National Pre-Season XC 2026

BOYS Teams - National 2026

Bill Meylan (July 29, 2026)

Boys - Contending National Teams
... I do this each pre-season for my own interest and to gather background information
Purpose
... Get a general idea where the national teams might rank overall
Ranking Method
... General extension of the 2025 XC season into 2026
... Focus on cross country results ... Limited modification with track results
... Exclude teams with limited data or data that can't be guessed readily
... First Criteria - consider teams that competed in the NXN National & Regional races
... Consider performance in championship races such as State Championships
... Initially, combine possible teams in a single race scenario (via speed ratings)
... Eliminate 5-10 teams with the worst scores in an iterative process
... Stop when 30 teams remain ... Manipulate scores and positions based on other factors

Once the real season starts, I tend to ignore the pre-season.

Remember ... this list is just an informational starting point ... Real 2026 race results are what count.

Also Remember ... Most top boy's teams contain a fair number of seniors, and those seniors graduate ... Significant graduation from last year means projecting many of the teams below requires guessing - occasionally it's a "shot -in-the-dark guess".

NOTE ... Like last year, I manipulated limited "overall ratings" based on track performances

I did add some Regional Projections based on all teams I considered.

Pre-Season National BOYS Teams 2026

 

 Pre-Season Projection - BOYS National Team Contenders - 2026

 ... Note - Scores are based on a race simulation of 30 teams.


                                                Average
                                                Scorer
                                                Speed
      School                   State   Score    Rating    NXN Region
      --------------------     -----   -----   --------   ----------
  1   Christ School             NC      125     185.20    Southeast
  2   American Fork             UT      265     178.50    Southwest
  3   Southlake Carroll         TX      275     179.88    South
  4   Coeur d'Alene             ID      280     179.25    Northwest
  5   Niwot                     CO      290     180.27    Southwest
  6   Belen Jesuit Prep         FL      290     181.07    Southeast
  7   San Clemente (SS)         CA      330     177.32    California
  8   Campolindo (NC)           CA      330     176.99    California
  9   State College             PA      345     178.45    Northeast
  10  Summit (Oregon)           OR      380     176.35    Northwest
  11  Broughton                 NC      400     174.71    Southeast
  12  Christian Brothers Acad   NJ      410     175.51    Northeast
  13  Summit (Colorado)         CO      420     175.13    Southwest
  14  Carrollton                GA      425     173.15    Southeast
  15  Austin Vandegrift         TX      425     174.13    South
  16  Crater                    OR      425     175.23    Northwest
  17  Union Catholic            NJ      430     173.82    Northeast
  18  Jesuit (SJ)               CA      440     173.69    California
  19  Woodbridge (SS)           CA      440     174.44    California
  20  Cherokee HS               NJ      440     173.63    Northeast
  21  Riverton                  UT      440     173.59    Southwest
  22  Davis                     UT      440     173.48    Southwest
  23  Lincoln HS                OR      445     173.44    Northwest
  24  Bentonville               AR      455     173.04    South
  25  Hart (William S.) (SS)    CA      455     172.90    California
  26  Mountain Vista            CO      460     173.81    Southwest
  27  Castle View               CO      470     173.73    Southwest
  28  Herriman                  UT      470     173.05    Southwest
  29  Plainfield (South)        IL      475     172.57    Midwest
  30  Erie                      CO      480     172.20    Southwest
  31  Columbus North            IN      480     172.42    Southwest

 

     The next group is basically in order following the Top 30 list
     above ... Like last year, the Top 30 list does not contain any 
     teams from the New York region or Heartland region - some are 
     noted below (**).
     
     Teams not listed were excluded for lack of XC data (my speed
     ratings) or available XC data not high enough for inclusion. 



      Columbus North             IN    Midwest
      Mountain View              UT    Southwest
      Jesuit Portland            OR    Northwest
      Jesuit New Orleans         TX    South
      Keller                     TX    South
      Arnold O. Beckman (SS)     CA    California
      Westlake                   UT    Southwest
      El Paso Eastwood           TX    South
      Round Rock                 TX    South
      Calvert Hall College       MD    Southeast
      SLUH                       MO    Midwest
      Trinity (Louisville)       KY    Southeast
      Mountain View (CC)         CA    California
      La Salle College           PA    Northeast
      Liberty North              MO    Midwest
      Cardinal Gibbons           NC    Southeast
      Noblesville                IN    Midwest
      Elmhurst (York)            IL    Midwest
      Brighton                   NY    New York **
      Burnt Hills                NY    New York **
      Downers Grove (North)      IL    Midwest
      Deer Creek                 OK    South
      East Aurora                NY    New York **
      Pittsford Mendon           NY    New York **
      Bishop Hendricken          RI    Northeast
      Wayzata                    MN    Heartland **
      Sioux Falls Lincoln        SD    Heartland **
      Stevens Point              WI    Heartland **
      Cambridge Rindge & Latin   MA    Northeast
      Cuthbertson                NC    Southeast
      Guilderland                NY    New York
      St. Charles (North)        IL    Midwest
      Johnston                   IA    Heartland
      Rosemount                  MN    Heartland
      Mead Senior                WA    Northwest
      Lexington                  MA    Northeast
      Champlain Valley Union     VT    Northeast
      Pinkerton Academy          NH    Northeast
      Grapevine                  TX    South
      Mount Spokane              WA    Northwest
      Carmel                     IN    Midwest
      Niceville HS               FL    Southeast
      Sioux Falls Washington     SD    Heartland
      Homestead                  IN    Midwest
      Houston                    TN    Southeast
      Hanover HS                 NH    Northeast
      Blaine                     MN    Heartland
      Bentonville West           AR    South
      St. Johnsbury Academy      VT    Northeast
      Kamiakin                   WA    Northwest
      Minneapolis Washburn       MN    Heartland
      Independence               TN    Southeast
      Mounds View                MN    Heartland
      Davies                     ND    Heartland

Where did the scores come from?
... 2025 Seasonal Speed Ratings
... Manual manipulation based on selected track results
... Manual manipulation based on Guessing

Note ... Boys Pre-Season rankings are generally harder to generate than Girls rankings ... The reason is that boys teams are generally more senior-dominated than girls teams, so a higher percentage of boys graduate ... therefore, fewer boys teams are "identifiable" as being strong going into the following year.

General Comments for the Coming Season
... Top pre-season teams are typically highly-ranked teams from the previous year that return a solid core of good runners
5 of the top 7 teams in the rankings above competed at NXN Nationals last year (and the other 2 competed at NXN the year before).
Christ School (in Arden, North Carolina, a suburb of Asheville) appears to be a solid favorite entering the 2026 XC season ... Christ School finished 7th at NXN Nationals last year ... and they return all 5 scorers.
As you go further down the ranking list above, the teams rate closer to each other (and the ranking order could be switched easily depending on ranking criteria or subjective opinion) ... If teams develop one or two new impact runners (and that does happen every year for some teams), those teams can move significantly up the rankings.
Pre-season Ranking has some serious limitations:
... Transfers (in/out), runners moving, runners no longer competing, injuries/sickness are generally unknown to me and are not factored into these rankings ... NO transfers were used here ... so there are likely some errors in the runners used to derive some team scores and speed rating averages.
... New runners may be known (and predictable) by people in local areas ... But not by me ... and it makes a difference.
... Pre-season requires guessing ... it might be right or wrong ... and that is OK.

Comments on the TOP 30 Teams:

Note - The overall incoming speed rating number (the first number for each runner below) is a based on last year's seasonal speed ratings (the numbers in the parentheses () that are in sequential order with the most recent first) ... PLUS manipulation by me looking at track performances for many runners.

----------------------------------

#1 - Christ School NC ... Christ School finished 7th at NXN Nationals last year after winning NXR Southeast handily ... They return 6 of 7 runners from those races including all scorers ... They posted some impressive track performances ... Christ School enters the 2026 season as the top-rated team ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

190 -- Brooks Barbee -- 12 -- ( 165 183 188 179 183 182 173 )
186 -- Reynolds Young -- 12 -- ( 185 178 179 177 182 176 174 )
186 -- Jack Dennehy -- 12 -- ( 185 180 176 173 177 169 167 )
185 -- Dallas Reeves -- 12 -- ( 175 182 182 177 167 178 167 )
179 -- Ben Graham -- 12 -- ( 174 170 165 163 )
178 -- Brody Webb -- 12 -- ( 164 173 171 171 165 170 167 )
176 -- Timmy Mcdowell -- 12 -- ( 173 169 159 168 160 156 )

#2 - American Fork UT ... American Fork has competed very nicely at NXN Nationals on multiple occasions ... American Fork finished 5th at NXN Nationals last year and they were 2nd at NXN the two years before ... They finished 4th at NXR Southwest (behind Niwot, Herriman and Coronado) and were the top-finishing "At-Large" team at NXN ... They return 4 of 7 runners from NXN, including the top 3 scorers ... American Fork is usually a deep and talented team ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

186 -- David Webb -- 11 -- ( 183 190 182 182 182 183 186 182 179 )
185 -- Chase Hejny -- 11 -- ( 184 183 183 183 182 185 180 )
180 -- Bennett Jensen -- 10 -- ( 179 174 170 171 164 170 169 166 169 )
173 -- Roy Jones -- 12 -- ( 173 172 171 171 164 165 174 159 154 )
172 -- Logan Wagstaff -- 11 -- ( 162 155 155 166 156 157 154 160 )
164 -- Will Thresher -- 11 -- ( 153 160 158 164 168 160 164 )
161 -- Trey Nielsen -- 12 -- ( 161 160 157 161 163 151 155 154 147 )

#3 - Southlake Carroll TX ... Southlake Carroll has competed at NXN Nationals on multiple occasions ... They finished an excellent 4th at NXN last year (and 4th the year before and 3rd at NXN 2023)... Southlake Carroll was the Texas State 6A Champs again last year, and they won the NXR South Regional race ... They return 5 of 7 runners (losing top runner Caden Leonard) ... Southlake Carroll usually has some depth ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

193 -- Kai Gutierrez -- 11 -- ( 195 190 189 183 180 )
179 -- Jaxon Glenn -- 12 -- ( 181 177 175 177 166 176 169 )
177 -- Claudio Auns -- 12 -- ( 170 174 172 167 168 169 163 )
177 -- Grant Norgart -- 12 -- ( 174 168 170 160 167 163 165 )
174 -- Evan O'Donnell -- 12 -- ( 167 165 166 162 160 158 157 )
167 -- Adhavan Palanivelrajan -- 12 -- ( 164 146 164 )
155 -- Cameron Perez -- 10 -- ( 152 151 146 )

#4 - Coeur d'Alene ID ... Coeur d'Alene did not race at NXN Nationals last year ... But finished 9th at NXN Nationals in 2024 (and 11th at NXN 2023)... They were 6th at NXR Northwest last year (but some sickness may have hampered them??) ... Coeur d'Alene returns 6 of 7 runners (losing the #3 scorer) ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

188 -- Wyatt Carr -- 12 -- ( 164 190 187 182 181 )
183 -- Wyatt Morgenstern -- 11 -- ( 177 157 181 183 181 185 172 )
182 -- Rowan Henry -- 11 -- ( 179 176 184 183 180 178 167 )
175 -- Gabe Heule -- 12 -- ( 167 175 178 161 158 156 )
168 -- Blaise Howard -- 11 -- ( 152 168 169 166 163 166 157 )
153 -- Andrew Grady -- 10 -- ( 150 153 155 152 143 147 )
151 -- David Dance -- 12 -- ( 150 152 146 )

#5 - Niwot CO ... Niwot is the defending NXN National Champion again (they were 5th at NXN 2023 and 12th at NXN 2022) ... They won NXR Southwest handily last year ... They were the Colorado State 5A Champion ... They return only 3 of 7 runners from those races, but that includes 2 top runners in Quinn Sullivan (5th at NXN) and Jude Ritzenhein (one the top freshmen in the nation last year) ... Niwot could be an interesting team to watch this coming season ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

195 -- Quinn Sullivan -- 12 -- ( 200 195 189 173 179 189 186 168 )
187 -- Jude Ritzenhein -- 10 -- ( 187 180 188 183 179 182 176 171 165 )
178 -- Garrett Sherrard -- 12 -- ( 175 172 171 168 169 172 167 161 )
173 -- Braylon Brown -- 10 -- ( 168 165 156 140 162 154 151 146 )
169 -- Praveen Bopearachchigedon -- 12 -- ( 166 151 156 163 156 138 )
163 -- Noah Barrios -- 11 -- ( 158 164 160 160 159 151 151 )
162 -- Lucas Timm -- 10 -- ( 160 162 163 150 153 154 159 153 )

#6 - Belen Jesuit Prep FL ... Belen Jesuit Prep did not compete at NXN Nationals last year because they did not compete at NXR Southeast due to a conflict with the Florida State Meet .... However, top runner Marcelo Mantecon did finish an excellent 4th at NXN Nationals (he was invited) ... Belen Jesuit Prep finished 12th at NXN Nationals in 2024 (and they were 4th at NXN 2023 and 14th at NXN 2022) ... They return 6 of 7 runners from the Florida State Meet and had some good track performances ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

200 -- Marcelo Mantecon -- 12 -- ( 203 201 192 193 194 192 185 190 )
188 -- Armando Cruz -- 12 -- ( 185 189 185 188 183 181 182 )
173 -- Nicholas Veloso -- 11 -- ( 170 167 177 174 169 168 160 )
173 -- Jack Michalak -- 11 -- ( 171 173 163 162 166 )
171 -- David Jaramillo -- 10 -- ( 165 168 169 158 166 163 149 )
164 -- Davi Bodoh -- 12 -- ( 143 165 162 157 164 157 )
159 -- Liam Salom -- 12 -- ( 150 156 164 157 135 161 151 )

#7 - San Clemente (SS) CA ... San Clemente (SS) finished 15th at NXN Nationals last year after taking 3rd in the California State Meet Merge ... They return all 7 runners from those races ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

184 -- Yohan Anderson -- 12 -- ( 180 183 181 183 182 187 184 171 167 )
183 -- Mattheus Dos Santos -- 12 -- ( 174 185 182 178 180 180 169 166 )
176 -- Magnus Johansson -- 12 -- ( 174 174 176 176 169 174 167 165 161 )
174 -- Erik Troester -- 12 -- ( 166 176 169 174 165 166 165 158 158 )
170 -- Conner Jaurigue -- 12 -- ( 155 176 163 169 160 165 164 156 155 )
168 -- Gabriel Sech -- 12 -- ( 159 172 164 164 157 160 146 )
164 -- Ben Wyman -- 12 -- ( 162 157 155 147 160 165 164 158 151 )

#8 - Campolindo (NC) CA ... Campolindo (NC) finished 7th in the California State Meet Merge and did not compete at NXN Nationals ... They return their top 6 runners from the State Meet ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

185 -- Clark Gregory -- 12 -- ( 187 181 180 )
179 -- Caden Ehrhorn -- 11 -- ( 173 170 179 )
177 -- Nikola Van Delft -- 12 -- ( 178 164 174 )
172 -- Jack Durden -- 12 -- ( 171 171 172 )
172 -- Gavin Gunn -- 12 -- ( 164 169 174 )
170 -- Samuel Hearn -- 12 -- ( 170 169 170 )
165 -- Taiyo Chiba -- 12 -- ( 162 166 )

#9 - State College PA ... State College finished 3rd at NXR Northeast and did not compete at NXN Nationals ... They return their top 5 runners from the NXR race ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

193 -- Theo Oppermann -- 12 -- ( 193 193 188 180 )
188 -- Luke Bradbury -- 12 -- ( 183 188 180 )
175 -- Kyle Fritzsche -- 12 -- ( 169 159 172 )
172 -- Dexter Walker -- 11 -- ( 169 165 168 )
164 -- Thomas Ruffing -- 11 -- ( 159 153 160 )

#10 - Summit (Oregon) OR ... Summit (Oregon) finished 5th at NXR Northwest and did not compete at NXN Nationals ... They finished 2nd at Oregon State Meet (Class 5A) ... They return their top 6 runners from those meets ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

189 -- Bjorn Blankenship -- 12 -- ( 189 189 181 182 183 181 )
178 -- Charlie English -- 12 -- ( 179 173 170 170 169 162 )
177 -- Clayton Jero -- 11 -- ( 174 173 173 178 177 172 )
169 -- Irving Stoller -- 12 -- ( 167 170 162 162 164 161 )
168 -- Hudson Boaz -- 12 -- ( 166 169 164 164 166 163 161 )
166 -- Landon Kjorstad -- 11 -- ( 167 166 165 151 145 )
162 -- Kai Blankenship -- 10 -- ( 166 152 138 141 )

#11 - Broughton NC ... Broughton finished 18th at NXN Nationals last year after finishing 2nd at NXR Southeast ... They return 5 of 7 runners from those races ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

183 -- Cam Kuss -- 12 -- ( 161 182 173 172 )
181 -- Charlie Slawinski -- 12 -- ( 170 176 173 170 177 176 )
178 -- Tyler Burke -- 11 -- ( 167 174 171 170 172 165 )
170 -- Jacob Urben -- 11 -- ( 158 141 161 156 143 137 )
161 -- Jackson Burke -- 11 -- ( 150 144 )
160 -- Logan Mckay -- 11 -- ( 147 148 148 155 147 147 145 )
151 -- Jack Slawinski -- 10 -- ( 151 )

#12 - Christian Brothers Academy NJ ... Christian Brothers Academy is a multi-time competitor at NXN Nationals (won in 2011 and were 2nd in 2013) ... They finished 3rd at NXN Nationals last year (and 5th at NXN 2024, 6th at NXN 2023) ... Christian Brothers won both NXR Northeast and the New Jersey Meet Champions ... They lose 4 or 5 runners to graduation from those races, but CBA is typically a deep team with an ability to add runners or reload ... Several runners below have elevated overall ratings based on improved track performances from the 2025 season ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

192 -- Gavin Schmitt -- 12 -- ( 190 194 189 188 185 182 )
179 -- Liam Schmitt -- 11 -- ( 164 170 171 164 163 162 155 )
173 -- Dominic Moscatello -- 10 -- ( 157 153 161 )
169 -- Max Kemp -- 11 -- ( 154 152 149 )
165 -- Justin Ventimiglia -- 11 -- ( 144 157 152 )
165 -- Chase VanDerHoof -- 10 -- ( 149 )
165 -- Nicholas Marx -- 12 -- ( 148 148 )
163 -- Gideon Rivera -- 10 -- ( 154 151 )
160 -- Michael Romero -- 12 -- ( 144 150 )

#13 - Summit (Colorado) CO ... Summit (Colorado) finished 6th at NXR Southwest and did not compete at NXN Nationals ... They finished 2nd at Colorado State Meet (Class 4A) ... They return 5 of 7 runners from those races including their top 3 or 4 scorers ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

190 -- Jay McDonald -- 12 -- ( 190 192 178 189 187 182 )
178 -- Lukas Remeikis -- 12 -- ( 179 177 178 173 175 165 )
177 -- Johnny Ryan -- 11 -- ( 178 172 158 )
171 -- Owen Fallon -- 12 -- ( 174 164 168 165 154 )
160 -- Crosby Hume -- 10 -- ( 151 162 157 139 )
151 -- John McDonald -- 12 -- ( 153 151 142 124 )

#14 - Carrollton GA ... Carrollton finished 5th at NXR Southeast and did not compete at NXN Nationals ... They finished 2nd at Georgia State Meet (Class 6A) ... They return 6 of 7 runners from those meets including their top 4 or 5 scorers ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

184 -- Dash Brackin -- 11 -- ( 184 183 184 )
181 -- Drew Woznicki -- 11 -- ( 181 171 172 170 )
178 -- Camp Jennings -- 11 -- ( 178 176 )
170 -- Stephen Woznicki -- 11 -- ( 171 166 168 157 )
153 -- Will Rogers -- 12 -- ( 149 138 142 )
148 -- Carson Haley -- 12 -- ( 134 147 )
147 -- Jet Richardson -- 11 -- ( 139 )

#15 - Austin Vandegrift TX ... Austin Vandegrift finished 17th at NXN Nationals last year after taking 2nd at NXR South ... They finished 2nd at the Texas State Meet (Class 6A) ... They return 5 of 7 runners from those races ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

183 -- Avinash Dewagan -- 10 -- ( 171 177 177 173 170 157 166 )
178 -- Collin Goodwin -- 12 -- ( 175 178 175 )
172 -- Anderson Mills -- 11 -- ( 159 170 169 168 156 163 152 )
170 -- Atticus Reyes -- 11 -- ( 167 168 165 159 )
167 -- Ryan Lee -- 11 -- ( 161 155 150 149 124 )
166 -- Devin Celkis -- 10 -- ( 153 161 165 164 159 159 148 )
152 -- Max Abele -- 12 -- ( 154 150 134 125 )

#16 - Crater OR ... Crater finished 4th at NXR Northwest and did not compete at NXN Nationals ... They won the Oregon State Meet (Class 5A) ... They return 5 of 7 runners from those meets including their top 3 scorers ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

192 -- Garrett Faught -- 11 -- ( 191 193 190 178 171 )
177 -- Ryder White -- 10 -- ( 177 177 170 164 163 )
174 -- Maxwell Miracle -- 12 -- ( 174 174 150 166 )
168 -- Reece Hvall -- 12 -- ( 162 170 161 166 )
165 -- Nathan Goode -- 12 -- ( 165 152 156 165 )
138 -- Derek Caywood -- 10 -- ( 138 )
137 -- Colton Hvall -- 11 -- ( 137 )

#17 - Union Catholic NJ ... Union Catholic finished 4th at NXR Northeast and did not compete at NXN Nationals ... They finished 3rd at the New Jersey Meet of Champions ... They return 6 of 7 runners from those meets ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

179 -- Danny Kuran -- 12 -- ( 180 178 179 178 170 178 168 )
177 -- Finn Riely -- 12 -- ( 175 165 172 165 156 164 162 )
173 -- Jayden Aine -- 12 -- ( 167 164 166 170 155 166 )
172 -- Nick Frank -- 12 -- ( 160 169 160 163 150 153 159 )
168 -- Quintin Clemons -- 12 -- ( 161 161 166 163 )
165 -- Manny Sanchez -- 11 -- ( 156 153 152 148 147 155 147 )
160 -- Jeremiah Shepherd -- 11 -- ( 151 139 134 144 )

#18 - Jesuit (SJ) CA ... Jesuit (SJ) finished 14th at NXN Nationals last year (and 11th at NXN 2023) ... They finished a solid 1st in the California State Meet Merge ... They return 4 of 7 runners from those races ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

181 -- Matthew Ogilvie -- 12 -- ( 158 175 167 178 179 178 173 )
180 -- Lucas Alberts -- 12 -- ( 166 180 173 175 174 172 171 )
174 -- Rafael Jopson -- 12 -- ( 164 169 161 )
169 -- Ryan Tait -- 12 -- ( 157 167 163 167 165 162 168 )
164 -- John Kelly -- 11 -- ( 148 158 )
146 -- Griffin Smith -- 12 -- ( 146 )

#19 - Woodbridge (SS) CA ... Woodbridge (SS) finished 5th in the California State Meet Merge and did not compete at NXN Nationals ... They return 5 of 7 runners from the State Meet ... the top 2 returners had speed ratings in the 180s ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

189 -- Aidan Antonio -- 12 -- ( 174 189 186 187 188 186 )
180 -- Thomas Yohn -- 12 -- ( 167 179 180 174 )
173 -- Noah Spickler -- 12 -- ( 173 173 171 171 )
168 -- Ayumu (Joey) Yamamoto -- 11 -- ( 163 169 155 159 160 )
164 -- Sean Hohman -- 12 -- ( 162 164 160 )
151 -- Dalton Chadwick -- 11 -- ( 151 )
143 -- Ayden Alvarez -- 12 -- ( 143 )

#20 - Cherokee HS NJ ... Cherokee did not compete at NXN Nationals ... They finished 5th at the New Jersey Meet of Champions ... They return 6 of 7 runners from that meet including all 5 scorers ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

182 -- Jack Tindall -- 11 -- ( 179 168 184 175 )
179 -- Benjamin Realley -- 12 -- ( 180 171 171 )
174 -- Maximo Harada -- 12 -- ( 158 167 159 )
167 -- Sean Sooy -- 12 -- ( 164 152 83 )
166 -- Gavin Danielewicz -- 12 -- ( 157 162 149 )
154 -- Leo Vyvyan -- 12 -- ( 150 154 148 )
150 -- Evan Amato -- 11 -- ( 139 )

#21 - Riverton UT ... Riverton finished 8th at NXR Southwest and did not compete at NXN Nationals ... They finished 3rd at the Utah State Meet (Class 6A) ... They return 5 of 7 runners from the State Meet ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

182 -- David Oman -- 12 -- ( 177 179 172 178 169 169 )
180 -- Kurt Perry -- 11 -- ( 174 176 180 176 168 169 161 )
176 -- Boston Rindlisbacher -- 12 -- ( 178 171 175 168 )
168 -- Isaac Sharp -- 12 -- ( 145 171 160 165 159 153 )
161 -- Marko Jovanovic -- 11 -- ( 161 143 151 142 )
158 -- Caden Heninger -- 12 -- ( 159 157 153 152 )
157 -- Chase Wilfert -- 12 -- ( 158 153 156 144 )

#22 - Davis UT ... Davis Utah finished 16th at NXR Southwest and did not compete at NXN Nationals ... They finished 6th at the Utah State Meet (Class 6A) ... They return all 7 runners from the State Meet ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

182 -- Harrison Skousen -- 12 -- ( 182 178 181 184 181 181 )
178 -- Noah Hauck -- 12 -- ( 173 177 178 174 176 165 )
174 -- Jonas Clay -- 12 -- ( 169 171 164 169 174 171 )
168 -- Parker Olsen -- 12 -- ( 163 164 161 161 159 157 )
165 -- Luke Baughman -- 11 -- ( 166 158 157 157 160 164 )
162 -- Devin Black -- 12 -- ( 151 145 150 163 161 166 )
158 -- Levi Jackman -- 12 -- ( 157 151 157 158 158 157 )

#23 - Lincoln HS OR ... Lincoln HS finished 19th at NXN Nationals last year after taking 2nd at NXR Northwest ... They finished 2nd at the Oregon State Meet (Class 6A) ... They return 5 of 7 runners from those meets ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

180 -- Malcolm Dimoff -- 12 -- ( 174 180 178 170 173 177 167 )
178 -- Peter James -- 12 -- ( 163 178 178 161 170 174 169 )
176 -- Seth Kugel -- 11 -- ( 168 177 176 162 165 165 149 )
170 -- Jack Denton -- 12 -- ( 169 171 168 163 165 164 167 )
163 -- Desmond Conser -- 11 -- ( 159 163 164 158 )
159 -- Henry Tachouet -- 11 -- ( 153 161 153 150 138 )
155 -- Christian Ranalli -- 11 -- ( 137 157 147 156 138 )

#24 - Bentonville AR ... Bentonville finished 5th at NXR South last year and did not compete at NXN Nationals ... They won the Arkansas State Meet (Class 6A) ... They return 5 of 7 runners ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

183 -- Sean Burns -- 11 -- ( 180 177 171 175 170 )
171 -- Daniel Furlano -- 12 -- ( 168 159 165 154 161 158 )
171 -- Camden McClellan -- 11 -- ( 167 153 166 158 )
170 -- Vini Pimentel -- 12 -- ( 164 171 168 167 163 )
170 -- Remington Morland -- 10 -- ( 154 153 170 155 164 163 )
167 -- Alex Wagner -- 12 -- ( 146 160 167 165 )
163 -- Dean Pickett -- 12 -- ( 164 157 )

#25 - Hart (William S.) (SS) CA ... Hart (William S.) (SS) finished 8th in the California State Meet Merge and did not compete at NXN Nationals ... They return 5 of 7 runners from the State Meet including the top 3 scorers ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

179 -- Josiah Himsl -- 12 -- ( 177 174 179 170 165 )
179 -- Samuel Aina -- 12 -- ( 177 174 179 170 169 )
177 -- Jameson Wiley -- 12 -- ( 178 170 161 156 170 )
170 -- Miles Prante -- 12 -- ( 170 170 169 154 )
160 -- Joshua Jimenez -- 11 -- ( 148 153 124 )
132 -- Julian Zamora -- 12 -- ( 132 )
129 -- Mateo Ortega -- 10 -- ( 129 )

#26 - Mountain Vista CO ... Mountain Vista finished 9th at NXR Southwest and did not compete at NXN Nationals ... They finished 6th at Colorado State Meet (Class 5A) ... They return 6 of 7 runners from those meets ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

190 -- Benjamin Adams -- 12 -- ( 187 186 193 185 189 189 186 185 )
172 -- Chase Beebe -- 12 -- ( 175 167 167 168 166 167 164 157 )
172 -- Kenneth Bolthouse -- 12 -- ( 174 165 170 166 161 158 155 )
170 -- Charles Watts -- 11 -- ( 170 169 168 153 149 167 156 151 )
166 -- George Van Otten -- 10 -- ( 158 161 162 160 156 158 156 155 146 149 )
155 -- Andrew Archer -- 12 -- ( 146 156 155 148 135 126 137 130 136 )
141 -- Boston Bennett -- 11 -- ( 136 142 132 144 140 139 )

#27 - Castle View CO ... Castle View finished 11th at NXR Southwest and did not compete at NXN Nationals ... They finished 3rd at Colorado State Meet (Class 5A) ... They return 4 of 7 runners from those meets ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

191 -- Wyatt Dann -- 11 -- ( 194 188 186 179 182 183 181 152 )
181 -- Evan Dann -- 11 -- ( 174 182 176 174 174 )
166 -- Kaleb Kolbe -- 12 -- ( 148 167 153 150 163 157 )
166 -- Alexander Legorreta -- 12 -- ( 167 167 164 165 157 153 150 )
165 -- Jacob Robbins -- 11 -- ( 165 153 141 139 )
153 -- Gabriel Gomez -- 11 -- ( 155 149 150 146 143 )
152 -- Nathaniel Salazar -- 10 -- ( 155 148 125 )

#28 - Herriman UT ... Herriman finished 2nd at NXN Nationals last year (3rd at NXN 2024 and they won NXN Nationals in 2023 and finished an excellent 3rd at NXN 2022) ... Herriman finished 2nd at the NXR Southwest race last year and won the Utah State 6A race ... They lose 4 runners to graduation from NXN ... Herriman also loses Coach Doug Soles ... So this could be an interesting season to see what happens at Herriman ... Some good runners are returning ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

184 -- Trevin Lounsbury -- 12 -- ( 183 183 177 184 159 178 168 163 157 167 )
178 -- Camron Johnson -- 12 -- ( 180 179 173 173 161 166 163 159 155 143 144 )
169 -- Kenneth Briggs -- 12 -- ( 157 150 173 166 167 151 171 163 164 )
169 -- Jeremiah Sorensen -- 11 -- ( 168 166 170 168 169 168 164 )
166 -- Elias Wardle -- 12 -- ( 167 164 167 159 165 163 158 163 164 157 )
164 -- Jacob DeHaan -- 11 -- ( 150 162 159 167 162 161 160 )

#29 - Plainfield (South) IL ... Plainfield (South) finished 10th at NXR Midwest and did not compete at NXN Nationals ... They finished 6th at Illinois State Meet (Class 3A) ... They return 5 of 7 runners, including 2 with speed ratings in the 180s ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

181 -- Alex Batsala -- 12 -- ( 179 183 180 168 167 )
180 -- Dylan Buturusis -- 12 -- ( 181 173 171 )
170 -- Kellan Hernandez -- 12 -- ( 169 173 166 159 150 )
169 -- Ethan Ensign -- 12 -- ( 166 168 170 159 164 )
163 -- Phoenix Viger -- 10 -- ( 147 162 160 156 158 )
151 -- Atticus Stevens -- 12 -- ( 153 146 142 )
147 -- Logan Capalbo -- 11 -- ( 148 144 )

#30 - Erie CO ... Erie finished 10th at NXR Southwest and did not compete at NXN Nationals ... They finished 2nd at Colorado State Meet (Class 5A) ... They return 6 of 7 runners from those meets ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

181 -- Brett Michalski -- 12 -- ( 181 181 179 179 178 173 172 )
173 -- Micah Anderson -- 12 -- ( 174 172 168 167 161 154 )
171 -- Cade Simonson -- 11 -- ( 173 166 164 160 150 154 152 )
168 -- Sam Snyder -- 11 -- ( 164 169 158 160 157 150 144 )
167 -- Braden Kennedy -- 12 -- ( 166 167 163 149 158 157 150 147 )
163 -- Levi Kitlowski -- 11 -- ( 157 166 161 153 165 155 )
153 -- Preston Slater -- 11 -- ( 154 140 140 )

#31 - Columbus North IN ... Columbus North finished 8th at NXN Nationals last year after winning NXR Midwest ... They won the Indiana State Meet handily ... They graduated 4 runners ... Approximate representative returning speed ratings with available [2025 seasonal ratings]:

180 -- Justin Reckers -- 12 -- ( 175 177 179 175 166 170 )
176 -- Joseph Day -- 11 -- ( 172 175 177 174 174 170 )
174 -- Graham Pumphrey -- 12 -- ( 160 173 174 175 160 166 )
169 -- Rohan Norris -- 11 -- ( 165 162 167 169 161 )
165 -- Garrett Perfetto -- 11 -- ( 160 155 146 )
153 -- Levi Carothers -- 12 -- ( 155 142 )
115 -- Noah Weidman -- 12 -- ( 151 142 )

NOTE ..... The scores above indicate that many teams rate very closely ... The positions are just a guess at one point in time before the cross country season starts.

Pre-season ranking is part data and part "educated guessing", and at the national level, I use significant amount of guessing ... margins of error and uncertainty is large ... My "guesses" are just one guy's opinion ... Some Regional Projection lists are available at the bottom of this page to show the teams I had enough data to consider.

Boys Pre-Season Regional Projections 2026

Remember ... My main purpose is to identify teams for Nationals and not to do an in-depth evaluation for each region (New York is the only exception)
The list below is limited in some respects ... I looked at cross country performances from 2025 (from my databases only) and selected potential National teams based on my Speed Ratings.
I needed to find enough data on enough returning XC runners to make a guess without additional time-consuming searching (otherwise, teams were excluded) ...
I do not believe it is worth spending too much time on the pre-season because we will find out soon enough who is good nationally (and unexpectedly good) when the real season starts ... My pre-season lists simply help me identify teams that might need to be followed.

 
** Team Scores calculated using just the teams from that Region

                                            Average
                                 Estimated  Scorer
                                   Team     Speed
                             St    Score    Rating    NXN Region
                            ====   =====   ========   ==========

California
   San Clemente (SS)         CA      66     177.32    California
   Campolindo (NC)           CA      66     176.99    California
   Jesuit (SJ)               CA      92     173.69    California
   Woodbridge (SS)           CA      98     174.44    California
   Hart (William S.) (SS)    CA     103     172.90    California
   Arnold O. Beckman (SS)    CA     109     171.48    California
   Mountain View (CC)        CA     123     170.72    California

     Many Heartland teams had limited data available for
     returning runners (many graduates) made this a guess!!

Heartland
   Wayzata                   MN     105     167.70    Heartland
   Johnston                  IA     105     168.00    Heartland
   Stevens Point             WI     105     167.15    Heartland
   Sioux Falls Lincoln       SD     110     168.29    Heartland
   Rosemount                 MN     118     166.45    Heartland
   Sioux Falls Washington    SD     129     165.46    Heartland
   Blaine                    MN     136     163.97    Heartland
   Minneapolis Washburn      MN     154     161.76    Heartland
   Mounds View               MN     155     161.75    Heartland
   Davies                    ND     169     161.81    Heartland

Midwest
   Plainfield (South)        IL       93    172.57    Midwest
   Columbus North            IN       94    172.42    Midwest
   SLUH                      MO      102    171.15    Midwest
   Liberty North             MO      116    170.08    Midwest
   Elmhurst (York)           IL      123    169.55    Midwest
   Noblesville               IN      131    170.21    Midwest
   Downers Grove (North)     IL      135    168.60    Midwest
   St. Charles (North)       IL      158    167.67    Midwest
   Carmel                    IN      173    165.47    Midwest
   Homestead                 IN      174    164.82    Midwest

New York (see NY Boys Projection Page)
   Brighton                  NY      225    169.35    New York
   Pittsford Mendon          NY      240    168.69    New York
   Burnt Hills               NY      240    169.83    New York
   East Aurora               NY      250    169.05    New York
   Guilderland               NY      280    167.49    New York
   Northport                 NY      295              New York
   Ward Melville             NY      310              New York
   Saratoga Springs          NY      335              New York
     *** (NY scores based on a 37 team simulation)

Northeast
   State College             PA       95    178.45    Northeast
   Union Catholic            NJ       99    173.82    Northeast
   Christian Brothers Acad   NJ      103    175.51    Northeast
   Cherokee HS               NJ      108    173.63    Northeast
   La Salle College          PA      132    170.37    Northeast
   Bishop Hendricken         RI      183    169.38    Northeast
   Cambridge Rindge & Latin  MA      191    167.33    Northeast
   Lexington                 MA      201    166.48    Northeast
   Champlain Valley Union    VT      210    165.49    Northeast
   Pinkerton Academy         NH      211    164.56    Northeast
   Hanover HS                NH      227    164.13    Northeast
   St. Johnsbury Academy     VT      237    162.57    Northeast

Northwest
   Coeur d'Alene             ID       55    179.25    Northwest
   Summit (Oregon)           OR       70    176.35    Northwest
   Crater                    OR       83    175.23    Northwest
   Lincoln HS                OR       89    173.44    Northwest
   Jesuit Portland           OR       98    172.70    Northwest
   Mead Senior               WA      145    166.44    Northwest
   Mount Spokane             WA      151    165.59    Northwest
   Kamiakin                  WA      155    163.55    Northwest

South
   Southlake Carroll         TX       47    179.88    South
   Austin Vandegrift         TX       95    174.13    South
   Bentonville               AR      109    173.04    South
   Jesuit New Orleans        TX      121    172.11    South
   Keller                    TX      125    171.95    South
   El Paso Eastwood          TX      128    171.78    South
   Round Rock                TX      129    172.06    South
   Deer Creek                OK      160    168.41    South
   Grapevine                 TX      194    165.67    South
   Bentonville West          AR      215    164.27    South

Southeast
   Christ School             NC       32    185.20    Southeast
   Belen Jesuit Prep         FL       79    181.07    Southeast
   Broughton                 NC      113    174.71    Southeast
   Carrollton                GA      132    173.15    Southeast
   Calvert Hall College      MD      146    170.91    Southeast
   Trinity (Louisville)      KY      151    170.80    Southeast
   Cardinal Gibbons          NC      159    169.67    Southeast
   Cuthbertson               NC      178    166.80    Southeast
   Niceville HS              FL      206    165.27    Southeast
   Houston                   TN      211    165.10    Southeast
   Independence              TN      236    162.99    Southeast

Southwest
   American Fork             UT       92    178.50    Southwest
   Niwot                     CO       94    180.27    Southwest
   Summit (Colorado)         CO      143    175.13    Southwest
   Riverton                  UT      148    173.59    Southwest
   Davis                     UT      148    173.48    Southwest
   Mountain Vista            CO      153    173.81    Southwest
   Castle View               CO      153    173.73    Southwest
   Herriman                  UT      153    173.05    Southwest
   Erie                      CO      160    172.20    Southwest
   Mountain View             UT      162    172.22    Southwest
   Westlake                  UT      165    172.01    Southwest