Haley Loewe vs. Lilly Beshears
The matchup the state of Arkansas has been anticipating for much of the last few months is finally here. 6A defending state champion Haley Loewe from Bentonville has been on a tear so far in 2023, collecting two second-place finishes in a pair of Texas road trips, which includes a 17:23.70 time at the Lovejoy XC Fall Festival.
The Bentonville star has not been beaten on the grass by another girl from Arkansas in over two years, but enter Lilly Beshears, the freshman standout from a year ago. The sophomore superstar moved schools to Rogers and has been awaiting her first opportunity to dethrone the 6A state champion and this Saturday is her first chance to do so.
Beshears enters this weekend with the third-fastest time in Arkansas, having run an 18:30.85 at the Missouri Southern Stampede, but owns multiple personal bests that are quicker than Loewe's on the track.
Loewe is the favorite entering this weekend, but Beshears owns the element of surprise. While Loewe is expected to win, the Rogers sophomore has nothing to lose this Saturday and should feel no pressure to perform at her highest level on the biggest stage Arkansas has to offer.
And let's not forget about Zoe Williamson. The current Arkansas #2 is just as much of a threat to Loewe as Beshears and has performed exceptionally well on several difficult courses this season. Now, paired with the two frontrunners, Williamson has a chance to break out in a big way on Saturday and possibly compete for the win.