5. Fast, Fast, Fast Invitationals
While the young season has produced some remarkable times and stellar races in August, perhaps runners truly turned the corner this weekend with the emergence of programs at nearly every corner of the country.
From Pennsylvania -- where the nation's No. 1 boys team, Loudoun Valley (Virginia) High, battered competition at the PTXC 9 Invitational, scoring its first runners 1-2-3-4 and all under 16 minutes -- to Colorado -- where the Mountain Vista (Colorado) Highs made a statement with a win over nationally ranked rival Broomfield -- fans of high school cross country had to be impressed with the amount of powerful finishes.
Because this is just the beginning.
In California, the Great Oak (California) High girls dominated in four separate class races at the Seaside Invitational, and in Illinois one of the biggest meets of the weekend took shape on a state course and saw the nation's top 3-mile time take place from one of the country's best runners, Danny Kilrea. Not to be forgotten, Downers Grove North (Illinois), one of the nation's best teams on the boys side, also made a statement.
The weekend of September 7-8, more than anything, signaled the start of the true season of cross country.
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