXR Northwest – only six raced at NXN – are expected to return, making the real battle to determine the second automatic berth and any potential at-large qualifiers, which the region has been awarded in two of the past three years after receiving no bids from 2007-15. North Central of Spokane is trying to become the first Washington team to advance to NXN since Camas in 2014, returning six athletes from a group that placed fifth at last year’s regionals. Bozeman MT didn’t move on to the national meet following a sixth-place result at NXR Northwest, but the Hawks have made five trips to NXN, including three in a row from 2015-17, and are always a threat with a healthy lineup in the postseason. A trio of Idaho programs – Boise Senior, Eagle and Mountain View – are also legitimate contenders to challenge North Central and Bozeman, looking to build on the success of Boise, which placed 10th last season at NXN. Although Boise previously appeared at Nike Team Nationals in 2005 and Coeur d’Alene competed in 2012 and 2014, Idaho has never produced NXN girls team qualifiers in consecutive years in the meet’s 15-year history. Jesuit OR, which has made NXN the past two years and holds the regional girls record with eight national appearances, has an uphill climb toward securing another championship berth after graduating three of its top five performers. 1. Summit OR: It’s a rare scenario when the defending national champions have the opportunity to return all seven athletes from the previous year, so two of the biggest factors for the Storm in the quest for back-to-back titles will be health and humility. Although Summit has won 11 consecutive state championships – 10 in a row in 5A, before prevailing in 6A last year – seniors Fiona Max, Azza Borovicka Swanson, Izzy Max and Stella Skovborg, along with juniors Kelsey Gripekoven and Jasper Fievet, plus sophomore Teaghan Knox will try to capture consecutive NXR Northwest titles for the first time, before attempting to join Fayetteville-Manlius NY as the only repeat girls national winners. 2. North Central WA: The Indians hold the regional record for most boys appearances at NXN with eight straight trips from 2007-14, but the girls are still waiting for their breakthrough to advance to the national meet and it might finally arrive this season. Although the nucleus of North Central’s returning group are seniors Marie Taylor, Amelu Ruff, Mia Hill and Erinn Hill, it is junior Allie Janke who gives the Indians a legitimate frontrunner in a region loaded with top talent. Junior Madison Lee will also be instrumental in helping North Central improve from last year’s fifth-place finish at NXR Northwest. 3. Bozeman MT: Much like North Central, the Hawks are also blessed with plenty of returning experience from a group that finished sixth last year at NXR Northwest, including seniors Terra Trom and Alex Moore, along with juniors Natalie McCormick, Riley Moore, Grace Gilbreth and Ellie Hull. But the biggest advantage for Bozeman is not just knowing how to navigate its way through a difficult region to advance to NXN, but also how to perform at the highest level, placing eighth in Portland in 2016 and fifth in 2017. 4. Boise Senior ID: Despite finishing third at last year’s regional meet, the Braves earned one of four at-large berths to compete at NXN based on the strength of their victories over Great Oak CA at the Bob Firman Invitational and against Niwot CO at the Desert Twilight Festival. The experience gained last season by sophomore Mikella Tobin, junior Rosina Machu, senior Molly Elliott, senior Mary Kate Bender and sophomore Jamie Hamlin gives Boise the early edge over state rivals Eagle and Mountain View, but the graduation of Maggie Liebich and Eve Jensen won’t be easy to overcome for the Braves. 5. Eagle ID: The biggest issue for the Mustangs this season won’t be experience, nor will it be the need for a veteran leader. Eagle is led by standout senior Ashley LaJocies and returns six athletes who competed last year at NXR Northwest. Following an eighth-place regional finish last season, the biggest challenge facing seniors Brinlee Bryson and Annelise Hinchman, along with juniors Lizzie Dildine, Ashlyn Clark and Alyssa Britton is closing significant gaps among the Mustangs’ scoring runners in order to be competitive once the postseason arrives. Watchlist More news |
