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National High School Boys Team Rankings - 9/28Published by
Christian Brothers NJ Surges To No. 3 As Big Intra-State Invitationals Bring National Picture Into Clearer Focus; Utah Powers Herriman, American Fork Remain 1-2 By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor Christian Brothers Academy does this, but it doesn't always mean the same thing now as it does in early December. The powerhouse program from New Jersey went to the Bowdoin Park XC Classic at this time last year, put down a strong team performance and zoomed up the rankings to No. 2 behind Newbury Park. Last weekend, CBA ran even better (1:22.10 team time last year, 1:20.39 last weekend) and the Colts rise from No. 8 to No. 3 in the newest tabulation of the nation's top high school boys cross country teams. Keep in mind, CBA blitzed the NXR Northeast regional and then landed at NXN with 18th place. The CBA top five, Joe Barrett, Jack Falkowski, Conor Clifford, Alex Kemp and Wyatt Falkowski, are out of the gate hot. Herriman of Utah welcomed the return of Maxwell Hofheins from injury and he was the team's fifth man last weekend at the Bob Firman Invitational, but once again could have won without him or a couple of others. The team's 59 points more than affirmed the No. 1 ranking. Other big invitational winners, such as Belen Jesuit FL at the Southern Showcase and Stevens Point WI at the Roy Griak Invitational and Coeur d'Alene ID at the Mountain West Classic have shown ability to win in large fields and are building confidence into the second half of the season. Great Oak CA, which took an impressive third place at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic, jumps all the way up to No. 6 this week and is the new top team in California. Things have gotten murky in the Northwest region. Crater underwhelmed at Woodbridge with presumed leader Josiah Tostenson having a bad race. When he's good, the Comets should still be tough to beat in the region. But Coeur d'Alene and Jesuit are both showing they have what it takes to challenge for the regional title. Along with CBA, New Jersey has three of the top 16 teams this week. Union Catholic senior Jimmy Wischusen's return to form and the team's performance at the Ocean State Invitational in Rhode Island was promising. So, too, was Westfield's victory in its section of the Bowdoin Park Classic. This weekend's Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival in Arkansas, and the Nike Portland XC in Oregon, will bring even more clarity to some teams with postseason ambitions.
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