Coeur d'Alene, Jesuit, Crater Not Separated By Much In Crowded Northwest

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Boys NXR Northwest Preview

The Northwest remains loaded at the top, with three teams finishing in the top 14 at Nike Cross Nationals last year.

And there are at least three high quality teams looking to return to NXN this fall. All three have an argument for preseason No. 1. There is practically no margin separating Coeur d'Alene of Idaho and Jesuit and Crater of Oregon.

Here's why Coeur d'Alene gets the early nod: The Vikings were the highest placing team from the Northwest last year, taking 11th at NXN. (Six points away from eighth). Five of the seven are back from that team, led by senior Max Cervi-Skinner, junior Mitchell Rietze and sophomore Wyatt Carr. 

If you haven't seen the team's YouTube channel, check it out. In a recent video series about their summer training camp at Mt. Hood, the team showed how hard it is working to earn a return trip to NXN. What the videos reveal is the closeness and personality of the group. 

That said, Jesuit is coming back around into the picture as a national threat after finishing on the podium, in second place, in 2022. The Crusaders bring back six runners who ran under 9 minutes for 3,000 meters last spring, led by junior Matthew Wroblewski, who ran 8:26.43. Jesuit will face Coeur d'Alene at Hole In The Wall on Oct. 12. 

Then there's Crater. The 1-2 combination of seniors Josiah Tostenson and Tayvon Kitchen may be the best in the country. They may place first and second in every meet they enter up to NXN. And they would clearly go 1-2 in matchups with CDA and Jesuit. It's a conservative start at No. 3 and the Comets aren't bad at 3-4-5. It would not be a surprise if they won the Northwest, or finished third. Either way, it's probably going to be a few points separating the three teams.

Crater may even be better suited for nationals than it is regionals, which isn't as dense in the lead pack. 

Individually, Mercer Island WA senior Owen Powell is most likely to break up the Crater duo in a regional setting. But he blew up last year and finished 212th a week after winning the Washington 3A title.  

Seniors Nate Stadtlander of Meridian ID, Zafer Courcelle and Brennan McEwen of Franklin OR, Kade Brownell of Mount Spokane WA, Habtamu Wetzel of Star Valley WY, Jack Sheesley of Boise, Hayden Boaz of Summit OR and Ty Cirino of Central OR, and returning Washington 4A champion Ezra Teeples of Kamiakin, should all be in contention for individual at-large berths. 

1. Coeur d'Alene ID. Five returners back from NXN, who all have nationals experience and a desire to return, make the Vikings a dangerous team in the Northwest. Senior twins Max and Zack Cervi-Skinner are part of a deep and competitive group that includes sophomores Wyatt Carr, Gabe Heule and Davey Dance, junior Mitchell Rietze, and seniors Kyle Rohlinger and Alex Jones. A key date on the calendar is the Hole In The Wall Invitational on Oct. 12. That's when this group will face Jesuit. 

2. Jesuit OR. The Crusaders took a year to re-tool and are back with a full complement of runners intent on returning to Nike Cross Nationals. After a second place finish in 2022, best ever by an Oregon team, Jesuit did not make it back last year. A talented group of juniors includes Matthew Wroblewski, Kellen Williams, Brayden Fletcher, Liam Donnelly and Jackson Welsh. Seniors Coen Strub and Loland Fleming complete a lineup that is as deep as any in the Northwest. 

3. Crater OR. There isn't another duo in the country better than senior Josiah Tostenson and Tayvon Kitchen, who have followed the Tyrone Gorze blueprint and become standouts and Division 1 prospects in their own right. Tostenson ran 8:39.89 for 3,200 meters at Arcadia last April and Kitchen wasn't far behind in 8:49.58. The developing talent behind those two is good enough to help the Comets get back to nationals. Seniors Ivar Hokanson and Grant Headley, junior William Shore and sophomores Max Miracle and Nathan Goode will all be counted on to help Crater get to its destination. Crater spent some time up at Park City hanging with the Herriman UT crew. 

4. Rocky Mountain ID. The Grizzlies already offered a peak at what they have in store for the fall when the scored 15 points at the Jerome Open Invitational. Even after the graduation of Landon Heemeyer, Rocky is well positioned to compete with Coeur d'Alene in Idaho and could even be a factor for a top spot in the region. Senior Cody Lucas, who was 13th at NXR Northwest last year, leads a group that includes fellow seniors Parker Goggins, Jacob Thomas, Hudson Godfrey and Jaymon Clark, and junior Hyrum Tuft. This team has finished just outside qualifying for NXN the past two years, with final national rankings of 10th (2022) and 16th (2023). This group will get to measure itself against NXN champion Herriman on Sept. 21 at the Bob Firman Invitational.

5. Issaquah WA. The Eagles return four of their top five from last year's Washington Class 4A championship team. As Fly Eagle Fly, the team finished 15th at NXR Northwest. Seniors Connor Rickey, Henry Tait and Alexander Yahn, and junior Nathaniel Laursen are the heart of a group that could be primed again for state success but may still be a couple pieces short of competing for a nationals berth in the Northwest. Issaquah will find out more when it races Jesuit at The Mook Invitational at Alderbrook (Sept. 21) and at the Hole In The Wall Invitational (Oct. 12). 

WATCHLIST

Franklin OR

Sehome WA

Lincoln OR

Kamiakin WA

Mercer Island WA

Helena MT

Central Catholic OR