9/27 High School XC Weekend Recap

Sam Ortega and Saugus girls felt like at home at Roy Griak with an unseasonably warm day welcoming the Southern Cal team. Ortega ran away in the last half of the race for the 18:13 win on the challenging course, while the US #12 Saugus girls defeated US #3 and 2013 NXN champs Wayzata by a wide margin. 

Highlights, coverage, and results from the top meets across the country on the weekend of September 27th. Check back all weekend long with updates on the top national performances in high school cross country.

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  • Roy Griak Invitational (MN) - Only the Wayzata boys survived a day of upsets in Minneapolis after they had a 47 second spread between places 7 through 33 to finish well ahead of the next team. US #12 Saugus girls defeated the defending NXN champs from Wayzata convincingly (82 pts led by race champ Samantha Ortega in 18:13 and 4 more girls in the top 30. Meanwhile, Wisconsin's best in Ollin Hacker (15:35) took down US #12 Thomas Pollard (15:36) in the final straightaway.  
  • Nike Pre-Nationals (OR) - The Great Oak boys and girls came and conquered Portland Meadows with the US #2 girls scoring their second straight win against US #5 Desert Vista led by Destiny Collins, who turned Portland Meadows into a true speedway with her 17:09 5K performance. Dani Jones was second in 17:49. Tristan Peloquin picked up his second major win in as many weeks with a 15:16 performance at Pre-Nats, while the Great Oak boys crushed the field with a 15:43 team average including 2 in the top 3. 
  • Bob Firman Invitational (ID) - It was a Davis High School of Utah sweep at the Bob Firman Invitational from the two nationally ranked teams from the same school. Meanwhile, Makena Morley bounced back from her loss last week at the Mountain West Classic in a big way by setting a new course record with her 17:24 5K run. Lucy Biles led the group of Utah individual elites all present as a runner-up in 17:42. US #3 Conner Mantz won in a clash of 3 US top 10 ranked harriers with his 14:51 win against Tanner Anderson (2nd, 14:55) and Elijah Armstrong (3rd, 15:06).
  • Stanford Invitational (CA) - Both the boys and girls 5K national leading tiems came out of Palo Alto with US #7 Fiona O'Keeffe (Davis CA) winning by 34 seconds over US #15 Ella Donaghu (Grant OR) in a smoking 16:40, while US #6 John Dressel (Mt. Spokane WA) defeated a top Canadian and US #25 Phillip Rocha (Arcadia CA) for a 14:51 PR.
  • Bowdoin XC Classic (NY) - #1 CBA defeats #4 La Salle Academy on the home course for NXN Northeast led by race champ Blaise Ferro (16:10). US #17 Briana Gess wins her race by nearly 2 minutes in 18:22 to lead her Haddonfield Memorial team as well to victory.
  • Rim Rock Classic (KS) - In a race between US #20 Zachary Alhamra (Pine Creek CO) and US #18 Stephen Mugeche (Blue Springs MO) along with a US top 10 performer in the 5K in Stuart McNutt (Blue Valley West KS), Alhamra was able to pull away from both to win the Rim Rock Classic in 15:20.
  • Carlisle Invitational (PA) -
  • Maymont X-Country Festival (VA) -
  • McQuaid Invitational (NY) - Rochester turned out to be upset city for the Fayetteville-Manlius program with the US #1 F-M girls going down to US #17 Elmira District, while their boys top runner in US #21 Bryce Millar losing to Andrew Marston (14:31) of Conestoga (PA) on the McQuad 3 mile course. Defending New York state champ Jessica Lawson (Corning NY) rolled to a 16:43 victory.
  • Palatine Invitational (IL) - US #9 Jesse Reiser runs as hard as needs to in order to pull out 14:38 win, while Kelly O'Brien and Palatine girls are gracious meet hosts sweeping individual and team titles.  
  • Culver Academies Invitational (IN) - 
  • DCXC (DC) - In her second high school race in America, Eritrean born Weini Kelati (US #9), now running as a junior at Heritage High School in Leesburg, Virginia, took over the nation's capital at the DCXC Invitational in Washington DC winning the junior race in the day's fastest time by 14 seconds with a 17:45 5K performance.
  • Dave Sanders Invitational (CO) - 
  • Oklahoma State Jamboree (OK) - 
  • Six Flags Safari Invitational (NJ)

Check out our national database of XC stats as the results pour in!

Individual XC Stats Rankings: Boys - Girls

Team XC Stats Rankings: Boys - Girls

MileSplit's Top 25 National XC Rankings: 
Boys Teams - Girls Teams - Boys Individuals - Girls Individuals