The Fighters
Meet Mainstays
Teams that have made NXN, are more likely to return. Teams that have had success at NXN, are more likely to perform well at NXN. Two teams looking to live that creed in 2014 will be Davis (UT) and Christian Brothers Academy (NJ). Both teams have made five trips in the past five years, and both have finished on the podium before, Lincroft at the top. Much like in Syracuse, Davis has been running their season against another national powerhouse, in American Fork. The competition has made both teams better, in a symbiotic relationship that drives excellence. Davis had closed the gap on Fork by the time Regionals came around, and they could move it even closer, coming away with an overall win. Meanwhile, CBA had been caught up in a firestorm of national clashes. At Manhattan, it appeared as the sacrificial lamb to three US Top 5 squads (at the time) duking it out. However, they still looked strong in isolation, dominating competition in their own state. Their strength has always been in their numbers, and again they look to have a very strong pack. If that pack sticks together, behind a single-digit scorer in Ferro, anything is possible.
Running for Redemption
Nobody will ever accuse Liverpool (NY) of having it easy. Two years in a row, they have been a national caliber team, only to be unable to compete at their own State Championship. Two years in a row, they've had to race another national caliber team up to 7 times a season. And two years in a row, they looked like a team who would grab an auto-qualifying spot to NXN, only to miss out by a handful of points. This year, however, they will be looking to prove that their 2013 performance in Portland was a one time thing. Liverpool finds themselves as a team within striking distance. With frontrunner Ben Petrella grabbing low numbers, and a handful of others who are capable of finishing in the top 30 as well, Liverpool may have the final say on their season. The podium is a good possibility, because no other team has spent as much time racing this level of competition as the Warriors of Syracuse. With a both flatter and wider course, which suits their racing style more closely, we may have a surprise waiting to happen.
California Contingency
It's not about how you start a season, it is how you finish. At Clovis, the Ventura (CA) boys found themselves in 13th place, 200 points behind race winner Great Oak. Two months later, and Ventura was now atop the power merge in the largest state in the Nation. Their 35-second compression is very impressive, and could prove deadly in a field like NXN. Meanwhile, the rest of California finds itself amid controversy. Brea Olinda (CA) was one of the top teams coming into NXN, capable of a podium finish. However, frontrunner Austin Tamagno has decided to opt out for Foot Locker, dropping his teams chances. Jurupa Hills (CA) now moves to being the second best team out of California, and are on the cusp of a top ten finish. How quickly things can change.