Nike Cross Regional Midwest: By The Numbers

 

MEET HEADQUARTERS | LIVE WEBCAST INFO

Sunday, Nov. 17, LaVern Gibson Championship Course, Indiana

Boys Championship - 3:05p.m.

Girls Championship - 3:35 p.m.

 

Course records

Boys: Hunter Jones, 14:21.8 (2022)

Girls: Rachel Forsyth, 16:31.1 (2023)

 

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 will be named later. 

 

BOYS

States represented at NTN/NXN:  

Illinois 34 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, 18 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 11/14/24): 5

No. 6 Downers Grove North IL 

No. 21 Plainfield (North) IL

No. 24 Rockhurst MO

No. 25. Bloomington North IN

No. 30. Allendale MI

 

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

 

Teams with the most NTN/NXN appearances:

Elmhurst (York) IL 10 times

Neuqua Valley IL 5 times

Carmel IN 4 times

Downers Grove North IL 4 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 North IL, 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 Elmhurst (York) IL 2004-12

Longest team current streak appearances:

2 Downers Grove (North) IL

 

Highest finish at nationals:

Elmhurst (York) IL 1st 2004

Neuqua Valley IL 1st 2007

 

DyeStat preseason picks to qualify for NXN:

Downers Grove (North) IL 

Plainfield (South) IL

 

Current Prediction:

Downers Grove (North) IL 

Plainfield (North) IL

 

Outlook: Downers Grove (North) is on track to earn a third straight appearance at Nike Cross Nationals after a strong performance to win last weekend's Illinois Class 3A team title. The trio of Grant Schroder, Philip Cupial and Will Surratt leads the way and could put three small numbers on the board for the team. But there are a host of other contenders for with realistic NXN qualifying goals. Second-place Illinois team Plainfield (North) is also seeking a return to nationals, led by Quinn Davis and Thomas Czerwinski. Missouri champion Rockhurst, Indiana champion Bloomington North and Michigan D2 champion Allendale are all capable of securing a spot to nationals with a great day in Terre Haute. Individually, TJ Hansen from Freeland MI is the top-ranked runner in the field, at No. 13. But the lead group could be large and it should include Indiana state champion Sam Quagliaroli, who ran 14:46.9 on the course at his state meet two weeks ago, and also Indiana runner-up Noah Bontrager from Westview. Ben Crane from Winnetka (New Trier) won the Illinois Class 3A final by eight seconds last Saturday and should also be in the mix. Landon Kimmel, a junior from Tippecanoe, broke the Ohio state meet course record and is another legitimate contender to win the race. Henry Acorn from Rockhurst MO, the Missouri state champion, has won all but one of his races this fall. 

 

GIRLS

States represented at NTN/NXN:

Illinois 25 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, 14 years. 2008-19, 2022-23

 

At-large bids: 7

2010 Wheaton Warrenville South IL

2012 New Trier IL

2014 Palatine IL

2015 Naperville North IL

2015 Carmel IN

2016 Minooka IL

2023 Elmhurst (York) IL

 

Current number of nationally ranked teams: (as of 11/14/24): 7

No. 6 Romeo MI

No. 12 Carmel IN

No. 13 Barrington IL

No. 15 Elmhurst (York) IL

No. 16. Downers Grove North IL

No. 19 Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran IN

No. 29 Ottawa West Holland MI

 

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

Mt. Prospect IL 2 times

Elmhurst (York) 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, Downers Grove (North) IL have qualified once.

 

Longest team streak:

8 Naperville North IL 2012-19

Longest team current streak:

2 - Mt. Prospect IL, York IL

 

Highest finish at nationals:

Naperville North IL 2nd 2017 and 2018

 

DyeStat preseason picks to qualify for NXN:

Romeo MI

Barrington IL

 

Current Prediction:

Romeo MI

Carmel IN

* York IL

 

Outlook: Michigan hasn't sent a team to Nike Cross Nationals since 2015 when Northville qualified and overcame obstacles from its state association in order to compete. These days, Michigan teams are extending their seasons past the state meet by following a strict set of guidelines and applying for a waiver to compete. The team from Romeo has been the best in the region all fall and will come into Sunday's meet at Terre Haute ranked No. 6. Nearly everyone is back from last year's group, which competed as Runners High, and finished eighth. Two Indiana teams, Carmel and Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran, both ran excellent team performances at the Indiana state meet are among the seven teams in the region currently ranked in the Top 30. Illinois teams are also arriving with confidence after ruling this region year after year. The top three teams at last week's Illinois Class 3A final were separated by two points: Barrington 130, Elmhurst (York) 131 and Downers Grove (North) 132. Barrington has one of the individual favorites in Mia Sirois, who broke the course record at Detweiller Park, but the team will be short-handed on Sunday without No. 2 runner Scout Storms. Helen Sachs of Holland West Ottawa MI won the NXR Midwest individual title in 2022 and has lost only once this fall. Victoria Garces from Midland Dow MI ran a fantastic time of 16:37.1 and should be considered a co-favorite along with Sirois. Indiana state champion Mallory Weller of Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran already has enjoyed success on the course with her victory in 17:12.2.