* Conor Lott won his second-straight CIF Division 1 state title
Photo Credit: DeAnna Turner/MileSplit California
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A handful of boys delivered major performances this week, from breakthrough state titles to hard-fought Brooks XC Regional Championship wins.
All five added a key performance to their postseason résumé and enter December carrying real momentum as they are set to jockey for a national title.
The National Performer of the Week poll will close at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, December 4, and the winner will be announced shortly after.
Check out these five nominees for NPOTW as the 2025 cross country season inches closer to what's shaping up to be an epic final two weeks.
This Week's Nominees:
Calvin Seitz, Spring Valley (Ind.): Seitz has continued to elevate his resume every week, most recently winning a grueling, snow-covered Brooks XC Midwest Championship. The conditions didn't slow him down, as he stamped himself as a legitimate threat to win it all in San Diego in less than two weeks. Seitz ran 15:11.2 to win by five seconds, earning his fourth straight victory and showcasing the strength and grit that have defined his season. He'll look to make it five wins in a row on December 13.
Cooper Stream, Vacaville (Calif.): As a sophomore, Stream finished 176th at the CIF Division 2 State Championships, then climbed to 31st as a junior. In his final run at Woodward Park, he completed his remarkable rise. The senior battled all the way to the line, out-leaning Branham's Alijah Murillo and Woodbridge's Aidan Antonio to win in 14:48.4, just ahead of their 14:49.1 and 14:50.0. Not only did Stream claim his first CIF state title, but he also secured one of California's five qualifying spots for Nike Cross Nationals.
Sam Laverdiere, Lake Region (Maine): After spending much of the fall racing 8Ks, Sam Laverdiere dropped back down to the 5K for the Brooks Northeast XC Championships and left Boston with the win. The Maine standout crossed in 14:59.9 -- the only athlete under 15:00 -- finishing nearly 30 seconds ahead of the final qualifier. He held off Brunswick's (Conn.) Nathan Lee by just one-tenth of a second at the line and became only the fourth high schooler ever to break 15:00 at Franklin Park.
Evan Spreitzer, Holy Trinity Academy (Fla.): Through 10 races this season, the future Furman Paladin has finished in the top three all but once, winning six of them. His latest victory came at the Brooks South XC Championships, where he clocked 14:52.13 and held off Cary Academy's Kavi Gibson, who crossed in 14:52.81. The performance led four boys under 15:00 at McAlpine Park, adding his name to the coveted list of athletes who have broken the barrier on the historic course. It also marked the second time he has dipped under 15:00, lowering his previous personal best by six seconds.
Conor Lott, Clovis North (Calif.): For the second consecutive year, no one was able to keep pace with him at the CIF Division I State Championships. Cruising to a blistering 14:43.2, the sixth-fastest time in Division I history, he became the first state champion to defend his title in six years. He also became the first repeat winner out of the Central Section in 31 years, joining McFarland's Galvin Gonzalez. He ran 20 seconds faster than he did at this meet a year ago, using his experience to pick up his third straight win and sixth of the year. He'll be the fastest of the five California individual qualifiers on the starting line at NXN.
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.)
Week 12: Canaan Dunham Pella (Iowa)
Week 13: Jayden Warner, Warrenton (Ore.)
Week 14: Hunter Robbie, Niwot (Colo.)