Nike Cross Regional Northwest: By The Numbers

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Saturday, Nov. 11 at Eagle Island State Park in Idaho 

States in the Northwest Region: Seven

Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.

Top two teams and five individuals not on qualifying teams automatically advance to NXN. Four at-large team berths and five at-large individual berths (new this year) will be named later. 

 

BOYS

States represented at NTN/NXN:  

Washington 26 times

Oregon 12 times

Montana 2 times

Wyoming 2 times

Alaska, Hawaii and Idaho have never qualified a team for nationals.

 

States with the longest streak, current:  

Oregon two years - 2019 and 2022     

 

Longest consecutive state streak all time:

11 - Washington  2004-14   

 

At-large bids:

2012  Summit OR 

2013  Central Catholic OR 

2018  Lewis and Clark WA

*The Northwest received 3 bids in 2004 and 4 bids in 2005 and 2006.     

 

Current nationally ranked teams (as of 10/26/23): 5

No. 9 Coeur d'Alene ID

No. 10 Crater OR

No. 20 Franklin OR

No. 23 Jesuit OR

No. 25 Star Valley WY

 

Number of different teams to qualify for NTN/NXN: 17

 

Teams with the most NTN/NXN appearances:

North Central WA 8 times

Summit OR 4 times

Joel Ferris WA 4 times

Kamiakin WA 4 times

Jesuit OR 4 times

Central Catholic OR 3 times

Bozeman MT 2 times

Gig Harbor WA 2 times

Central Valley WA 2 times

Crater OR, Lewis and Clark WA, Cheyenne Central WY, Rock Springs WY, and Eisenhower WA have qualified once.   

 

Longest team streak: 

8 - North Central WA 2007-14   

Longest current team streak:

2 - Jesuit OR 2019 and 2022

 

Highest national finish:

2008 North Central WA 1st place

2013 Gig Harbor WA 1st place

2016 Bozeman MT 1st place

 

DyeStat preseason picks to qualify for NXN:

Crater OR

Coeur d'Alene ID

Current Prediction:

Crater OR

Coeur d'Alene ID

* Franklin OR

Notes: After its two qualifying teams to nationals placed second (Jesuit) and fourth (Crater) last year, can the Northwest expect one of the at-large berths? You never know, but it does appear that the team battle is going to be close. Coeur d'Alene ID is seeking its first NXN appearance after an undefeated season in Idaho that included out of state wins at the Mountain West Classic in Montana and the Battle for the 509 and Hole in the Wall Invitational in Washington. After defeating a strong Rocky Mountain team at the Idaho state meet, the Vikings are at least a co-favorite with Crater, Franklin and Jesuit or Oregon. Another potential challenger is Star Valley of Wyoming, led by Habtamu Wetzel. Coeur d'Alene and Franklin pack up together a bit more tightly than Crater does, but the Comets could have a pair of high finishers with Tayvon Kitchen and Josiah Tostenson. Jesuit will be seeking to bounce back after a tough end to last week's 6A race and the national runner-up in 2022 has the capability to do it. The competition for individual spots is also fierce, but Bozeman's Nathan Neil has been the top-ranked runner in the regional all season and dominated his state championship meet. Owen Powell of Mercer Island WA is the leading candidate to make the top five from Washington state, along with Vincent Recupero of Bishop Blanchet and Parker Mong of Anacortes. Nate Stadtlander of Meridian and Landon Heemeyer of Rocky Mountain are the top entries from Idaho. Jack Meier of West Salem broke through with a big performance for the Oregon 6A title last weekend and Asher Danielson of Ida B. Wells OR and Noah Laughlin-Hall of Summit OR should be in that mix. Luke Athay from Idaho Falls, who won the Idaho 4A title, has made his way back from a prolonged absence due to injury and cannot be counted out. Athay was 20th at Eastbay (Foot Locker) nationals two years ago as a sophomore. Andrew Ringert of Eagle ID and Kaden Helder of Boise ID have flown a bit under the radar but should have some home turf advantage at Eagle Island State Park. 

 

GIRLS

States represented at NTN/NXN:

Oregon 17 times

Washington 8 times

Montana 6 times

Idaho 5 times

Alaska 2 times

Hawaii and Wyoming never qualified a team for Nike.

 

States with the longest streak, current:

Oregon, 6 years. 2015-19, 2022

 

Longest consecutive state streak all time:

6 - Oregon 2015-19, 2022

 

At-large bids: 4

2016 Sunset OR, 2018 Boise ID, 2019 Jesuit OR, 2019 Lincoln OR

*The Northwest received 4 bids in 2005.

 

Current nationally ranked teams (as of 11/9/23): 2

No. 14 Jesuit OR

No. 16 Lincoln OR

 

Number of different teams to qualify for NTN/NXN: 17

 

Teams with the most NTN/NXN appearances:

Jesuit OR 10 times

Bozeman MT 5 times

Summit OR 5 times

Bellarmine Prep WA 2 times

Boise ID 2 times

Camas WA 2 times

Coeur d'Alene ID 2 times

Sunset OR 2 times

West Valley AK 2 times

Billings MT, Bishop Kelley ID, Eastlake WA, Gig Harbor WA, Glacier Peak WA, St. Mary's Academy OR, North Central WA and Lincoln OR have qualified once.

 

Longest team streak:

4 – Jesuit OR 2007-10 and 2017-19, 2022

Longest current team streak:

4 – Jesuit OR 2017-19, 2022

 

Highest national finish:

2018 Summit OR 1st place

 

DyeStat preseason picks to qualify for NXN:

Jesuit OR

Boise Senior ID

 

Current Prediction:

Jesuit OR

Lincoln OR

 

Notes: After achieving a regional record 10th appearance at the national meet last season, Jesuit High put together its strongest performance of the season Nov. 4 to capture the Oregon Class 6A title, not only avenging an Oct. 7 setback to Lincoln High at the Nike Hole in the Wall event in Washington, but building momentum at the right time in preparation to achieve another potential regional all-time mark with a fifth consecutive NXN berth. Lincoln has achieved only one NXN appearance in program history, earning at-large entry in 2019, and is capable of securing the program’s first automatic qualifying bid Saturday in Idaho following a seventh-place regional effort last season. Lincoln gained confidence by winning the elite race Sept. 23 at the Bob Firman Invitational against Boise Senior High at Eagle Island State Park and has only continued to improve since. Boise finds itself in an unfamiliar position of entering the regional following a second-place finish Oct. 28 behind Timberline at the Class 5A state final, with Rocky Mountain right behind in third. Boise last qualified for NXN in 2018. Preston, the Idaho Class 4A state champion, is also expected to compete. Summit and Crater, the top two Oregon Class 5A programs, are also scheduled to race. Washington will be represented by Class 3A winner Central Kitsap, as well as the top two Class 4A programs in Mount Si and Issaquah. Following an exciting matchup Oct. 21 in the Montana Class AA state final, the top three programs Hellgate, Gallatin and Bozeman are all expected to race. Anna Callahan of Skyline High in Washington, the returning regional winner, is one of nine competitors in the top 11 in last year’s championship race scheduled to compete Saturday, although teammate Rebecca O’Keefe, who earned eighth last season, is hurt. Logan Hofstee of Spokane East Valley in Washington, who finished second last year at Eagle Island State Park, produced the overall fastest performance Nov. 4 in the Class 2A final at the Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco. Nelah Roberts of Skyline High, a four-time Idaho Class 4A state champion, took third last year and is expected to compete, as well as Crescent Valley junior Emily Wisniewski – who repeated as Oregon Class 5A winner – in addition to Montana Class AA title holder Claire Rutherford from Gallatin and Boise Senior’s Allie Bruce, who finished second behind Timberline freshman Ruby Ihmels in the Idaho Class 5A state final. Lincoln’s Keira Saavedra is scheduled to return following a sixth-place effort last year, with Lincoln freshman Ellery Lincoln giving the lineup added strength up front. Ella McGillis from Central Catholic in Oregon, who secured seventh at last year’s regionals, is hoping to rebound following a 12th-place effort in the Class 6A state final. Emma Bennett, who took 30th at last year’s regionals, captured the Class 6A individual state title for Jesuit and will be an integral part of the team’s pursuit to race once more in Oregon this season Dec. 2 at Glendoveer Golf Course. The addition to the regional field of sisters Sophia Rodriguez and Victoria Rodriguez from Mercer Island High in Washington, the top two finishers in the Class 3A state final, along with third-place competitor Elektra Higgins of Peninsula has only added more depth in the quest to determine the Northwest’s five individual qualifiers who are not part of teams advancing to NXN. Kenzie Bigej of Canby High in Oregon is also competing at regionals for the first time. Chloe Huyler from Lakeridge High in Oregon has enjoyed a breakthrough season and will have the opportunity to challenge herself against elite regional field, with North Salem’s Nelida Dagas, who took third at the Oregon Class 6A state final, also scheduled to participate, in addition to Wyoming Class 4A state champion Madison Antonino of Jackson High. Antonino is motivated to elevate following a 19th-place regional performance last year.