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Northwest Region Girls Early Season Rankings 2023Published by
Jesuit remains elite program and favorite to race in home state at NXN, with Lincoln on the rise in Oregon; Boise and Preston both strong contenders in Idaho, Central Kitsap eyes repeat in Washington and Hellgate ready to shine in Montana By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor Girls NXR Northwest Preview Jesuit added to its record of most appearances by any girls team from the Northwest Region at Nike Team Nationals or Nike Cross Nationals last year by celebrating a 10th berth at the championship meet in its own backyard with a 12th-place finish at Glendoveer Golf Course, and the Crusaders don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. It could be the end of an era, however, for Summit High from Oregon, which made its fifth trip to compete at NXN – and the fourth since 2016, including a national title in 2018 and runner-up finish in 2019 – and finished 18th last season, relying on four seniors to capture both the state 5A and regional championships. Boise Senior from Idaho and Lincoln High of Oregon, both past NXN qualifiers, are primed to perform well Nov. 11 at the regional meet at Eagle Island State Park and challenge for the two automatic berths to compete Dec. 2 in Portland. Boise is the reigning Idaho 5A state champion, with 4A winner Preston looking to become the fourth girls program from the state to qualify for NXN in meet history. Rocky Mountain, last year’s 5A runner-up, is also looking to benefit from the familiarity of the regional meet being held in Idaho in its quest to qualify to compete in Portland for the first time. Central Kitsap, the defending Washington 3A champion, has the potential to become the seventh girls program from the state to advance to NXN, with Gig Harbor and Skyline also in contention. In addition to Jesuit and Lincoln, fellow Oregon programs Crater, Crescent Valley, South Eugene and Sunset are also expected to perform well in the postseason, with Summit looking to defend its 5A title. Hellgate, the reigning Montana Class AA winner, is a potential sleeper at the regional meet, if the Knights can translate their track success in the spring to the longer distances this fall. Hardin, the Montana Class A champion, is led by impact freshman Karis Brightwings-Pease, who is in contention to be an individual qualifier at NXN. Chugiak, the defending Division 1 champion, continues to roll in Alaska, with Laramie, Sheridan and Natrona County all battling for supremacy in Wyoming. The top four competitors from last year’s regional meet all return, making the race for the NXN individual berths a significant challenge, especially with the arrival of standout freshman Sophia Rodriguez at Mercer Island High in Washington. Anna Callahan of Skyline High and Logan Hofstee from East Valley High in Washington took the top two spots, followed by Nelah Roberts of Skyline High in Idaho and Emily Wisniewski from Crescent Valley High in Oregon. Rebecca O’Keefe and Sydney Collier, both teammates of Callahan at Skyline, are also in contention, along with Eliza White of Curtis High in Washington, Claire Rutherford from Gallatin High in Montana, plus Lindsay Siebert of Crater High, Ella McGillis from Central Catholic High, Ana Peters of Lake Oswego High and Kenzie Bigej from Canby High in Oregon.
1. Jesuit OR. The reigning 6A state champion didn’t win the regional title last year, but the Crusaders rose to the occasion again at NXN to finish 12th, well ahead of the 18th-place effort from Oregon rival Summit. Although Lincoln might emerge as the strongest challenger to Jesuit in the postseason, the presence of juniors Maura O’Scannlain and Emma Bennett at the top of the lineup provides the Crusaders with the opportunity to compete against any team in the state and at the regional championship. Liliana Hudnut, Amalie Bell, Audrey O’Neill, Kennedy Averill and Lili Maycock, all seniors, provide Jesuit with significant depth and experience for a group that is looking to make a fifth consecutive appearance in December at Glendoveer Golf Course and surpass the program record that the Crusaders first established from 2007-10 and equaled last season.
2. Boise ID. For all the success achieved during the careers of seniors Allie Bruce and Samantha Smith, including multiple 5A state titles, Boise hasn’t qualified for NXN since 2018, taking third at the regional meet last year following a fifth-place finish in 2019, with the national meet placed on a two-year hiatus in between as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bruce and Smith always provide Boise with potential low scorers up front, but the quest for the program’s third trip to Portland – including Nike Team Nationals in 2005 – relies significantly on the support from fellow seniors Sophia Clark, Joslynn Burk and Alex Terry, junior Lola Boice and sophomores Zoe Sims, Audrey Orme, Lucy Spiess and Reese Kindig, who will look to benefit from racing on a familiar layout at the regional meet at Eagle Island State Park.
3. Lincoln OR. There are plenty of reasons to be intrigued with the potential of the Cardinals this fall, especially with the addition of impact freshman Ellery Lincoln to an already quality lineup. Keira Saavedra, a senior, is an established frontrunner and one of the elite competitors in the state, with junior Sophia Malinoski demonstrating significant improvement during the past year to provide strong support for Lincoln. The continued development and confidence of seniors Mia Gramstad and Amelia James, in addition to sophomore Elyse Henriksen and junior Reiko Nitta have not only created the depth necessary for the Cardinals to challenge Jesuit during the 6A postseason, but also to improve from a seventh-place regional finish last year and secure the program’s first automatic qualifying berth to compete at NXN and the team’s second appearance overall, including an at-large entry in 2019.
4. Preston ID. Often overshadowed in its home state as a result of the success achieved by 5A programs Boise and Rocky Mountain, the reigning 4A state champion Indians might have also been lost in the shuffle following an eighth-place regional finish last year. But Preston returns all seven athletes from that lineup, with the top five scorers separated by less than 15 seconds. The same group was separated by 11 seconds at the state final, with all seven competitors finishing in the top 25. And the Indians have a lot of versatility in their lineup as well, with Oakley Reid also prepared to be a big contributor this year, joining the experienced nucleus of fellow seniors Angelie Scott, Maren Leffler and Elly Jeppsen, in addition to juniors Myah Atchley, Tenley Kirkbride and Ashely Scott, plus sophomore Bethany Moore. If Preston’s pack can demonstrate continued improvement throughout the season, the Indians have the potential to steal the spotlight at the regional meet and earn their first trip to compete at NXN.
5. Central Kitsap WA. Although 4A program Skyline might be the Washington program with the most upside this season with the exciting trio of Ashley Callahan, Rebecca O’Keefe and Sydney Collier, the most reliable group in the state is still the reigning 3A champion Cougars. With six returning competitors from a lineup that placed sixth at last year’s regional meet, there is optimism that Central Kitsap could be in contention for Washington’s first NXN berth since North Central in 2019. Clare Herring and Taylor Palmer, both juniors, along with sophomore Audra Palmer are all consistent contributors for the Cougars, with the senior trio of Eva Huff, Camryn Bishoff and Sally Corder, as well as junior Jacqueline Conger providing important depth and experience for a group that isn’t content with just winning the program’s first girls state championship, but highly motivated to prevail against Gig Harbor after the Tides rebounded from a 19-point setback in the 3A final to finish fifth at the regional by a seven-point margin against Central Kitsap.
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