The term "Big 3" is most often associated with basketball. Made famous by Lebron James when he left his hometown team to play with two other All-Stars in Miami, Big 3's have become the league's most popular way to build a championship team.
While this is not the NBA, having a 'Big 3' in cross country can give your team the ultimate advantage.
We spend a lot of time talking about individuals so over the next few weeks we will be diving into more team-focused content, taking a look at some of the state's best programs and teams with the most depth.
Today, we're going to rank the five best Big 3's in Arkansas entering the fall season using results from last season, while also considering results from the track season.
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HM: Rogers Mounties (Boys) - Noah Gorden, Noah Brothers, Henry Woods
A year after finishing 3rd at the 6A state championship, Rogers returns 8 of their 9 runners from last season's state meet, including Noah Gorden and Noah Brothers who finished in the top 15.
To pair with Gorden and Brothers, Henry Woods, who ran a 16:02.11 last fall and 4:33.60 in the 1,600m this spring, looks to be one of Rogers' top contributors this season.
Hudsyn Boles was the third finisher for Rogers at last year's state meet, holding off runners from Fayetteville and Ft. Smith Southside down the stretch. The rising senior will be another key contributor for the Mounties this season as they look to chase down Har-Ber and Bentonville.
HM: Providence Classical Christian Academy (Girls) - Gabbie Bishop, Jane Adams, Layla Maline
After a breakout sophomore season cemented her as one of the top distance athletes in the country, Gabbie Bishop leads Providence Classical Christian Academy into their first season in Division 3A with a great supporting cast.
Bishop finished this spring with a US #38 mark in the 1,600m and US #54 in the 3,200m and will be joined by Jane Adams, who ran the 10th fastest 5K in Arkansas last fall - this is a lethal 1-2 punch.
Layla Maline rounds out PCCA's Big 3. The rising junior's 20:35.44 is the 49th fastest time for a returner in Arkansas, which makes this formidable trio a legitimate threat to wreak havoc in 3A.
Incoming freshman Maggie Bishop will be one of a few first-years across the state to keep an eye on. Last fall, Bishop set a personal best time of 11:09.11 in the two-mile en route to winning all 7 races she competed in.
It would not come as a surprise if the youngest Bishop turned this already strong "Big 3" into an even more powerful "Big 4."
#5 Cabot Panthers (Girls) - Cady Masters, Abigail Huff, Makenzie Wood
A year removed from a 6th place finish at the 6A state championship meet, Cabot returns their top 6 finishers and will be led by the same three runners from that race.
Cady Masters emerged as a fringe superstar in her sophomore season, earning four top 5 finishes against tough competition last fall while finishing 8th in the 3,200m at the 6A state meet in the spring.
To go along with the 18th fastest returner in the state, the Panthers also have Abigail Huff, the 21st fastest returner, and Makenzie Wood, the 26th fastest returner. Together, this trio forms one of the fastest and most dangerous Big 3's in the state.
Wampus Cat Invitational - Varsity Girls Run 5000m
1 Lake Hamilton High School Audrey Herrell 11 Lake Hamilton High School 19:06.80 1 2 Cabot High School Cady Masters 10 Cabot High School 19:29.30 2 3 Cabot High School Abigail Huff 11 Cabot High School 19:33.80 3 4 Cabot High School Makenzie Wood 11 Cabot High School 19:48.60 4
Last fall, this group of three showed what they are capable of finishing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at the Wampus Cat Invitational. With a whole year of running under their belts, Cabot's new Big 3 could be even better in 2024.
#4 Bentonville Tigers (Girls) - Everly O'Daniel, Hannah Hanson, Madysen Hantuba
Bentonville lost 3 runners from their top from a year ago, but still return one of the state's best teams and best Big 3.
With Haley Loewe and Devyn O'Daniel graduating in the spring, it will be up to Devyn's sister Everly O'Daniel to lead the Tigers to their 6th title in 7 years. She won't be alone, however, as Hannah Hanson and Madysen Hantuba are also back to form one of the state's most threatening Big 3.
At last year's state meet, Hanson finished 10th while Hantuba finished 13th and O'Daniel finished 14th, while all three are ranked inside the top 20 returners for this upcoming season.
#3 Fayetteville Bulldogs (Boys) - Alan Gallardo-Lopez, Nate Rogerson, Jonathan Mbugua
After looking like the clear-cut second-best team in Division 6A all season, Fayetteville fell to 4th at the 6A state meet last fall, but returns this year reloaded and just as good as they were last season.
The team will be without Wesley and David Marsh in 2024 and beyond, but still have one of the best Big 3's in the state.
Alan Gallardo-Lopez was one of the state's best in the spring and should carry that momentum into his junior cross country season. As a sophomore, Gallarado-Lopez ran the fastest 5K run by an underclassman. He followed that up running a 4:09.48 in the 1,600m and a 9:23.12 in the 3,200m this spring.
Nate Rogerson is the state's 5th fastest returner on the grass. Along with Jonathan Mbugua, who finished 31st at last season's 6A state meet, Fayetteville's Big 3 will form a credible threat to interfere with Bentonville's historic championship streak.
#2 Bentonville Tigers (Boys) - Matthew Shelly, Owen Kelley, Ryan Fernstrom
Speaking of Bentonville, the NXN qualifiers from a year ago return the top two finishers from last season's 6A state championships but graduated their next three. At times, these five were interchangeable last season.
Matthew Shelly is coming off a historic year, establishing himself as Arkansas's "top dog" on the boy's side. For more about Matthew Shelly and his historic 2023-24 campaign, you can read this!
Owen Kelley and Ryan Fernstrom join Shelly to form what's clearly the most experienced Big 3 in the state as these three are no strangers to the big stage. In addition to having finished inside the top 10 at last fall's state meet, the trio also competed on the national stage in Portland, Oregon together.
Although he did not compete for them last fall, Tishan Abeyagunawardene raced for Bentonville this spring and had a stellar season, finishing the season with the AR #4 time in the 3,200m and AR #5 time in the 1,600m.
If the rising senior were to compete on the grass for the Tigers in 2024, it would not only make the Tigers a threat to qualify for NXN for a second straight season but create the state's best "Fantastic 4."
#1 Rogers Mounties - Lilly Beshears, Kayla Eggers, and the Scudders (Anna, Elizabeth, Katherine)
James, Wade, Bosh.
Maddux, Glavine, Smotlz.
Rock, Paper, Scissors.
And Beshears, Eggers, Scudder.
How good is Rogers? You could pick any three of the Mounties returning top 5 and it would still finish first on this list.
Although ranked 1st in the Milesplit AR Rankings throughout the season, Bentonville was considered a heavy favorite to win their sixth straight 6A state championship last season. Instead, it was the team from Rogers consisting of four freshmen, three sophomores, and two juniors winning their 26th state championship - a state record.
Lilly Beshears has become a household name, winning two state titles in the indoor 1,600m to go along with six runner-up finishes in her first two years in high school. After finishing second in 2022 and fourth in 2023, Beshears will be one of many girls in the mix to win their first cross country state title in November.
Kayla Eggers finished 3rd at the 6A state meet last season, while also running the fastest time run by a freshman in the state. The rising sophomore followed up her sensational debut season by winning the indoor and outdoor 800m state championships.
And then, of course, you have the freshman triplets - Anna, Elizabeth, and Katherine Scudder.
All three proved they belonged over the course of their freshman seasons. While Anna raced to a 3rd place finish at the 6A state meet in the 800m, Elizabeth finished in the top 8 in the 1,600m and 3,200m at state and Katherine finished 5th at the cross country state meet.
All integral pieces of this Rogers superteam, the Scudder sisters together are the third piece to Rogers' Big 3 and all deserve to be a part of the Natural State's best trio.