Natasza Dudek was gracious after his record performance at the NXR Midwest Region Championship in mid-November.
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Overview: The city of Roses will host the 20th Nike Cross Nationals, and it is expected to be one for the ages. US#1 Boys Niwot, Colorado, is the team to beat (again), returning five of its top seven from last year's national-winning squad. However, webcaster Rich Gonzalez cautioned, "it will be a tough mental challenge" for the athletes and teams, especially those from California, who haven't faced much cool rain or muddy cross-country courses this season.
For the girls, it could be a Midwest team winning the title for the first time since 2013, when Wayzata, Minnesota, won it. The Trojans appear to be everyone's choice to win. The #1 team in the land seems to be the top choice. Individually, Niwot senior Addy Ritzenhein was born a legend to outstanding running parents; her father is the iconic Dathan Ritzenhein. This is perhaps Addy's time, as she won it as a sophomore and then took fifth last year. It will be a daunting task with so many great individuals in the field.
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Boys preview-
Course conditions will be tested by Columbus North, IN, and Plainfield North, IL, who are the automatic entrants from one of the toughest regions in the country, despite being slighted this year. Both teams have been in the top 20 in the latest rankings, and Columbus North has an opportunity to crack the top 10 and may even reach the top seven. If so, they are going to run the race of their lives. "We have been training very well the past couple of weeks and feel like we are still ready to race at our best," said head coach Rick Sluder. Leading the charge will be seniors Jace Works and Denton Sluder. "Jace and Denton have been leading workouts with our tight pack right behind them (or even with them)," said Sluder.
Plainfield North should not be discounted because, believe it or not, four of these starters competed on the team that placed 15th two seasons ago. Seniors Thomas Czerwinski, Aidan Connors, Gavin Hall, and James Maso toed the line. This makes them oddly one of the most experienced teams despite not making it a year ago. The Tigers have ground it out all season, including rising late in the second half, winning sectionals, the 3A state title, and taking second at NXR. The projection models place them about 16th. But if the Tigers can run together and keep the split under 1:00, it is plausible they could finish between 10th and 15th.
Individually, the Midwest fivesome looks strong. In particular, Downers Grove North senior standout Philip Cupial will be looking to close out his outstanding career with another All-American honor. The Illinois state champion and NXR MW regional champ will compete in his third national meet. Hopefully, he will be up to par health-wise after coming down with a recent illness.
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