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Southeast Region Boys Early Season Rankings 2023Published by
Belen Jesuit Returns Five From NXN Lineup, Moves Into Elite Category; McCallie Seeks Another Chance To Break Through By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor Boys NXR Southeast Preview After an 11-year wait, Belen Jesuit of Miami returned to Nike Cross Nationals last year and finished a respectable 14th. But this year's team is the one that could be special. Not only does Belen Jesuit return five of its top seven for the second straight year, three of them ran under 9:15 for 3,200 meters last spring. Senior twins Josh and Joseph Ruiz and freshman Mancelo Mantecon give the team talent up front and should be able to cruise to a seventh straight Florida state championship. Junior Joseph Socarras won the Class 3A 1,600 meters final in 4:13, beating Leon High standout Patrick Koon. Belen Jesuit's core group traveled to Flagstaff, Ariz. to log some training at altitude, an indication that this group has big goals and is willing to work for them. Josh Ruiz, runner-up the past two seasons at the Florida state meet, has already committed to the University of Florida. Although the region did not earn an at-large berth last year, despite the top three teams finishing within 10 points, the Southeast region has quality teams bubbling up from a variety of states. University of Morgantown, West Virginia seeks to become the first team from its state to advance to nationals. McCallie School and Farragut, dominant programs in different classifications of Tennessee, both return strong teams. And Calvert College, an independent school from Maryland, has enough returning pieces to make a push for nationals as well. 1. Belen Jesuit Prep FL. The full arsenal was on display at the Kowboy XC Invitational last weekend, where Josh Ruiz covered 5,000 meters in a winning time of 15:16 and the Wolverines swept the top six spots. Those six split 31 seconds and all came through the finish line before 15:48. It's worth noting that the team's top finisher at NXN last year was Mantecon, an eighth grader at the time. In addition to the four listed above, juniors Diego Magarino and Justin Ruiz, and senior Evan Torres, give this team one of the deepest 1-7 lineups in the nation. Belen Jesuit, running at Miami Havana in the postseason, finished six points behind Farragut TN at the regional meet and 83 points behind the Southeast champions at Portland. If Belen Jesuit can perform its best after the state meet this year, a top-five finish at nationals is possible. 2. McCallie School TN. The Tornado made a valiant run toward an NXN berth last year, finishing four points behind Belen Jesuit and 10 points behind Farragut at the Southeast regional. McCallie, despite a top-15 ranking nationally, was not selected as an at-large team. That should serve as extra motivation that brings back five of seven from last year's team, including standout junior Jack Bowen. For seniors Harry Carter, Garrison Corley, Evan Simpson and Grady Outlaw the time is now. This team mastered its state meet last year, scoring 34 points in the D2 AA-A final. If this group can extend its peak and stay healthy, an NXN berth is a strong possibility. 3. Farragut TN. The team that competed as West Knoxville in its first trip to NXN last year returns its 2-3-4 finishers from the national meet. Graduated is leader Trevor Coggin, but returning are seniors Matteo Tonnos, Braden Ebbert and Harrison Cunningham. That's a good place for the Tennessee Class D1-AAA champions to start. Juniors Evan Beeler and Ross Tootle improved during track season and should play key roles to shore up the lineup and keep the Admirals in the mix for a possible return to Portland. 4. Calvert College MD. Senior Cameron Davis advanced to NXN last year by placing sixth at the NXR Southeast regional and he finished 51st at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland. Davis has a chance to go back and take his team with him this fall. The independent Maryland school placed fifth at the Southeast regional last year and four of the Cardinals' scorers are back. Junior Rei Rahsaan Nettey and seniors Cort Schroder and Stephen Gonzalez all ran under 4:28 in the mile in the spring (Davis ran 4:13) and are key pieces of an effort to reach nationals. Senior Ryan Warner and junior Michael Kirby also return to provide quality depth. 5. University WV. Senior Drew Zundell (4:08/9:06) is one of the top individuals in the region and the Hawks return a young group with a lot of potential. Junior Tyler Umbright gives the team a very strong No. 2 runner, but the pack gets a bit loose after that. Senior Jacob West, junior Gavin Whorton and sophomore Ethan Conroy all factor into what could be a very strong team seeking to become West Virginia's first NXN qualifier.
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