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Gavin's Top 21:
1. Matthew Shelly, Bentonville
2. Owen Kelley, Bentonville
3. Alan Gallardo-Lopez, Fayetteville
4. Carter Beasley, Bentonville
5. Noah Gorden, Rogers
6. Tishan Abeyagunawardene, Bentonville
7. Asher Found, Catholic
8. Matthew Thurman, Shiloh Christian
9. Connor King, Mountain Home
10. Isaac Pohlmeier, Ozark Catholic
11. Harper Jones, Bentonville
12. Ryan Fernstrom, Bentonville
13. Myson McFall, Cabot
14. Nate Rogerson, Fayetteville
15. Jackson Free, Mountain Home
16. Phoenix Smith, Bentonville
17. Noah Brothers, Rogers
18. Garrett Barr, Mountain Home
19. Zachary McMillon, El Dorado
20. Junior Cordero, Har-Ber
21. Henry Woods, Rogers
It should to nobody's suprise that Matthew Shelly and Owen Kelley come in ranked first and second on the preseason power rankings. The duo from Bentonville finished 1st and 2nd at the state meet last season and carried that momentum into their dominating outdoor track seasons. Entering the fall, they are the two to beat.
Alan Gallardo-Lopez is the first name not from Bentonville on this list as he owns the fastest returning 5K time in the state. The rising junior from Fayetteville ran 4:09/9:23 in the two distance events this track season and will the one of the premier distance runners in the state this year.
I admittedly did not have Carter Beasley ranked this high on the rankings prior to his season opener last week, but his 9:35.93 at the Bentonville Tiger 2 Mile Festival was enough to send him soaring up this list. The rising senior from Bentonville had a spectacular spring season, running 4:17.40 in the 1,600m and will be another star in the top 5 for the Tigers.
Noah Gorden breaks up what would have been four Tigers in the top 5. The rising junior from Rogers owns the 6th fastest returning time in the state and considering his track season, it's safe to say he is eyeing another top 10 finish at the state meet in 2024.
Tishan Abeyagunawardene competed for Bentonville at their 2 mile festival, which solves the little mystery I was questioning for much of the offseason. The rising senior was the team's 4th finisher last week and after finishing 3rd in the 3,200m at the 6A state meet, it's safe to say Abeuagunawardene will be a threat to the top runners in the state in 2024.
Asher Found and Matthew Thurman are both incredibly talented runners and find themselves ranked 7th and 8th to begin the season. Found impressed this season on the track, giving me confidence he is ready to take that final step in his junior year towards stardom, while Thurman is the state's 4th fastest returner in the 5K from last season and will once again compete for gold in 4A.
Connor King is the first of three Mountain Home runners to find themselves listed on today's power rankings. King is just the 29th fastest returner from last season, but considering how he ran this track season, the rising senior looks to be one of the best in the Natural State.
Isaac Pohlmeier is one of the state's best. Simple as that. The senior from Ozark Catholic is the 13th fastest returner from last year, but it is safe to assume he will move further up that list as the season progresses in 2024. It's very seldom that Pohlmeier has the chance to race the same competition as many of his rivals throughout the state, but there is no doubting his "big-race" ability considering his 5th place finish at the Arkansas vs Oklahoma All Star race last season.
Harper Jones and Ryan Fernstrom from Bentonville come in at 11th and 12th. Jones is coming off a monster outdoor season where he won a state title, won his heat the the RunningLane Track Championships, and competed at New Balance Nationals. While he is the 11th ranked returner in the state, Fernstrom is ahead of him with the 7th fastest returning time, having run a 15:57.60 at the NXR South Regional.
Myson McFall and Nate Rogerson are both in for big seasons this fall. McFall enjoyed a breakout season on the grass last year, which carried onto the track in the spring. The rising senior from Cabot finished 10th at the state meet last year, while Rogerson finished 19th. The junior from Fayetteville ran under 4:30 in the 1,600m this track season. Both will be competing for podium positions or better in 2024.
Jackson Free may be ranked a little low considering his personal bests, but we ain't in Missouri no more. Fortunately for Free, he landed at one of the best programs in the state, Mountain Home, and will have several other boys running comparable times to train with to make the transition as smooth as possible. I believe this ranking is a little low for where Free will finish the season, but I will always err on the side of caution when it comes to transfer runners. Welcome to Arkansas, Jackson.
Phoenix Smith and Noah Brothers both play important roles for two of the top programs in the state, Bentonville and Rogers, and will be heavily relied in 2024 to help deliver their team the best possible finish at the state meet. The same can be said about Garrett Barr, who runs for Mountain Home as just seven seconds separate these three runners and their best 5,000m times.
Zachary McMillon will be one of the top runners in 5A in 2024 after the departure of 5A's three headed monster - Joseph Bariola, River Hardman, and William Hill. The senior from El Dorado ran a 16:04.60 last season, the 12th fastest returning time, and set personal bests in all three distance events he ran this track season making him a serious contender to win an individual title.
Junior Cordero has been someone I overlooked this offseason, but the rising senior from Har-Ber is going to sneak up on the state in 2024. Cordero ran a 4:29.12 in the 1,600m this spring, the 21st fastest time in the state, and leads one of the best programs in the state, which is sure to have their runners ready in-time for the biggest meet of the season this November.
I considered many different runners for the final spot of the preseason rankings. Henry Woods from Rogers ultimately got the final nod as he's a runner who has simply 'been there before.' What do I mean by that? While Woods had a tough finish to his cross country season last year, he has still run a 16:02.11, which is the 10th fastest returning time from 2023.
Honorable Mentions:
Evan Smith - Ft. Smith Southside
Logan Hurley - Bentonville
Rhett Moss - Ft. Smith Southside
Hudsyn Boles - Rogers
Lucas Brady - Arkansas Track Club