Boys Regional Rankings - 11/16/17  

By Paul Schmitz of DyeStat

The speculation and prediction is over in three of the Nike Regions as the Midwest, Heartland and Northwest NXR races are in the books. Injuries and potential aside, the results stand for themselves and those regional rankings are final. 

Downers Grove North IL put on an impressive show in the NXR Midwest with a 60-point victory. Carmel IN snuck past Lyons Township IL by three points to claim the second automatic berth to nationals. Lyons and Neuqua Valley IL are left waiting for the at-large announcements. The Midwest was once again dominated by Illinois, which took six of the top seven spots and an amazing 11 of the top 13.

Wayzata MN squeaked out a 20-point victory over a rejuvenated Middleton WI team. The Wisconsin state champions put together a race that not only qualified them for NXN but gives them optimism for a top half finish in Portland. 

Corning leaps back into the regional rankings with a New York State Class A championship. Fully healthy with the return of Quinn Nicholson, Corning topped state rival Fayetteville-Manlius by two points. Corning had a more decisive victory in the state meet last year and was not able to duplicate that victory and secure an NXN berth, taking third at NXR New York. It's hard to pick against F-M this time of year. Class B champion Burnt Hills-Ballston retains the first spot, although several New York teams are within striking distance.  

California remains full of questions behind the top two Great Oak and Loyola. Early season regionally ranked teams Roosevelt and Dublin have injuries to runners in their top five. St. Francis Mountain View now looks like a regional contender and a threat to Dublin in CIF Division 2. The St. Francis team broke the all-time record at Toro Park by 50 seconds, one of three prestigious courses in Northern California that has been in use more than 30 years.  

Former regional No. 3 Kingsway NJ upended Northeast No. 1 CBA in the New Jersey Group Championships. Kingsway won the merge by almost 100 points with a 16:23 1-5 team average. That average is faster than the 2016 champion CBA team, giving Kingsway confidence heading into NXR Northeast.  

Southeast

1. Loudoun Valley VA 

2. Milton GA 

3. Green Hope NC 

4. St. Xavier, Louisville KY 

5. The Bolles School FL   

South

1. The Woodlands TX

2. Southlake Carroll TX 

3. El Paso Eastwood  TX 

4. Flower Mound TX

5. Lucas Lovejoy TX 

Heartland

1. Wayzata MN

2. Middleton WI

3. Dowling Catholic IA

4. Edina MN

5. Pleasant Valley IA 

Midwest

1. Downers Grove North IL 

2. Carmel IN 

3. Lyons Township IL

4. Neuqua Valley IL 

5. Wheaton Warrenville South IL  

New York

1. Burnt Hills-Ballston  

2. Fayetteville-Manlius 

3. Corning 

4. Niskayuna 

5. Smithtown   

Northeast

1. Kingsway NJ

2. Christian Brothers Academy NJ 

3. Princeton NJ

4. Xavier CT

5. Staples CT  

Southwest

1. Springville UT 

2. Desert Vista AZ

3. American Fork UT 

4. Timpanogos UT 

5. Mountain Vista CO 

Northwest

1. Central Valley WA

2. Kamiakin WA

3. Crater OR

4. Bozeman MT 

5. Lewis and Clark WA   

California

1. Great Oak  

2. Loyola  

3. Dana Hills

4. Crescenta Valley 

5 (tie). Dublin and St. Francis (Mountain View)