Aaron Sahlman Wins The Biggest Race, Completes Season At No. 1

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

The end of the season rankings are heavily weighted with the results of the Nike Cross Nationals and Champs Sports Cross Country Championships. This year, those races were the biggest prizes and brought together the deepest national fields. 

And no race was deeper than NXN, especially on the boys side. The top 11 runners in the final rankings were in the NXN final. 

Yes, it's unusual that the presumed third-best guy on his own team, Aaron Sahlman, ends the season with the No. 1 national ranking. But on the biggest of stages, the Newbury Park senior delivered, helped his team win the team championship and yes, won his first high school race. 

It's hard to imagine a scenario like that ever happening again. 

Kole Mathison was fourth at NXN, but elevated to second in the final ranking due to his standout performance at San Diego. Even though he lost to Daniel Simmons and Tyrone Gorze at NXN, and by no fault of their own did they not get a second national opportunity, Mathison's performance deserves nearly equal recognition. 

It's not an easy year to solve a final top 100 ranking (it never is). Leo Young and Lex Young were ranked Nos. 1 and 2 for nearly the entire season, and righfully so. Their slightly off performances at NXN factor into their final rankings, but the overall quality of their work up to December is worth something as well. Plus, they beat the No. 1-ranked guy repeatedly this fall. 

Hunter Jones' victory at NXR Midwest was possibly the greatest performance through the month of November, including a win over Mathison. But back-to-back 10th-place national finishes led to his final placement. 

Likewise, for the talented Connor Burns, the national race didn't go as well as hoped and it costs a few spots in this final set of rankings. As with many in these final rankings, it's an attempt to balance national championship performances with the highs and lows of the regular season. 

The Top 100

1. Aaron Sahlman, senior, Newbury Park CA: NXN champion; California D2 third place

2. Kole Mathison, senior, Carmel IN: Champs Sports champion; NXN fourth place

3. Daniel Simmons, junior, American Fork UT: NXN second place; NXR Southwest champion

4. Tyrone Gorze, senior, Crater OR: NXN third place; NXR Northwest champion

5. Noah Breker, senior, Robbinsdale Armstrong MN: Champs Sports second place; NXN seventh place

6. Jackson Heidesch, senior, Dowling Catholic IA: NXN fifth place; NXR Heartland champion

7. Simeon Birnbaum, senior, Rapid City Stevens SD: Champs Sports fourth place; NXN sixth place

8. Leo Young, senior, Newbury Park CA: NXN 11th place; California D2 second place

9. Hunter Jones, senior, Benzie Central MI: Champs Sports 10th place, NXN 10th place, NXR Midwest champion; Champs Sports Midwest champion

10. Lex Young, senior, Newbury Park CA: NXN 35th place; California D2 champion

11. Weston Brown, senior, Bozeman MT: NXN eighth place; NXR Northwest second place

12. Samuel Hansen, senior, Woods Cross UT: Champs Sports third place; Champs Sports West champion

13. Benne Anderson, senior, Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills MI: Champs Sports 17th place; NXN ninth place

14. Connor Ackley, senior, Hilliard Davidson OH: Champs Sports 5th place; NXN 18th place

15. Byron Grevious, junior, Phillips Exeter Academy NH: NXN 12th place; NXR Northeast second place

16. Matthew Donis, senior, Highland (SS) CA: NXN 13th place; California D1 champion

17. Tayson Echohawk, senior Orem UT: NXN 14th place; NXR Southwest second place

18. Devan Kipyego, senior, St. Raphael RI: NXN 15th place; NXR Northeast champion

19. Noah Jenkins, senior, Herriman UT: NXN 16th place; NXR Southwest third place

20. Carson Noecker, senior, Hartington-Newcastle NE: Nebraska Class C champion

21. Cameron Todd, junior, Brebeuf Jesuit IN: Champs Sports sixth place; Champs Sports Midwest fourth place 

22. Alex Garcia-Silver, senior, Marshfield OR: NXN 17th place; NXR Northwest fifth place

23. Collin Gilstrap, senior, Monroe-Woodbury NY: NXN 19th place; NXR New York second place

24. Sam Burgess, senior, Framingham MA: Champs Sports seventh place; Champs Sports Northeast second place

25. Drew Griffith, junior, Butler Area Senior PA: Champs Sports eighth place; Champs Sports Northeast champion

26. Landon Heemeyer, junior, Rocky Mountain ID: Champs Sports ninth place; Champs Sports West fourth place

27. Rocky Hansen, senior, Christ School NC: Champs Sports 11th place; Champs Sports South champion

28. Connor Burns, senior, Southern Boone MO: NXN 32nd place; NXR Midwest second place

29. Tyler Downs, senior, Mountain Vista CO: NXN 20th place; NXR Southwest sixth place

30. Ryan Pajak, junior, Ringgold PA: Champs Sports 12th place; Champs Sports Northeast seventh place

31. Nathan Atchue, senior, Franklin County VA: Champs Sports 13th place; Champs Sports South second place

32. Kevin Sanchez, senior, Austin Vandergrift TX: Champs Sports South third place; NXR South second place 

33. Patrick Koon, junior, Leon FL: Florida 3A champion

34. Aidan Cox, senior, Coe-Brown NH: NXN 92nd place; NXR Northeast third place

35. Steven West, senior, Sandia NM: Garmin RunningLane champion; NXR Southwest 11th place

36. Connell Alford, junior, Chelsea MI: Champs Sports 14th place; Champs Sports Midwest eighth place; NXR Midwest sixth place

37. Ford Washburn, senior, Iowa City IA: NXN 22nd place; NXR Heartland third place

38. Paul Bergeron, junior, Westford Academy MA: Champs Sports 15th place; Champs Sports Northeast third place

39. Seth Norder, junior, Grand Haven MI: Champs Sports 16th place; Champs Sports Midwest ninth place

40. Colby King, senior, St. Thomas Aquinas KS: NXN 23rd place; NXR Heartland fifth place

41. Brayden Seymour, senior, Newbury Park CA: NXN 24th place; California D2 13th place

42. Nathan Neil, junior, Bozeman MT: NXN 25th place; NXR Northwest third place

43. Grant Morgenfeld, junior, Palo Alto CA: Champs Sports 18th place; Champs Sports West third place

44. Aden Bandukwala, junior, Hinsdale Central IL: NXN 26th place; Illinois 3A champion 

45. Jacob Nenow, senior, Jesuit OR: NXN 65th place; NXR Northwest fourth; Oregon 6A champion

46. Brian DiCola, senior, Hatboro-Horsham PA: Champs Sports 21st place; Champs Sports Northeast fifth place

47. Wyatt Haughton, senior, Shawnee Mission East KS: Garmin RunningLane second place; NXR Heartland eight place; Champs Sports Midwest 27th place

48. Adam Burlison, junior, Grapevine TX: NXN 56th place; NXR South champion

49. JoJo Jourdon, junior, Olympus UT: Garmin RunningLane third place; NXR Southwest 13th place

50. Aidan Jones, senior, Minneapolis Washburn MN: NXR Heartland sixth place; Champs Sports Midwest 14th place; Minnesota AAA champion

51. Joshua Bell, junior, Templeton CA: Champs Sports 19th place; Champs Sports West sixth place

52. Maxwell Hardin, senior, Auburn AL: Champs Sports 20th place; Champs Sports South fifth place

53. Gus Clevenger, senior, Jesuit OR: NXN 27th place

54. Daniel Watcke, senior, Hinsdale Central IL: NXN 28th place; NXR Midwest eighth place

55. Rendon Kuykendall, senior, Hope Christian NM: NXN 29th place

56. Zack Munson, senior, Sehome WA: NXN 30th place; NXR Northwest sixth

57. Samy Anderson, senior, Lincoln OR: NXN 31st place;NXR Northwest seventh place

58. Manny Putz, sophomore, Onalaska WI: Champs Sports Midwest 11th place; NXR Heartland seventh place

59. Ty Steorts, sophomore, Hurricane WV: Garmin RunningLane fifth place; Champs Sports South 11th place

60. Christopher Caudillo, senior, Clovis CA: NXN 45th place; California D1 second place

61. Broen Holman, sophomore, Sonora CA: Champs Sports 22nd place; Champs Sports West seventh place

62. Brayden Marshall, junior, Winfield WV: Champs Sports 23rd place; Champs Sports South eighth place

63. Jake Liebert, junior, Wando SC: Garmin RunningLane sixth place

64. Liam Newhart, senior, Oak Park-River Forest IL: Champs Sports Midwest 12th place; NXR Midwest ninth place

65. Spencer Bradshaw, senior, Farmington UT: Champs Sports 24th place; Champs Sports West 10th place

66. Christian Groendyk, senior, Fort Collins CO: Garmin RunningLane 39th place; Colorado 5A champion

67. Cruize Corvin, senior, Lakes WA: Washington 3A champion

68. Micah Sanchez, senior, Liberty Charter CA: Champs Sports 25th place; Champs Sports West fifth place

69. Tommy Rice, senior, GlenOak OH: Champs Sports 26th place; Champs Sports Midwest 10th place; NXR Midwest seventh place

70. Jaron Hartshorn, senior, Lone Peak UT: NXN 36th place; NXR Southwest seventh

71. Zach Vance, senior, Oconomowoc WI: Wisconsin D1 second place

72. Milo Skapinsky, senior, San Luis Obispo CA: Champs Sports 27th Place; Champs Sports West second place

73. Aloysius Franzen, junior, Stevens Point WI: NXN 33rd place; NXR Heartland 11th place

74. Aidan Ross, senior, Uxbridge MA: NXN 34th place; NXR Northeast fourth place

75. Angel Sanchez, junior, FW Diamond Hill-Jarvis TX: Champs Sports 28th place; Champs Sports South fourth place

76. Vincent Recupero, sophomore, Bishop Blanchet WA: NXR Northwest ninth place

77. Solomon Holden-Betts, senior, Baldwinsville Central NY: NXN 82nd place; NXR New York fourth place; New York Class A champion

78. Sage Wilde, junior, Liberty North MO: Missouri Class 5 champion

79. Nathan Lopez, senior, St Johns Prep MA: Champs Sports 29th place; Champs Sports Northeast sixth place

80. Steven Hergenrother, junior, Ridgefield CT: Champs Sports Northeast 11th place; New Englands second place

81. Trevor Coggin, senior, Farragut TN: NXN 37th place; NXR Southeast eighth place

82. Camyn Viger, junior, Plainfield South IL: NXN 38th place; NXR Midwest 35th place

83. Patrick Gandini, senior, Gilford NH: NXN 39th place; NXR Northeast fourth place

84. Conner Rutherford, senior, Blacksburg VA: NXN 40th place; NXR Southeast champion

85. Liam Heninger, senior, Mountain View UT: NXN 41st place; NXR Southwest fourth place

86. Micah Lawson, senior, Rahway NJ: New Jersey MOC champion

87. Anthony Provenzano, junior, Carmel IN: NXR Midwest 10th place

88. Jack DesRoches, senior, Jesuit LA: Louisiana D1 champion

89. Josiah Tostenson, sophomore, Crater OR: NXN 42nd place; NXR Northwest 10th place

90. Maximus Cervi-Skinner, sophomore, Coeur D'Alene ID: NXR Northwest 11th place

91. Logan Law, senior, Milwaukie OR: NXR Northwest 12th place

92. Joshua Ruiz, junior, Belen Jesuit FL: NXN 99th place; NXR Southeast third place

93. Maximus Haynia, senior, Westhampton Beach NY: NXN 146th place; NXR New York champion

94. Anthony Fasthorse, junior, Ventura CA: NXN 60th place; California D2 fourth place

95. Brody Hartley, senior, Walla Walla WA: NXR Northwest 13th place

96. Knox Young, junior, Greenville SC: NXN 48th place; NXR Southeast second place

97. Trey Caldwell, sophomore, De La Salle CA: Champs Sports 30th place; Champs Sports West eighth place

98. Tamrat Gavenas, sophomore, Andover Phillips Academy MA: Champs Sports 31st place; Champs Sports Northeast ninth place

99. Evan Noonan, sophomore, Dana Hills CA: NXN 46th place; California D3 champion

100. Colin Whitaker, junior, Lampeter-Strasburg PA: Champs Sports 32nd place; Champs Sports Northeast eighth place