Gavin's Top 11:
1. Bentonville
2. Rogers
3. Mountain Home
4. Fayetteville
5. Ft. Smith Southside
6. Bentonville West
7. Har-Ber
8. Bryant
9. Lakeside
10. Van Buren
11. Catholic
It's going to be a pretty exciting cross country season in the Natural State in 2024. Not only do we have a girls team capable of qualifying for Nike Cross Nationals, but we also have a boys team capable of doing so as well.
Bentonville became just the second team to qualify for Nike Cross Nationals in Eugene, Oregon from the NXR South Regional last season that is outside of the state of Texas. And the Tigers might be even better this year. Bentonville returns three pieces from last season's top 5, but adds a handful of runners that have the ability to run faster that the runners they are replacing. You will be able to read more about this on Sunday.
Rogers comes in at #2 and have their sights set on dethroning the Tigers who have won the last seven state championships. The Mounties return several key pieces from last season and believe this season is the culmination of several years of hardwork. While chasing down Bentonville will be a tall task, if anybody is up to it, it's Rogers.
ROAD TO OAKLAWN: ROGERS XC BOYS Q&A
The next five teams were difficult to rank, but Mountain Home earns the edge at the #3 spot in today's rankings. The addition of Jackson Free from Missouri can not be understated as it takes this team from championship hopeful to championship favorites in 5A. Free joins Connor King, Garrett Barr, and Trenton Smith to form what might be one of the best quartets in the state. The biggest question mark comes at the No. 5 position but considering the Bombers track record, it would be safe to say someone steps into that role and helps this team achieve their full potential.
Fayetteville comes in just behind the Bombers and it would be foolish of me to think the Bulldogs don't believe they can beat any team ranked ahead of them, which wouldn't surprise me one bit. Not only does Fayetteville bring back two the best runners in the state, but they also have the most depth in Arkansas, which includes six runners that have run 18:13 or faster.
Ft. Smith Southside is another team that could beat any team ranked ahead of them on the right day. The Mavericks are one of three teams that bring back four sub 17 runners from 2023 and their projected No. 5 has run sub 17:20 on two occasions. Sleeping on this Ft. Smith Southside squad in 2024 would be a mistake.
Bentonville West is led by two rising sophomores, Cael Underkoffler and Luke Mbekenya, who have just four combined 5,000m races under their belts. The ceiling is high for this Wolverine squad this fall, who return four more sub 17:45 runners and could sneak their ways into a podium finish at Oaklawn.
Har-Ber graduated Jonathan Mendez, one of the best runners in the state, this spring, but still return a plethora of talent. After a stellar track season, Junior Cordero leads this strong Har-Ber into 2024 after helping his team finish second at the state meet as season ago. Har-Ber returns a total of 7 boys from last season that ran 18:02 or faster, which will be good enough to compete with anyone in 6A.
Bryant is going to be a team that sneaks up on the usual teams up front in 6A this season. Led by a rising star in Angel Vargas, the Hornets bring back four more runners that have broken 17:30 over 5,000m and could be the sneakiest team in the state this season.
Lakeside is the second 5A school to appear in today's rankings. The Rams are led by Diego Martinez, who will be asked to replace Joseph Bariola, one of the state's all time greats, and they should benefit from having one of the best low-sticks in 5A. Lakeside also returns four more sub 18 runners and should be one of Mountain Home's biggest threats in 5A.
Van Buren's 1-5 split amongst their returners is just 21 seconds, which is incredible. After finishing 6th at the 5A state meet last November, the Pointers will have their eyes set on unseating Mountain Home and they are more than capable of dethroning the Kings of 5A in 2024.
Catholic earns the final spot of our preseason rankings week and will be led by one of the best runners in the state, Asher Found. To go along with Found, the Rockets bring back five runners who ran 5:00 or faster in the 1,600m. The progression this team has made since last fall is evident and they will be rewarded with a high finish at the state meet in November after finishing 12th last year.
Honorable Mentions:
Cabot
Little Rock Christian
Ozark Catholic
Pottsville
Siloam Springs
Valley View