Wayzata's Girls (MN)
The Trojans have been the only program to upset Fayetteville-Manlius' championship haul over the past 11 seasons and, no surprise here, are a sleeper pick to win again.
If the best judgements of teams come in the final months of the season, there's no debating then that Wayzata has been at the top of its game in November.
Producing championship wins at the Class AA championships in Minnesota and at NXR Heartland this month, the Trojans have the kind of lineup that could challenge FM for a title.
On a fast, looping course in South Dakota, the Trojans, ranked No. 5 in the Flo50 national rankings, placed three runners under 18-minutes and its fifth at 18:22 to score 65 points at NXR Heartland.
Sophomores Emma Atkinson and Caroline Sassan are the 1-2 combo which ultimately set the tone for Wayzata's success and will need to be important here.
Sophomore Ryan Paulsen, senior Brooke Young, and freshman Lauren Mccollor close out the scoring for the Trojans, often times under 19 minutes for 5K.
If FM has trouble adapting to Portland's conditions -- a factor that at least contributed to outings at Pre-State in Wayne and during state -- then Wayzata could be the team that pounces here.
Minnesota is no stranger to cold weather races and might have the guns to make it happen.
| RANK | TIME | ATHLETE/TEAM | GRADE | MEET DATEPLACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17:57.60 | 2020 | ||
| 2 | 18:06.10 | 2020 | ||
| 3 | 18:45.20 | 2020 | ||
| 4 | 18:57.70 | 2021 | ||
| 5 | 18:57.90 | 2018 | ||
| 6 | 19:09.00 | 2021 | ||
| 7 | 19:27.46 | 2018 |
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