6A Boys
At the beginning of the season, it seemed as if James American Horse was the runner to beat in 6A, but as it stands, there is a handful of runners capable of winning a state championship on Thursday.
American Horse, of course, is still a top contender. The Bentonville senior has put together a strong season, running an Arkansas #3 time of 15:15.50 at the Lovejoy XC Fall Festival and finishing 7th at the Chile Pepper Festival, but is still searching for his first win of the season.
His teammates Owen Kelley, Matthew Shelly, Eli Seavey, and Payton Brack are among four other runners who could conceivably win an individual title this week.
Shelly is coming off a massive win at the Mountie Classic and second-place finish at the Lake Hamilton Cross Country Invitational and is most definitely riding the most momentum. Kelly and Seavey have also had their moments this season, sitting 4th and 5th in the state ahead of Shelly.
Alan Gallardo-Lopez currently owns the fastest time run by an Arkansas athlete this season, having run a 15:03.47 at the Southlake XC Invite #2. The Fayetteville sophomore most recently finished 46th at the Chile Pepper Festival and will be hoping to replicate his performance in Texas from a month ago.
Jonathan Mendez is another individual you have to consider a favorite in the 6A boys race. The Har-Ber senior has been a consistent presence at the top of every race he has been in this season, collecting two wins and most recently a 3rd place finish at the Mountie Classic. Mendez enters the week with the 7th fastest time in the state.
Other Individuals to Watch: Brandon Waller (Cabot), Nate Rogerson (Fayetteville), Noah Gorden (Rogers)
While the individual battle looks to be hotly contested, the Bentonville boys are a huge favorite to win their 7th straight state championship. The Tiger's top-5 currently hold five of the fastest eight times run by an Arkansas athlete this season and appear to be a legitimate threat to qualify for a national meet this week.
Bentonville will be incredibly difficult to beat.
Elsewhere, Fayetteville, Har-Ber, and Rogers will be the other three teams competing for a podium position on Thursday. Each school owns a unique advantage over the other and will be relying on their strengths to overcome one another.
6A Girls
Haley Loewe appears to be the safest individual championship pick of the weekend as the future Tennessee Volunteer looks to remain undefeated in cross country races in Arkansas as an upperclassman.
Loewe has three wins this season, those coming at the Chile Pepper Festival, Lake Hamilton CC Invitational, and the Mountie Classic and will be attempting to win her second straight state championship on Thursday.
Lilly Beshears and Devyn O'Daniel appear to be Loewe's stiffest competition.
Beshears leads a strong Rogers squad, the top competition to Bentonville's team championship aspirations, and owns the second-fastest time run in 6A this season. O'Daniel has had a strong season as well, finishing 3rd at the Mountie Classic and owns the 3rd fastest time in 6A.
Emelia Hesselgren and Kayli Fitzhugh should be in the chase pack this Thursday as well. The duo from Fayetteville have gotten better with every race this season and are peaking at the perfect time, which could lead to career days for the two.
Lauren Thompson has had a sensational freshman season, picking up five wins across 8 races, and now awaits her first opportunity at a state title. The first-year runner from Jonesboro owns the 6th fastest time in 6A this season, having run 18:46.65 two weeks ago, and will be worth keeping an eye on this week.
Other Individuals to Watch: Cadence Hodge (Ft. Smith Southside), Everly O'Daniel (Bentonville), Kayla Eggers (Rogers)
Bentonville has won this race the past five seasons and seems to be narrowing in on a sixth. However, the Tigers will face tough competition from Rogers.
According to the Milesplit 6A Virtual Meet, Bentonville owns a razor-thin advantage over Rogers by just one point. It's safe to say this race will come down to all seven runners on these two squads.
This matchup also appears to represent new-school versus old-school as Bentonville is led by two seniors, a junior, and two sophomores, while Rogers is led by one sophomore and four freshmen.
Bentonville has beaten Rogers in their two head-to-head matchups this season. Will their win streak extend to 3 or will Rogers unseat the queens of 6A?
And don't forget about Fayetteville, who sits just 15 points behind Bentonville on the Milesplit 6A Girls virtual meet. The Bulldogs own an impressive 1:09.15 split between their #1 and #5 runners, which is significantly better than both Bentonville and Rogers.
If any team is capable of spoiling Bentonville's historic run or Rogers' coronation at the top of 6A, it's Fayetteville.