* Philip Cupial won his first cross country state title at Detweiller Park over this past weekend
Photo Credit: Jorge Espinosa/MileSplit Illinois
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Cold weather, fast courses, and high stakes, this weekend had it all. From state titles to national qualifiers, these athletes rose to the occasion when it mattered most.
The National Performer of the Week poll will close at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, November 13, and the winner will be announced shortly after.
Check out this week's five nominees!
*Athletes cannot be nominated for National Performer of the Week in back-to-back weeks*
This Week's Nominees:
Canaan Dunham, Pella (Iowa): The Iowa-based senior avenged last year's sixth-place finish by securing an automatic spot on the Nike Cross Nationals starting line next month. Despite icy footing and frigid conditions, Dunham handled business at NXR Heartland, clocking 15:05.1. Just a week after finishing 14 seconds behind Quentin Nauman (Western Dubuque) at the Iowa 3A State Championships, he flipped the script, beating the Oregon commit by three seconds.
Andrew Beroset, McCallie (Tenn.): It's safe to say Beroset adjusted quickly to life in Tennessee. The Florida transplant captured the TSSAA DII Class AA title in 15:03.6, winning by 22 seconds and leading McCallie to a dominant team victory over Baylor, 31-71. It marked his third win of the season and his sixth top-six finish in as many races. The junior now sits No. 9 all-time in the state's record books amongst third-year runners, and will have another year to move up even more.
Garrett Faught, Crater (Ore.): There's no better place to break 15:00 for the first time than at the state championships, and that's exactly what the Crater sophomore did in Eugene. In a talent-packed race, Faught pulled away from Summit's Bjorn Blankenship to win by three seconds in 14:57.57. After finishing 15th as a freshman, he became the third Crater athlete since 2021 to claim the 5A state crown, joining Tyrone Gorze (2021, 2022) and Tayvon Kitchen (2023, 2024).
Brian Burns, Bentonville (Ark.): In his first race in more than a month - and on the same weekend he announced his commitment to the University of North Carolina - Burns made a statement, winning his first Arkansas state title in his debut season in the state. The victory pairs nicely with the Missouri crown he earned last fall while at Southern Boone. Burns led his younger brother, Sean, to a 1-2 finish, crossing in 15:31.47. His performance also powered Bentonville to its ninth straight team championship in dominant fashion.
Philip Cupial, Downers Grove North (Ill.): For the first time on the grass, the Trojan's frontrunner broke the tape at Detweiller Park, capturing the IHSA 3A title in 14:03.2 - four seconds clear of the chase pack. Cupial's nine-second personal best and 24-second season best couldn't have come at a better time, as he became the 10th-fastest runner in course history and the quickest since 2019, when Arlington Heights' Josh Methner set the record. One of the top athletes in the region, Cupial now turns his attention to NXR Midwest in Terre Haute, where he'll look to punch his ticket back to Nike Cross Nationals.
NPOTW's Previous Winners:
Week 1: Aaron Brodrick, Oconee County (Ga.)
Week 2: Sean Fries, Minnetonka (Minn.)
Week 3: Brody Anderson, Topeka-Seaman (Kan.)
Week 4: Griffen Saacke, Bridgeland (Texas)
Week 5: Kavi Gibson, Cary Academy (N.C.)
Week 6: Andrew Brown, Tupelo (Miss.)
Week 7: Jackson Free, Mountain Home (Ark.)
Week 8: Cohen Butler, Camas (Wash.)
Week 9: Aidan Antonio, Woodbridge (Calif.)
Week 10: Jaden Merrick, Cedar Falls (Iowa)
Week 11: Jack McGovern, Rockhurst (Mo.)