TSR's 2024 Preseason High School XC Top-25 Team Rankings: Just Missed & Honorable Mentions (Boys)

Donald Speas
Aug 6, 2024
4 min read

Rankings & analysis by Donny Speas, additional edits & commentary via Garrett Zatlin

Let's get started! Over last week or two, we've put out plenty of rankings for the top individual distance runners in the collegiate ranks. Now, it's time for the team standings to take center stage, starting with our high school boy's "Just Missed" and "Honorable Mention" names.

It should also be noted that for our preseason rankings (although not necessarily during the season), we limit our "Just Missed" group to five teams and our "Honorable Mention" group to 10 teams.

JUST MISSED (in no particular order)

Issaquah Eagles (WA)

The 2024 cross country season may be a make-or-break season for the Issaquah Eagles as all of the team’s projected top-five scorers belong to the Class of 2025. Like many teams on this list, the Issaquah Eagles have a wonderful top trio and have a ton of potential lying in wait with their final two scorers.

The three athletes upfront are Connor Rickey (15:16 for 5k), Alexander Yahn (15:25 for 5k) and Henry Tait (15:30 for 5k), forming an excellent trio that will be hard for most teams in the Northwest region to match. However, the true determinant(s) of success with this team will likely come down to Robert Fischer (16:07 for 5k) and Benjamin Lucas (16:19 for 5k).

Fischer and Lucas are both very solid runners, although both young men may need to be under 16 minutes this fall if Issaquah is going to make a trip to the national meet. Thankfully, that is a more-than-reasonable goal given how fast they have already run.

Farragut Admirals (TN)

Last year, the Farragut Admirals were hovering on the edges of the Southeast region, putting up some pretty solid performances and eventually finishing in 6th place at NXR Southeast meet.

Unfortunately, the Admirals lose their two low-sticks, Matteo Tonnos (to the Furman Paladins who are a perfect fit for him) and Braden Ebbert (to a rapidly rising Salt Lake CC squad). Fortunately, the Admirals bring back four of their top-seven and their consistency will potentially give them an advantage over the other squads in both Tennessee and the greater Southeast region.

The likely leader of the Farragut Admirals is Evan Beeler who holds well-rounded personal bests of 1:55 (800), 4:22 (mile), 6:17 (steeple) and 15:31 (5k). Beeler is no-doubt a strong athlete, although we'd like to see Beeler develop a bit more consistency in the low-15 minute range before we can pick Farragut to qualify for the national meet. Of course, they certainly have just as good of a chance as anyone else in a wide-open Southeast region this fall.

Cheyenne Mountain Red-Tailed Hawks (CO)

If you're an “old timer” like myself, then you remember that Cheyenne Mountain Red-Tailed Hawks had one of the best cross country teams in recent memory back in 2021 (ok, so maybe not that old). They also just so happened to exist at the same time as Newbury Park when the Panthers were at their peak.

While this year’s squad may not be as strong as the legendary 2021 team, they still are quite good and have a legitimate shot to grab an at-large national meet bid from the Southwest region, especially with their lethal top-duo. That duo who I am referring to is senior Brogan Collins and junior Aiden Le Roux, both of whom were inside the top-20 at last year’s NXR.

Admittedly, after Collins and Le Roux, there’s a large gap back to their projected number three runner, William Newkirk who holds a still-solid 16:14 (5k) personal best.

This, however, is where things gets interesting. Newkirk ran a very solid 9:32 (3200) PR this spring, giving him the credentials to be a legitimate third scorer. And if the final two runners for this projected top-five -- Jack Krasovec (16:24 for 5k) and Aiden Ogg (9:57 for 3200 meters) -- have a great day at their regional meet, then Cheyenne Mountain looks primed to play spoiler for one of the other teams in the Southwest region.

Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders (NY)

The Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders are coming off of a season where they won the New York State Federation title and qualified for NXN, finishing in 20th place. From that squad, they only lose Oliver Jibb who is now a freshman for the Binghampton Bearcats.

That alone is enough to earn them an "on the fringes" spot in these rankings and make them my pick to be the best team out of New York this fall. The Crusaders will more than likely be led by senior Gavin Catherwood who was the team’s second runner last year and had an impressive track season running 4:16 for 1600 meters.

Bentonville Tigers (AR)

Bentonville surprised a lot of people last year, becoming the first non-Texas team to advance from the NXR South meet. They also more-than-held their own at the national meet, finishing in a respectable 13th place.

However, the Tigers graduated three seniors from that squad, including low-stick (and Boston University commit) James American Horse. Luckily for the Tigers, seniors Owen Kelley (15:16 for 5k) and Matthew Shelly (15:19 for 5k) look primed to fill American Horse’s shoes, seamlessly.

One runner who could come in extremely handy for the Tigers is Carter Beasley who ran some solid track times of 1:57 (800) and 4:20 (1600). That is a huge improvement over where he was this time last year. It’s going to be tough for Bentonville to make back-to-back trips to the national meet this year, but it’s certainly far from impossible.

HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no order)

Dublin Jerome Celtics (OH)
Skyridge Falcons (UT)
Hamilton Huskies (AZ)
Viewmont Vikings (UT)
Carmel Greyhounds (IN)
Martin Luther King Jr. Wolves (CA)
Arnold O. Beckman Patriots (CA)
Union Catholic Vikings (NJ)
Bismarck Demons (ND)
Riverton Silverwolves (UT)