* Allie Bruce leads a Boise Senior (ID) team that enters the Northwest regional as a title favorite.
Photo Credit: MileSplit Idaho
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Northwest
The Team Nationals regional competition kicks off on Saturday morning in Boise, Idaho with the Northwest region meet.
And it'll be an exciting way to begin the hunt for nationals berths, as the Northwest regional features a handful of nationally-recognized programs closely battling to book their trips to Portland, Ore.
It'll likely be a showdown between the best teams from Oregon and Idaho for qualifying spots, with MileSplit50 No. 16 Boise Senior (ID) and No. 17 Summitt (OR) leading the charge.
When looking at speed ratings, Boise Senior enters as the favorite to win the region with an average team mark right around 119. They enter the meet with favorable momentum, too, fresh off of a team win at the Idaho Class 5A State Championships.
An impressive 18:15 team 5k average and a personal best performance from top runner Allie Bruce made for one of the squad's best showings of the season to date.
A similar showing at the Northwest regional will likely earn them a qualification to nationals.
But don't count out the Summit squad, as they sit just behind Boise Senior in the MileSplit50 rankings and also enter regionals following a dominant state championship performance.
At the Oregon Class 5A State Championships last weekend, Summit scored a low 36 points and put four runners in the top 10 to easily secure a team title.
But behind Boise Senior and Summit are a few other programs more than capable of snagging a nationals bid, namely Jesuit (OR) and Rocky Mountain (ID). Jesuit just won the 6A team title in Oregon, while Rocky Mountain finished second to Boise Senior at the 5A championships in Idaho.
Looking at the individual race, the competition will certainly be tough.
Just a 15-second spread separates the top five entered athletes, with Skyline (WA) junior Anna Callahan leading the way with her 17:23.6 5k season best. Callahan added a Washington 4A state title to her belt just last week, and will look to add a regional championship to her resume on Saturday.
Also coming in with sub-17:30 speed is Emily Wisniewski of Crescent Valley (OR), also fresh off of a state title-winning performance at the Oregon Class 5A championships. Other nationals contenders include Nelah Roberts of Skyline (ID), Anacortes' (WA) Jessica Frydenlund and Jessica Duran of Wendell (ID), all of whom have 5k bests under 17:40.
MileSplit50 Northwest Regional Rankings:
1. Boise Senior (ID)
2. Summit (OR)
3. Portland Jesuit (OR)
4. Rocky Mountain (ID)
5. Bishop Blanchet (WA)
Team Northwest Team Predictions
Cory's Picks
| FINISH | TEAM |
|---|---|
| 1 | Bend Summit (OR) |
| 2 | Boise Senior (ID) |
| 3 | Portland Jesuit (OR) |
| 4 | Lincoln (OR) |
| 5 | Bishop Blanchet (WA) |
Ashley's Picks
| FINISH | TEAM |
|---|---|
| 1 | Boise Senior (ID) |
| 2 | Bend Summit (OR) |
| 3 | Portland Jesuit (OR) |
| 4 | Rocky Mountain (ID) |
| 5 | Bishop Blanchet (WA) |
Team Northwest Individual Predictions
Cory's Picks
| FINISH | INDIVIDUALS |
|---|---|
| 1 | Anna Callahan, Skyline (WA) |
| 2 | Allie Bruce, Boise Senior (ID) |
| 3 | Nelah Roberts, Skyline (ID) |
| 4 | Sydney Morrell, Cheyenne Central (WY) |
| 5 | Maura O'Scannlain, Jesuit (OR) |
Ashley's Picks
| FINISH | INDIVIDUALS |
|---|---|
| 1 | Emily Wisniewski, Crescent Valley (OR) |
| 2 | Anna Callahan, Skyline (WA) |
| 3 | Nelah Roberts, Skyline (ID) |
| 4 | Jessica Frydenlund, Anacortes (WA) |
| 5 | Logan Hofstee, East Valley (WA) |