Boys Preview - NXR Northeast
- Championship Boys Race Time: Saturday, 1:10 P.M.
Teams
Pennsylvania will have its best shot since 2015 to send a boys' team to Portland for Nike Cross Nationals and a pair of teams will be right in the mix.
Downingtown West took home the PIAA Class AAA state title four weeks ago and will look to book that return trip to Portland since its 2015 regional title. Led up front by Aiden Barnhill (6th at states) and Declan Rymer (12th at states), the Whippets have some good depth that has got better as the season has progressed. Ben Datte and Holden Betz are a solid 3-4, while No. 5 Caelan Sims is coming around at the right time.
LaSalle College was second to D-West at states and will bring some good talent to the line on Saturday. Ethan Maher (5th at states) is a very strong No. 1, while Bradden Koors (22nd) was also a state medalist. Vincent Twomey and Max Manganiello bring good depth to the table and the Explorers should be firmly in the mix, too.
Both D-West and LaSalle faced off with some of the region's top contenders at October's Manhattan Invitational. LaSalle Academy (RI) won handily at Manhattan, but its top runner was out injured at the New England Championships. If he doesn't return for NXR, LaSalle (RI) could be vulnerable. Then there's NJ Meet of Champions winners Christian Brothers Academy that has rolled through the Garden State. They were third at Manhattan behind LaSalle (PA), while D-West was fourth. Tolland (CT), Bishop Hendricken (RI), and Haddonfield Memorial (NJ) will also be in contention for what should be an interesting battle for the top two.
Per speed ratings, LaSalle (RI) and CBA look to be the favorites, but PA's squads D-West and LaSalle should be right there. LaSalle was second to CBA at the midseason Bowdoin Classic, so the Explorers have experience on the course. There's also the possibly for a wildcard position to the region. So gutting it out for a spot in the top three will be crucial.
AA state champions Lewisburg Area are also in the field, paced by sophomore standout Jacob Hess. This young squad should compete well in this field.
Individuals
Last year, North Allegheny senior Zach Kinne ran to a nationals qualifying spot at Bowdoin with a second place finish. Now another NA senior, Daniel McGoey, will look to close out his prep XC career with a trip to Portland.
McGoey was 19th at regionals last season. He's coming off another solid season in PA that saw him place second in the state behind Patrick Anderson. McGoey has been getting better as the season has progressed and ran his fastest 5K on the tough Hershey course at the state meet. He'll contend for a nationals spot.
The Unionville duo of Cole Walker and Ethan McIntyre will also be in the hunt. Walker was the District 1 champion and took fourth at states. He's a strong runner and good kicker and will likely put himself in the conversation. McIntyre, meanwhile, is coming off a huge state meet that saw his place third, a spot ahead of his teammate Walker. He has some good momentum coming into the weekend.
LaSalle's Maher was fifth at the state meet. He's seen some big improvements this season and has performed well at every big meet this season, including taking second at Bowdoin. Barnhill from Downingtown West will also have a good shot at nationals if his D-West squad doesn't qualify. He was a very close second to Walker in District 1 and was sixth at states. He won't be afraid to go out aggressively. D-West's Rymer, Datte, and Betz should be in the mix for high finishes, while the same goes for LaSalle's Koors and Twomey.
The wildcard in this field is Jonah Hoey, who we reported back in September was no longer at Bishop Shanahan. He's currently an unattached athlete and noted that NXR was a possibility for him. He went 9:20 to win the Warrior Classic a few weeks ago over many of the D-West and LaSalle runners, among other talented boys, so his fitness is there. It's been a while since Hoey has finished an XC race, but he has to be considered a factor for a top five spot.
Other notable PA entries include Williamsport's J. Henry Lyon (7th at AAA states), Lewisburg's Hess (5th at AA states), and Scranton's Josh Christianson (17th at AAA states).