Gavin's Top 11 - Boys Team Rankings
1. Bentonville
2. Mountain Home
3. Fayetteville
4. Ft. Smith Southside
5. Rogers
6. Bentonville West
7. Catholic
8. Bryant
9. Lakeside
10. Cabot
11. Jonesboro
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Bentonville finds themselves ranked 1st in today's midseason team rankings.
The Tigers have been great this season, picking up a pair of wins in Northwest Arkansas including the Chile Pepper Festival where they beat some of the best teams in Oklahoma and Texas. Even with the absence of Matthew Shelley, the 2023 6A cross country state champion, Bentonville has six runners that have run 16:00 or faster. Led by Owen Kelley, who has been one of the nation's best in 2024, the boys team is poised to win their 8th straight state championship and compete for another trip to NXN in Oregon.
The battle between Fayetteville and Mountain Home is about as close as it gets. Adding Jackson Free to the already-potent 1-2 punch consisting of Connor King and Garrett Barr this offseason has helped them form one of the best "Big 3's" in recent memory. The biggest question mark for the Bombers this offseason was whether they could develop a strong 5th runner, which they have, and they can now focus on winning their 3rd straight 5A state title.
Fayetteville has not been as active as other teams in Arkansas have been in 2024, but in their few races, they have been great. Alan Gallardo-Lopez is the leader of this team and has been fantastic for the Bulldogs this season. The key for the Bulldogs will be how their No. 3, 4, & 5 runners perform at the state meet and given the smaller field, the Bulldogs should reap the benefits.
Ft. Smith Southside has been really good so far this season. Since a dominating win at the Elkins Invitational, the Mavericks have also had impressive showings at the Missouri Southern Stampede and Chile Pepper Festival. As we enter the final four weeks of the season, the team currently owns an average time of 16:19.75 across 5K, which is the 3rd quickest average time in the state and they are another legitimate threat to podium in 6A.
I still believe in this Rogers team. According to the Milesplit XC Team Scores, the Mounties rank 4th in the state and while they're 5th in today's rankings, I still feel as if they have more to give. There's no question this group of upperclassmen want to stop Bentonville from breaking their program record of 7 straight state titles, and while they might not be able to stop the Tigers, they can still be the second best 6A team in Hot Springs on the right day.
Bentonville West is a very young team with no seniors and just one junior in their top 7 - their time is coming. With just 23 seconds separating their #1 and #5 runners, the Wolverines are going to have a dangerous pack near the front at the 6A state meet this season and will be a lot of fun to watch for years to come.
Catholic, Bryant, and Lakeside are coming off their most recent clash at the Bryant Hornet Invitational last weekend. Catholic has emerged as the top team in 6A this season, thanks to their two low sticks and impressive depth up and down the lineup. Bryant followed closely in second place, relying heavily on their strong depth, while Lakeside took third, who will rely heavily on their #3, #4, and #5 runners to help them place on the podium in 5A. All three teams are trending upward as they prepare for the final stretch of the season.
Cabot and Jonesboro wrap up today's boys teams rankings. Myson McFall has established himself as a star this season and leads a very strong Cabot team that is more than capable of stealing a few spots at the state meet in November. Jonesboro has fielded their best team in recent memory and will be looking for another high finish at the state meet in 2024.
Honorable Mentions:
Har-Ber
Ozark Catholic
Pottsville
Shiloh Christian
Valley View