Jesuit looks to secure 10th appearance at NXN in return of event to home city of Portland, with Oregon rivals Summit and Lincoln also attempting to qualify; Boise hopes to benefit from familiar setting at regional event to advance for first time since 2018, with Washington 4A programs Eastlake, Skyline and Tahoma also in contention

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Girls NXR Northwest Preview

Even without the presence of Nike Cross Nationals on the schedule the past two years for the gathering of the best teams and elite athletes from across the country in Oregon, the top competitors and programs in the Northwest still managed to gain recognition regardless, whether it was as part of virtual events in 2020 or at other prestigious meets in Alabama, Idaho and Washington.

The expected return Dec. 3 of NXN to Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland should also showcase familiar programs from the region, with Jesuit High – featuring sophomores Emma Bennett and Maura O’Scannlain – looking to build on its run of three straight appearances from 2017-19 and match its longest previous streak of four consecutive trips from 2007-10.

Summit, the 2018 national champion and 2019 runner-up, is looking to showcase the program’s success again competing in its home state, with the potential for Lincoln High to elevate this season to become just the fifth girls team from Oregon to qualify for Nike Team Nationals or NXN.

Jesuit finished sixth and Lincoln was 11th last year at the Garmin RunningLane Championships at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, the biggest national team showcase in the absence of NXN, which has featured an Oregon girls qualifier every year from 2015-19.

Boise Senior, led by juniors Allie Bruce and Samantha Smith, enjoyed significant success two years ago by finishing second overall behind Desert Vista from Arizona in the Nike Cross Virtual national competition.

After deciding not to field a full lineup at last year’s NXR Northwest event in its home state in order to compete against Jesuit, Summit and Lincoln in the inaugural Pacific Northwest Regional Showcase in Washington, Boise was rewarded with a second-place finish, creating momentum in pursuit of earning a third NXN berth, which would be the most all-time for an Idaho girls program.

Should defending NXR Northwest champion Eastlake triumph against a deep field again in Washington Class 4A, the Wolves are trying to advance to their first national event in 14 years. Eastlake prevailed against Rocky Mountain High from Idaho and Helena of Montana at last season’s regional event at Eagle Island State Park.

Kate Peters, an Oregon commit from Lake Oswego, placed ninth at NXN as a freshman.

Peters is still seeking her first victory at the regional meet in Idaho after taking third in 2019 and would be a significant favorite at the event along with a leading contender for the national individual crown in Portland, although Peters has an additional goal for her final prep cross country season of competing Jan. 21 at the USATF U20 Championships in Virginia.

1. Jesuit OR. Already with the most appearances at Nike Cross Nationals by any girls program from the Northwest Region with nine following their 11th-place finish in 2019, Jesuit demonstrated it could excel in an environment far away from Portland last year when it secured sixth place at the RunningLane Championships in Alabama. But the stage is set for the Crusaders to earn a 10th NXN berth Nov. 12 at the regional meet in Idaho and possibly produce their first top-10 performance since placing fourth in 2010. Despite the graduation of Chloe Foerster, Jesuit returns six athletes from a group that placed second at the Class 6A state final and won the Pacific Northwest Regional Showcase, before concluding the season with an exceptional effort in Huntsville. Emma Bennett and Maura O’Scannlain, only sophomores, demonstrated maturity and poise in pressure environments last year and have established a foundation for the Crusaders to build on this not just for this season, but in the future. Seniors Maggie Bennett, Natalie Jack and Mary Emma Moreno all have significant supporting roles, with juniors Amalie Bell and Liliana Hudnut possessing the potential to have a meaningful impact on the Jesuit lineup if they can race with confidence in larger fields. Senior Naya Wrenn and junior Becca Ricci also benefited from competing in Alabama last year and could use the experience to develop even more this fall. Jesuit will have opportunities to race not only the top teams in the region, but other elite national programs during a three-week stretch Sept. 24 at Nike Portland XC, Oct. 1 at Nike Twilight XC Invitational and Oct. 8 at Nike Hole in the Wall Invitational, the latter two events in Washington.

2. Boise Senior ID. As long as multi-sport junior standouts Allie Bruce and Samantha Smith are in the lineup, Boise will remain the top girls program in Idaho, along with a legitimate contender at NXR Northwest. Despite Smith not racing at the Pacific Northwest Regional Showcase last year, Boise only endured a five-point setback against Jesuit High from Oregon, an encouraging sign for a group faced this year with filling significant roles in the lineup following the graduation of Jamie Hamlin, Logan Smith and Annika Zuschlag. Boise has the depth of another strong senior class this year, including Lydia Nance, Perry Kemper, Katherine Sand and Jane Carney. But the arrival of promising freshmen Reese Kindig, Audrey Orme and Zoe Sims might be the greatest source of optimism this fall for Boise, with junior Sophia Clark also trying to develop into a reliable contributor in time for the postseason. Ever since a 10th-place finish at NXN in 2018, Boise has remained one of the top programs in the region and nationally, but hasn’t had the opportunity to return to Oregon since as a result of the pandemic. An inspired effort Nov. 12 at the regional meet at Eagle Island State Park, the same site as where Boise will compete Sept. 24 at the Bob Firman Invitational, are motivating factors for a team looking to become the only three-time girls qualifier from Idaho in state history.

3. Summit OR. Only senior Barrett Justema remains from the 2019 Summit lineup that placed second at Nike Cross Nationals, one year after the Storm became the first Oregon program in history to capture an NXN girls championship. Fellow seniors Ella Thorsett and Camille Broadbent also remain from a group that edged rival Jesuit for the Class 6A state title last year, along with junior Payton Finney. Summit can again capture a state championship, only this season it would be in Class 5A, with reduced enrollment resulting in the shift to square off against last year’s winner Corvallis. But in order to develop into a regional contender again, Summit will need to perform well against the top 6A programs, most notably Jesuit, which it edged by a 55-58 margin at last year’s state meet, only to endure a 59-75 setback at the Pacific Northwest Regional Showcase. Senior Payton McCarthy and freshman Taylin Bowen will be relied on heavily to close the gap in Summit’s lineup, which has little margin for error following the graduation of Teaghan Knox, Maggie Williams, Ashley Boone and Jorun Downing in its pursuit to earn one of the two automatic berths at the regional meet in Idaho in order to achieve a fifth trip to NXN in program history. 

4. Lincoln OR. Replacing five athletes – most notably Kendall York and Riley Cash – from a lineup that placed third at the Oregon 6A state final and 11th at the RunningLane Championships last year might be a hill too big to climb for many programs. But the Cardinals made significant strides during the spring track schedule and could emerge as the main contender to Jesuit this fall, especially with reigning 6A champion Summit moving to the 5A classification. Junior Keira Saavedra and senior Eva Novy-Hildesley provide necessary experience for Lincoln, which also finished fourth last year at the Pacific Northwest Regional Showcase. The arrival of freshmen Elyse Henriksen and Mathilde Dettling, along with the continued progress and development of junior Mia Gramstad, who hasn’t raced cross country since 2020, have bolstered the depth for the Cardinals. The program also has high hopes for sophomore Sophia Malinoski after she joined the track team as a middle-distance athlete and competed in June at Nike Outdoor Nationals. Reiko Nitta, another sophomore, has improved significantly since last year and could also be counted on to perform well by the time the postseason arrives. Following a trip to Illinois last year to race at the Richard Spring Invitational, coach Eric Dettman has decided to keep Lincoln closer to home, but many challenges will still be present Sept. 24 at Nike Portland XC and Oct. 1 at the Sunfair Invitational in Washington.

5. Eastlake WA. Despite the graduation of Emily Van Valkenburg, Claudia Wolf and Ashley Lotzkar from last year’s Class 4A state championship lineup, along with Ariya Mathrawala from its victorious roster at NXR Northwest, the Wolves still have the necessary components to secure another title, led by the sophomore trio of twin sisters Jane Roos and Sally Roos, along with Fiona Wolf. Senior Alyssa Flindt provides important leadership and experience for Eastlake, which will need senior Erin Schmidlin to continue her improvement following a productive spring track season in order to establish more depth in the lineup. Juniors Salma Abdelale and Abbey Van Valkenburg could also develop into significant contributors for Eastlake, which should encounter several challenges from Tahoma, Skyline and Issaquah in its quest to secure back-to-back crowns, before pursuing an opportunity to compete at NXN in Portland for the first time since 2008. The Wolves’ performances at the Nike Twilight XC Invitational and Nike Hole in the Wall Invitational, both in early October, will provide a strong indication as to their potential at the state and regional level in November.

WATCHLIST

Bozeman MT

Franklin OR

Hellgate MT

Ida B. Wells OR

Rocky Mountain ID

South Eugene OR

Skyline WA

Tahoma WA