Nike Cross Regional Midwest: By The Numbers

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Sunday, Nov. 13, LaVern Gibson Championship Course, Indiana

States in the Midwest Region:  5

Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Missouri     

 

BOYS

States represented at NTN/NXN:  

Illinois 29 times

Indiana 8 times  

Ohio 5 times

*Missouri one time - Missouri was moved to the Nike Midwest in 2007 

Michigan has never qualified a team for Nike, in part because state association rules discourage participation.

 

States with the longest streak, current and all time:  

Illinois, 16 years.  Illinois has sent a team to Portland every year since the inception of NTN in 2004.      

 

At-large bids:  8

2007 Medina OH

2009 Loyola IL

2010 Neuqua Valley IL

2011 Palatine IL

2012 St. Xavier OH

2013 Hinsdale Central IL 

2015 Lyons IL

2016 Mahomet-Seymour IL

2019 St. Charles East IL

The Midwest received 3 bids in 2004 and 2006 at NTN.     

 

Current nationally ranked teams: (as of  11/10/22): 5

No. 9 Carmel IN 

No. 10 Plainfield South IL

No. 12 Hinsdale Central IL

No. 13 Zionsville IN

No. 25 Liberty North MO

 

Number of different teams to qualify for NTN/NXN: 21

 

Teams with the most NTN/NXN appearances:

York IL 10 times

Neuqua Valley IL 5 times

Carmel IN 4 times

Columbus North IN 2 times

Sandburg IL 2 times

St. Xavier OH 2 times  

Downers Grove North IL 2 times 

Wheaton Warrenville South IL 2 times

Hersey IL, Naperville North IL, Columbus North IN, LaSalle OH, Warren IN, Mahomet-Seymour IL, Lyons IL, Hinsdale Central IL, Palatine IL, Loyola IL, Medina OH, Woodridge OH and St. Charles East IL have qualified once.

*Madison West WI received a selection in 2004.  Wisconsin has since been moved to the Heartland.     

 

Longest team streak appearances: 

9 York IL 2004-12

Longest team current streak appearances:

2 Wheaton Warrenville South IL

 

Highest finish at nationals:

York IL 1st 2004

Neuqua Valley IL 1st 2007

 

DyeStat preseason picks to qualify for NXN:

Hinsdale Central IL

Center Grove IN

Current Prediction:

Carmel IN

Plainfield South IL

* Hinsdale Central IL

Note: The Indiana state meet was decided by just three points, with Carmel edging out Zionsville two weeks ago. The Illinois state meet, which was run in muddy conditions last weekend at Detweiller Park, produced a one-point margin between 3A champion Plainfield South and Hinsdale Central. It is anyone's guess how those four teams could re-order this weekend at LaVern Gibson Championship course. Back in September at the Nike XC Town Twilight meet, Carmel was second with a course record five-man average (15:21). Plainfield South was third, Zionsville was fifth and Hinsdale Cental was eighth. The battle for the top two could be very close on Sunday. Additionally, Mason of Ohio and Liberty North of Missouri, and perhaps a couple of others, could step up and surprise in this deep region. The boys race individually could be outstanding and Futsum Zienasellassie's course record 14:48.8 is not out of reach for the likes of Kole Mathison of Carmel IN, Hunter Jones of Benzie Central MI, or Connor Burns of Southern Boone MO. Those are three of the top 10 boys in the country and all three have national championship aspirations. Mathison, who ran 14:51 at the Twilight meet on Oct. 1, is the Indiana state champion. Jones is Michigan's first four-time champion on the Lower Peninsula since the legendary Ryan Shay in the 1990s. And Burns, a sub-four miler, is the Missouri Class 3A champion. Additional firepower will come from Ohio champion Connor Ackley, the returning champion from Rock Bridge MO, Andrew Hauser, Michigan Division 1 champion Benne Anderson (Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills), and all of the top Illinois guys, including 3A winner Aden Bandukwala of Hinsdale Central. The fight for the individual berths could be every bit as competitive as the tight team race. 

 

GIRLS

States represented at NTN/NXN:

Illinois 20 times

Indiana 11 times

Ohio 5 times

Michigan 1 time

Missouri has never qualified a team for Nike

 

State with the longest streak, current and all-time:

Illinois, 12 years. 2008-19

 

At-large bids: 6

2010 Wheaton Warrenville South IL

2012 New Trier IL

2014 Palatine IL

2015 Naperville North IL

2015 Carmel IN

2016 Minooka IL

 

Current number of nationally ranked teams: (as of 11/10/22): 4

No. 6 Prospect IL

No. 9 York IL

No. 25 Mason OH

No. 27 Hilliard Davidson OH

 

Number of different teams to qualify for NTN/NXN: 16

 

Teams with the most NTN/NXN appearances:

Naperville North IL 9 times

Carmel IN 7 times

Westfield IN 3 times

Palatine IL 3 times

Magnificat OH 2 times

New Trier IL 2 times

Yorkville IL 2 times

Bowling Green OH, Hinsdale Central IL, Lake Central IN, Geneva IL, Wheaton Warrenville South IL, Centerville OH, Northville MI, Minooka IL and Beavercreek OH have qualified once.

 

Longest team streak:

8 Naperville North IL 2012-19

Longest team current streak:

8 Naperville North IL 2012-19

 

Highest finish at nationals:

Naperville North IL 2nd 2017 and 2018

 

DyeStat preseason picks to qualify for NXN:

York IL

Prospect IL

 

Current Prediction:

Prospect IL

York IL

Notes: Illinois has qualified at least one girls team in 14 of the previous 16 editions of the meet, including a streak of 12 consecutive years that was paused following NXN in 2019. The state has been represented by multiple girls programs six times, with Naperville North often being part of that equation. Although Naperville North finished fourth last year, its streak of qualifying for NXN eight consecutive years is still considered active since NXN wasn’t held, but it will take the best effort of the year from the Class 3A third-place finisher in order to upstage champion Prospect or runner-up York, both seeking their first appearances in Oregon. York won the regional last year, but with no NXN meet being held for the second straight season, the program doesn’t get credit for qualifying for the national meet for the first time and will have to execute well in order to achieve the feat Sunday. But after several thrilling head-to-head showdowns this season, Prospect and York have established themselves as the leading contenders to secure the Midwest automatic berths. Placing even more pressure on the top entries from Ohio and Indiana is the fact that the region has not earned an at-large berth since 2016. Mason, which held off Hilliard Davidson to win the Ohio Division 1 state title Nov. 5 in Obetz, has built plenty of momentum in its quest to prevent Illinois from securing the two automatic berths. Noblesville, which captured the Indiana state championship Oct. 29 on the same LaVern Gibson Championship Course, finished runner-up behind Prospect and edged Mason by a seven-point margin Oct. 1 at the Nike XC Twilight meet, also placing itself in contention among the elite teams in the race. Holland West Ottawa, the Michigan Division 1 champion, is represented by individual winner Helen Sachs and Arianne Olson. Ann Arbor Pioneer was the unofficial top team in the region last year, but was only competing in the race unattached as an exhibition, in an effort to avoid being declared ineligible by Michigan state officials for competition during the spring track season. Rachel Forsyth of Ann Arbor Pioneer, the Midwest winner last year, is scheduled to return, along with last season’s runner-up Addison Knoblauch of Homestead High in Indiana. Despite Nicki Southerland of Delta, the runner-up Oct. 29 at the Indiana state final, not being entered in the meet, champion Lily Cridge of Bishop Chatard, plus top-10 state competitors Sophia Kennedy of Park Tudor, Josefina Rastrelli of Warsaw Community and Columbus North teammates Julia Kiesler and Lily Baker are expected to compete. Cridge took third at last year’s regional and should face a strong challenge from Illinois Class 3A winner Grace Schager of Glenbard North and fourth-place finisher Anna Harden of John Hersey High, who was ninth at the regional event last year. Tatum David, the Illinois Class 2A state champion from Richland County High, is entered, as well as Ohio Division 2 winner Bella Butler from Oakwood and Alexandra Volkart of Southern Boone, who captured the Missouri Class 3 individual crown.