NXN South In Depth Preview

The Lead Pack: Girls who will leading the race and fighting for Top-5

Abby Gray: The 5A state champion is looking to pull of the NXN/Foot Locker double. She ran well at Foot Locker in 2014, now the future Razorback is taking it to the next step to do both. Baring any major upsets or in race injuries, Gray shouldn't have any trouble securing her spot to Portland, it's only a matter of how close the race will be for first. Out of the athletes entered for NXN South, Gray easily had the best race at state. That combined with being the top returning athlete from 2014, will make Gray a tough athlete to beat. She knows how to perform at championship meets.

Ashton Endsley: If you're wondering which athlete is most likely to challenge Abby Gray, Ashton Endsley is pretty good pick. For starters, she beat Gray at the McNeil invite in a wire to wire battle, only separating in the final meters. Endsley had been undefeated all season leading up to the state meet where she would end up finishing 11th. This will be a big chance for Endsley to earn some redemption against the same athletes who beat her a few weeks ago. 

Maddy Reed: Reed is another athlete to add to the long list that didn't perform as expected in Round Rock. Look for her to bounce back in a big way at NXN South. She will be very motivated knowing her finish will play a big role in the team's chances to return to Portland for another shot at NXN. She was able to keep pace with Gray and Endsley at McNeil until the final mile when they began to pull away. Gray finished well ahead in 2014, with Endlsey and Reed running very close. The race at the front will be tight and there's a good chance Arkansas commits could put two in the Top-3 tomorrow.

Raegan Kappel: Making a big jump is the youngster from Cinco Ranch, Reagan Kappel. In one of the most shocking performances of the state meet, Kappel upset a huge group of talented seniors in the 6A race to finish second. Maybe the Region 3 conditions prepared her to take on the muddy course at state, either way, Kappel made a big statement by being the highest finishing underclassmen in the 6A(formerly 5A) conference since 2003!

Abbey Santoro: If you're talking about big state meet jumps by underclassmen, then Santoro is 2nd only to Kappel. She crossed the line just three seconds behind the athlete from Cinco to help lead Keller to a podium finish. There are a number of runners in this top group of girls who are also carrying a lot of pressure for their teams. Santoro has shouldered that load well in recent weeks, showing consistent improvement that culminated in a breakout race at State.  Reproducing that 3rd place would be an even bigger results for Santoro as an individual, as well as going a long way to helping Keller an their shot at an NXN auto spot.

Khayla Patel: Coincidence that three of the top-4 6A girls state finishers were from the Region Of Mud(R3)? Patel is the top 2014 NXN South returner entered this year behind only Gray and Abby Guidry. There's been no doubting the fast times she has been running, but there were only two races out of seven this season where she didn't have to race Julia Heymach or Paige Hofstad (neither of which are racing tomorrow). Patel finished in a dead zone at state between the leading three athletes and the rest of the lead pack, which finished about ten seconds behind. It was her first big competition in a field with more individual talent, and we learned that she is more than capable of holding her own.

Anna Elkin: After seeing many of the DFW teams racing the same meets over and over, it's great to get meets like McNeil, and obviously state, where we can finally see cross over between the top athletes. If you're looking for an award for most consistent runner of the year, Anna Elkin is definitely on the short list. She has finished no worse than 6th, won three invitationals, and finished 5th at BOTH McNeil and State. She knows what it's like to compete at NXN, and there is no doubt she'll be very motivated to end her senior year with another trip to Portland.

Madie Boreman: Oddly enough...just like Elkin, Boreman finished in the exact same position at McNeil and State. She finished 3rd and 5th her Fr/So years to advance out of NXN South. After missing the cut in 2014, the Colorado commit will to look to finish her final XC season by racing another national championship. Unlike many athletes in Texas who begin competing in August, Boreman didn't start racing until October. While she has her work cut out for her in a talented field this year, she doesn't have as much wear and tear on the legs as the majority of the girls who will compete tomorrow. Her Region 2 victory was by far her biggest result of the year, but that could change in a big way if she's peaking for this Regional and NXN.

Abby Guidry: No stranger to the South Regional course, Guidry has finished 29-15-6 over the past three years. She missed the last individual qualifying spot for nationals by one place and six seconds last year. Though by her year to year trajectory, she should be on pace to end her senior year in Portland. Like 2014, it may come down to the Top-5 for individuals to move. With the deep individual talent in this field, it's not safe to assume one of the qualifying teams will put some in the Top-5. That being said, Guidry & Kingwood could be the ones to do it. Guidry was one of the many victims who didn't hit their goals in the messy state conditions. She will join the large group of athletes looking for a big race tomorrow to redeem the off day state. Hopefully this will lead to some aggressive racing to cap off the final of the year in Texas.

In The Hunt:

Elizabeth Reneau: It's time to welcome Elizabeth Reneau back to the big races! Most recently she came away with the TAPPS state title, running 11:25 for the 3200m race distance. More importantly, through the end of September, she was racing at the bigger meets in the state. Her stats include 8th at Marcus 1, 3rd at the Southlake Invite, and 2nd at Marcus 2. At Marcus 1 she finished just six seconds behind Abbey Santoro. At the Southlake Invite, she was beaten by only Paige Hofstad and Kayla Patel. She hasn't been tested much since these races, but if she has held her form and is well rested, she could be a sleeper pick to surprise a lot of people this weekend.

Quinn Owen: Is Marcus worried about losing a lead runner next year when Maddy Reed leaves? Sure, but the future is already here! Quinn Owen is the real deal, and this rising sophomore is quickly climbing the ladder to the top of the elite Texas distance runners with the rest of the talented sophomore class. As a freshman she was one of the top finishers at NXN South, and her 6th place finish at state a few weeks ago has solidified as a name to watch for the next few years. 

Abby Riordan: She has a good role model and fast footsteps to follow in Anna Elkin, and it has proven successful so far. While she may be small in stature, Riordan is a big name that stands out on any list of XC entries. She has a good chance to join Elkin in the Top-10, which would also be an important result for the Hebron team. 

Cheyenne Walden: If there is any chance for an athlete from outside of Texas to break into the Top-10, Cheyenne Walden has the best chance. The Oklahoma junior is a two time state champion and has broken 18min over 5K three times this season. She has been virtually undefeated. Her only loss coming at Chile Pepper where she finished 2nd. The top TX finisher in that race was Southlake's Allison Esparza, 15 seconds behind Walden.

Lourdes Vivas: The Woodlands junior is coming off of her best finish to date at the UIL State Champs. She made the Top-10 for the time and earned a trip to the podium. Since starting her season at the loaded Stanford Invite in California where she finished 21st, 10th is the furthest back Vivas has finished in a race. Watch for her to keep that streak alive one more time at NXN South.

Laura Fairchild: A big unknown factor in this race will be Laura Fairchild. Is she in top racing form? Is she ready to compete in a championship field after limited racing this season? We will find out the answers tomorrow. She has the talent to contend for a Top-10 finish assuming she is racing at 100%.

Kylie/Kerri Welch: This Smithson Valley duo will lead the way for their team as they try to drop single digit scores. Kylie ran extremely well at state while Kerri had an off day. The chances of the SV squad to break into the Top-3 will depend on Kerri's ability to keep pace with Kylie. It would take a significant improvement for these two to qualify as individuals for NXN, but if they can move up through the race together, it will position the team a fighting chance.