Nike Cross Regional Midwest: By The Numbers

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Sunday, Nov. 12, LaVern Gibson Championship Course, Indiana

States in the Midwest Region:  5

Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Missouri     

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:  

Illinois 32 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, 17 years.  Illinois has sent a team to Portland every year since the inception of NTN in 2004.      

 

At-large bids:  9

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

2022 Downers Grove (North) IL

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

 

Current nationally ranked teams: (as of 10/26/23): 2

No. 12 Downers Grove North IL 

No. 13 Carmel IN

 

Number of different teams to qualify for NTN/NXN: 22

 

Teams with the most NTN/NXN appearances:

York IL 10 times

Neuqua Valley IL 5 times

Carmel IN 4 times

Downers Grove North IL 3 times 

Columbus North IN 2 times

Sandburg IL 2 times

St. Xavier OH 2 times  

Wheaton Warrenville South IL 2 times

Hinsdale Central IL 2 times

Plainfield South IL, Hersey IL, Naperville North IL, Columbus North IN, LaSalle OH, Warren IN, Mahomet-Seymour IL, Lyons 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:

1 Hinsdale Central IL, Plainfield (South) IL and Downers Grover (North) IL

 

Highest finish at nationals:

York IL 1st 2004

Neuqua Valley IL 1st 2007

 

DyeStat preseason picks to qualify for NXN:

Downers Grove (North) IL 

Carmel IN

Current Prediction:

Downers Grove (North) IL 

Carmel IN

Notes: Downers Grove (North) is on track to return to NXN after confirming its status as the top team in Illinois over the weekend at the state meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria. DGN Philip Cupial's seventh-place finish and a 22-second compression 1-5 was impressive and will be hard to top if the Trojans can replicate that Sunday. Carmel IN, after a rough outing last year at regionals, should be clearly focused on the opportunity to grab the second automatic berth after another strong run at the Indiana state meet, led by Anthony Provenzano. Illinois has historically had a way to bully their way into the podium spots at this meet and this year could bring more of the same. Illinois sent three teams to NXN last year and the prospect of Plainfield North or Plainfield South, or even La Grange or O'Fallon, is not out of the question. Massillon Jackson of Ohio stepped up with a big performance to win the state championship last Saturday at Fortress Obetz and is also in the hunt, led by Eli Ilg. Rock Bridge of Missouri, led by standouts Luke Sievers and Andrew Hauser, could also be a factor. Individually, it should be another fantastic competition as top runners challenge themselves the way that Hunter Jones did last year on the way to a massive course record of 14:21.8. Michigan Division 1 champion Seth Norder of Grand Haven, Ohio Division 1 champion Ben Gabelman of Westerville North, Indiana champion Cameron Todd of Brebeuf Jesuit and Illinois 3A champion Aden Bandukwala of Hinsdale Central are all among the leading contenders.

 

GIRLS

States represented at NTN/NXN:

Illinois 22 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, 13 years. 2008-19, 2022

 

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 11/9/23): 4

No. 15 York IL

No. 21 Downers Grove (North) IL

No. 27 Barrington IL

No. 30 Prospect IL

 

Number of different teams to qualify for NTN/NXN: 18

 

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, Beavercreek OH, Prospect IL and York IL have qualified once.

 

Longest team streak:

8 Naperville North IL 2012-19

Longest team current streak:

1 - Prospect IL, York IL

 

Highest finish at nationals:

Naperville North IL 2nd 2017 and 2018

 

DyeStat preseason picks to qualify for NXN:

Prospect IL

York IL

 

Current Prediction:

York IL

Downers Grove (North) IL

 

Notes: Illinois has been represented by a girls team in 15 of the past 17 national competitions in Oregon, including a streak of 13 straight appearances that was extended when the meet resumed last season. The state has had multiple qualifiers seven times, including Prospect and York last year, and is looking to add to the total Sunday. Downers Grove (North) and Barrington have the potential to be first-time qualifiers from Illinois after placing second and third behind York on Nov. 4 at the Class 3A state final. Although Prospect finished fourth at the state championship meet, the Knights are the reigning regional champion along with winning the USA Race of Champions on Sept. 30 at the Nike XC Town Twilight at the LaVern Gibson course by defeating several top contenders from Indiana as well as Mason from Ohio. With the region not earning an at-large berth since 2016, it places additional pressure on Indiana state champion Homestead and runner-up Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran, along with Ohio Division 1 second- and third-place finishers Hilliard Davidson and Mason to produce their strongest efforts of the season in order to break up the elite Illinois programs and put themselves in contention for automatic qualifying berths. Romeo, the Michigan Division 1 champion, is scheduled to race but is only competing unattached as a team in an effort to avoid being declared ineligible by Michigan state officials for competition during the spring track season. Annie Hrabovsky, who placed fourth Nov. 4 at the Division 1 state final, is eligible to qualify individually for Romeo. Helen Sachs of Holland West Ottawa in Michigan, last year’s regional winner, placed 11th at the Division 1 state championship and would need to achieve her best performance of the season in order to advance again to compete in Oregon. Rachel Forsyth, the 2021 regional winner representing Ann Arbor Pioneer High in Michigan, returns Sunday to LaVern Gibson following a dominant performance to secure her second Division 1 state championship in three years. Selma Anderson, a senior at Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills, is entered after finishing second in the Michigan Division 1 state final. Addison Knoblauch, who was instrumental in Homestead securing the state championship with a fourth-place finish Oct. 28 at LaVern Gibson, also returns after achieving seventh at last year’s regionals. Libby Dowty, a sophomore at Indian Creek High in Indiana, will look to build on the momentum of winning the state title after grabbing 26th place in the regional championship race last season. Natalie Barnard, the Missouri Class 5 state champion, is also scheduled to compete. Illinois has Class 3A state winner Scout Storms from Barrington and runner-up Liv Phillips of Naperville Central, Class 2A second-place finisher Annika Swan from St. Ignatius College Prep, plus Class 1A champion Isabella Keller of St. Anthony and runner-up Mia Kotler from Latin School in Chicago among its top entries. Julia Score of Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, Bentley Thomas from Ursuline Academy in Ohio and Victoria Garces of Midland Dow in Michigan are also entered and expected to be top contenders.