* Wayzata (MN) enters Sunday's Team Nationals Heartland regional as a team race favorite.
Photo Credit: Teresa Brubaker/MileSplit Minnesota
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Heartland
Heartland regional competition on Sunday could see one state in particular make a statement on the course in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Especially on the team side, it could turn out to be a Minnesota show.
Led by one of the country's top racers in Abbey Nechanicky, the Wayzata (MN) squad enters the regional meet as a sizeable favorite. Fresh off a win at the Minnesota Class 3A State Championships, they'll take to the course in South Dakota with momentum in their favor.
Minnesota 3A state runner-up Minnetonka will also enter the field as a team to watch, boasting four runners under 19 minutes for 5k and a solid 52-second spread between their first and fifth runners.
However, the team that may have the best chance of breaking up a Minnesota team sweep is Kansas 6A state champion Olathe West. They're paced by individual state bronze medalist Charis Robinson with a 5k best of 17:51.1, and they hold a 18:24 team average and sub-60-second 1-5 spread. That ranks them among the best teams in the Heartland region by far.
Looking at our MileSplit50 regional rankings, other top-entered teams include Iowa state leader Dubuque Hempstead, Wisconsin powerhouse Muskego and another Minnesota talent -- the squad from Saint Paul Highland Park.
Individually, Iowa all-time 5k leader Paityn Noe of Ballard will look to earn her first trip to a national cross country meet, and challenge top entered athlete Nechanicky for the Heartland regional title.
It'll be a rematch of the Roy Griak Invitational from September, where Noe finished second to Nechanicky in the star-studded field.
Which other athletes will be among the lead group? Isabelle Bloker will compete in her home state for a bid to Team Nationals, and next three fastest entered athletes all have 5k times from the 2022 season under 17:25 -- Katelyn Rupe of Salina Central (KS), Jade Rypkema from Nevis (MN) and Murray County Central's (MN) Amanda Overgaauw.
A race led by two sub-17-minute racers in Nechanicky and Noe could make for a rather quick and competitive field all around.
MileSplit50 Heartland Regional Rankings:
1. Wayzata (MN)
2. Dubuque Hempstead (IA)
3. Muskego (WI)
4. Minnetonka (MN)
5. Saint Paul Highland Park (MN)
Team Heartland Team Predictions
Cory's Picks
| FINISH | TEAM |
|---|---|
| 1 | Wayzata (MN) |
| 2 | Minnetonka (MN) |
| 3 | Muskego (WI) |
| 4 | Dubuque Homestead (IA) |
| 5 | Olathe West (KS) |
Ashley's Picks
| FINISH | TEAM |
|---|---|
| 1 | Wayzata (MN) |
| 2 | Minnetonka (MN) |
| 3 | Olathe West (KS) |
| 4 | Dubuque Homestead (IA) |
| 5 | Muskego (WI) |
Team Heartland Individual Predictions
Cory's Picks
| FINISH | INDIVIDUALS |
|---|---|
| 1 | Abbey Nechanicky, Wayzata (MN) |
| 2 | Paityn Noe, Ballard (IA) |
| 3 | Sydney Drevlow, Hopkins (MN) |
| 4 | Katelyn Rupe, Salina Central (KS) |
| 5 | Julia Gehl, Dubuque Homestead (IA) |
Ashley's Picks
| FINISH | INDIVIDUALS |
|---|---|
| 1 | Abbey Nechanicky, Wayzata (MN) |
| 2 | Paityn Noe, Ballard (IA) |
| 3 | Isabelle Bloker, Sioux Falls (SD) |
| 4 | Katelyn Rupe, Salina Central (KS) |
| 5 | Sydney Drevlow, Hopkins (MN) |