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National High School Girls Team Rankings - 11/23Published by
Lucas Lovejoy, Mountain Vista and Lone Peak forced to wait to learn if they are awarded at-large entries to compete at NXN, with Flower Mound continuing to build momentum toward potential podium finish; Results of merge of all five divisions in California could have significant impact on completing girls championship field in Oregon By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor For all that Lone Peak High from Utah and Lucas Lovejoy of Texas achieved during the season, including dominant performances at their respective state championship meets, a pair of the nation’s elite programs will have to wait another week to determine whether they will be among the four at-large selections from around the country to compete Dec. 2 at Nike Cross Nationals in Oregon, after both groups finished outside the two automatic berths Nov. 18 at their respective regional meets. Lovejoy is in a more favorable position than Lone Peak based on its third-place performance behind automatic qualifiers Flower Mound and Southlake Carroll at the Nike South Regional at Bear Branch Park. Last season, NXR South produced three girls qualifiers in the NXN field, with Flower Mound earning an at-large berth and validating the selection by finishing sixth in the championship race, with Southlake Carroll securing 11th and Lovejoy placing 14th in its debut at Glendoveer Golf Course. Since the return of senior Nicole Humphries to the Flower Mound lineup, joining twin sister Samantha Humphries, Alexandra Fox, Natalie Spangher, Ava Cole, Adeline Bennett and Catherine Henderson in the regional victory, Flower Mound has produced a pair of convincing head-to-head victories against Southlake Carroll on Nov. 4 at the UIL Class 6A state final and again at NXR South. Lovejoy, the three-time Class 5A champion, will hope that regular-season victories at the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree and the Chile Pepper XC Festival in Arkansas will be enough to secure a return trip to race in Oregon. Lone Peak finished fourth behind the Colorado trio of Niwot, Air Academy and Mountain Vista at the Nike Southwest Regional, making its potential path to Portland more challenging. However, Lone Peak raced in Arizona without last year’s regional winner and senior Andie Aagard, who was sidelined while recovering from a leg injury suffered following the Class 6A state championship meet Oct. 24 in Salt Lake City. Aagard, a returning All-American, is expected to be available if Lone Peak is selected to compete at NXN, where the group finished fourth in both 2019 and last season. Mountain Vista produced one of the most significant turnarounds with its effort in Arizona, rebounding from a fifth-place performance Oct. 28 at the Class 5A state final at Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs to take third with 107 points, ahead of Lone Peak at 122 points. Niwot prevailed by a 58-72 margin in the first of two showdowns with Air Academy in a clash of the nation’s top two lineups to repeat as regional winner. Air Academy secured the automatic berth after earning an at-large berth to race in Oregon following a third-place regional finish last season. With only the two automatic qualifiers from both the New York and Northeast regionals Nov. 25 expected to achieve NXN berths, the outcome of the California state meet could have a significant impact on the at-large potential for Lucas Lovejoy, Mountain Vista, Lone Peak and Midwest third-place finisher York of Illinois among the leading contenders. JSerra will not have the opportunity to race Nov. 25 against Buchanan, Corona Santiago, Ventura, Trabuco Hills, St. Francis Mountain View, Campolindo and Los Altos at Woodward Park in Fresno. California takes a merge of the results from all five division finals at the state championship meet, with the top two programs being awarded the automatic berths and the next two groups in contention for any remaining at-large entries. Buchanan squares off with Corona Santiago and Trabuco Hills in the Division 1 state final, with Ventura competing against St. Francis Mountain View and Los Altos in the Division 2 championship race and Campolindo pursuing the Division 3 crown, all before JSerra could have the last word in the Division 4 race. Buchanan, Los Altos, Campolindo and JSerra all represented California last season at NXN.
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