How Nationally Ranked Teams Fared In Action This Week(end)

* St. Charles East (left) went toe-to-toe with Neuqua Valley on Friday

Photo Credit: Laura Duffy


A large majority of the nation's top teams were in action this weekend across the United States. We've compiled all the major results from those meets and dug into the numbers to give you insight on how each team fared across competition. 

Check back to MileSplit for analysis on key races in the Weekend Rewind.


BOYS TOP 25 - List

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No. 5 St. Charles East (IL) vs. 

No. 20 Neuqua Valley (IL):

The St. Charles East Saints faced their toughest competition to date on Friday at the Naperville Twilight Invitational in Naperville. And boy, was this race a doozy. The Saints went head-to-head with in-state rival Neuqua Valley, another nationally-ranked squad, and proved just why they're the defending IHSA Class 3A champs, outpacing the Wildcats by 13 to win by a scoreline of 60-73. While Nicolas Dovalovsky claimed the meet win for the Wildcats, the Saints had three scorers inside the top five and sported a 3-mile average of 15:24. St. Charles East still has question marks at the bottom of its lineup, but signs are that this team is progressing -- and few inside Illinois will be able to challenge the depth of the team's top three. 

No. 11 Carmel (IN) vs. 

No. 23 Noblesville (IN): With the Greyhounds opting to sit the majority of their varsity team, Noblesville claimed a victory at the IHSA Sectional 19 Champs, scoring finishes of 1-2-3-4-6 and a near perfect total of 16 points. State championship contender Travis Hickner won in a time of 15:46.00. Carmel, meanwhile, mostly gave experience to runners looking to surge into the top seven, finishing second overall with 58 points. 

No. 12 Niwot (CO): The Cougars made quick work of the CHSAA Region 4A-3 Championships, scoring 20 points to move on to the state championships. Junior Zane Bergen claimed an individual win, while the rest of the scorers went 2-4-5-8. Niwot put together a 37-second spread and an impressive speed rating average of 172.2.

No. 16 Idaho Falls (ID): The Bob Conley Invitational was likely closer than the Tigers would have liked, but the squad eventually claimed victory, scoring 61 points to down Preston (72), Pocatello (74) and Madison (75). Idaho Falls went 2-7-15-16-21 as it strung together a 58-second spread and 16:27 average. Senior Mitchel Athay was second overall in 15:51.00. The team compiled a speed rating average of 162.8.

No. 17 The Woodlands (TX): In a field of less than 50 runners, The Woodlands' boys scored a perfect 15 points at the Kingwood/Andy Wells Invitational, dispatching Kingwood and Katy, among others. The Juris Green-led squad averaged 15:20 for 3-miles. 

No. 19 Mountain Vista (CO): The honor of being the deepest regional race of the weekend went to the CHSAA Region 5A-2 Championship, where the Eagles had to fight off impressive showings from state powers Dakota Ridge and Valor Christian. The Mountain Vista boys, however, did their jobs quite well, scoring a winning total of 44 points and putting together a 39-second spread. Senior Harrison Witt finished third overall in 16:10.90, while Owen Nolan and Jayden Nats followed in fourth and fifth, respectively. Senior Kyle Boe was 15th and junior Nate Harbert was 17th. 

No. 21 Dowling Catholic (IA): Facing one of its best challenges yet on Thursday, DC's boys scored a victory at the Fort Dodge Invitational with 33 points, surging past Waukee (58) and Johnston (61). The Maroons, paced by sophomore Jackson Hediesch and senior Cade Muller in second and third, respectively, posted a 64-second compression and a 16:33 team average.

No. 22 El Paso Eastwood (TX): A week after winning the high school sweepstakes race at the Desert Twilight Invitational, the Troopers returned to XC on Saturday to log another win, this one coming at the Parra Law XC Classic. Eastwood went 1-2-4-5-6 to score 18 points, breezing past San Elizario. 

No. 24 LaSalle College (PA): The Explorers earned a comfortable quad-meet victory on Friday, averaging 16:45 across its scoring five. 


Bubble Watch: 

Southlake Carroll was in action this week and took home a win at the Coach T Invitational, which could signal a lift into the rankings ...La Salle Academy (RI) also took a step forward, winning a 4-team meet comfortably over the weekend


GIRLS TOP 25 - List

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No. 1 Boise Senior (ID): The Braves went 1-2-3-4-5 at a tri-meet on Saturday, registering a perfect 15 points, a 55-second compression and an 18:23 average. 

No. 2 Cherry Creek (CO) vs. 

No. 13 Arapahoe (CO):

This in-state CHSAA Region 5A-1 matchup between the No. 2 Bruins and the No. 13 Warriors on Thursday was incredible. Only four points separated the winner. But in the end, Cherry Creek remained on top, scoring 36 points to dispatch a hard-charging Arapahoe team, which finished with 40. Cherry Creek senior Riley Stewart won her third meet of the season for 5K, posting the only sub-18 performance on the day in 17:55.60. The Bruins went 1-3-9-11-12 while the Warriors were actually deeper up front, going 4-5-6-7. But Arapahoe's fifth fell back into the pack and was 18th overall. 

No. 4 Valor Christian (CO): With the Eagles missing No. 3 runner Lanie Szuch, that proved to be a knock the squad couldn't overcome at the CHSAA Region 5A-2 Championships on Friday. A motivated Mountain Vista girls squad unseated the Eagles with a big victory, scoring 34 points to Valor's 37. While the Golden Eagles couldn't compete with Valor's Taylor Whitfield and Brooke Wilson going 1-2, they responded with the race's best pack, finishing all five of their scorers inside the top 10 -- and the team's sixth was also in before Valor's fourth. The Eagles went 1-2-7-13-14. Both move on to Colorado's state championships. 

No. 7 Carmel (IN): The Greyhound went to the bench and still racked up an easy 22-point victory at the IHSA Sectional 19 Champs on Saturday.

No. 8 Niwot (CO): The Cougars showed their depth on Thursday, posting a dominant win at their CHSAA Region 4A-3 Championship with 20 points. Freshman starlet Mia Prok won her fourth straight race, prouding a time of 18:13.10, while Niwot went 1-2-3-6-8. Senior Luccas Fulkerson was second, sophomore Madison Shults was third and sophomore Lex Bullen and senior Taylor James rounded out the scorers. 

No. 10 Bozeman (MT): A five-team field at the Amend Park Meet on Thursday in Billings saw the Bozeman girls compile a healthy win over Skyview and Billings West, among others, as the Hawks posted 19 points, a 42-second spread and a 18:39 average for 5K across its five scorers. 


No. 14 Naperville North (IL): The Huskies offered a dominating performance for 3-miles at the Naperville Twilight Invitational on Friday, outscoring their competitors by over 60 points to win with a total of 24. Senior Maggie Gamboa led the way with a second-place finish, while all five of her teammates were inside the top 7. Overall, the Huskies sported a healthy speed rating average of 123.

No. 20 Southlake Carroll (TX): In a stacked girls varsity race at the Coach T Invitational -- formerly known as Marcus I -- the defending UIL Class 6A champion Dragons dispatched Flower Mound and Lewisville Marcus by comfortable margins, accumulating just 49 points. Behind an impressive 38-second spread, Southlake Carroll totaled an 18:59 team average and saw all five of its scorers finish inside the top 15 -- despite not having a single athlete in the top five.

No. 21 Yorkville (IL): The Foxes posted a win at the 4-team SPC Top Times Meet on Wednesday, scoring 23 points behind a 17:57 average for three-miles. Senior Helena Kleronomos was first overall in 17:35.90, while teammate Hailey Simmons was second in 17:43.80.

No. 22 Austin Vandegrift (TX): The Vipers scored a perfect 15 on Saturday in a tri-meet, averaging 19:57 for 5K. 


Bubble Watch: 

Saratoga Springs looks to be back in the rankings this week -- and could potentially move inside the top 3 -- with two performances in back-to-back weeks ... that means Fayetteville-Manlius has also been in action, and which could mean a bump as well