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Southeast Region Boys Early Season Rankings 2024Published by
Belen Jesuit's Window Of Opportunity Still Wide Open In The Southeast, Led By Sophomore Star Marcelo Mantecon By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor Boys NXR Southeast Preview The boys from Miami's Belen Jesuit dominated the Southeast region a year ago and despite losing their top two from that meet to graduation may be even better now. Belen Jesuit is on track to have another successful season and qualify for Nike Cross Nationals for a third straight year. After 14th place in 2022 and fourth last December, the Wolverines remain one of the best teams in the country. And the commitment this group has made to achieving its goals keeps getting deeper. This summer, Belen Jesuit's top runners spent 24 days training in Flagstaff, Ariz. Sophomore Marcelo Mantecon broke the freshman class national record in the 3,200 meters last April at the Arcadia Invitational and he is the undisputed leader of this year's deep team. An eighth straight state title in Florida would seem a foregone conclusion. Unlike last year, there is a week separating the state championships and NXR Southeast. Last year, well back of Belen Jesuit, six teams scored between 211 and 277 points in the battle for the second automatic qualifying berth to NXN. Montgomery Bell of Tennessee got the coveted second-place spot. Again, there are a handful of teams that should contend for an NXN berth. Trinity of Louisville, Ky., the McCallie School of Tennessee, Harrison of Georgia and Vestavia Hills of Alabama all bring back strong groups and some of the leading contenders. Tommy Latham of Marist GA is the top individual returner from last year's NXR Southeast (third) and Keegan Smith of Knoxville Catholic TN also finished in the top 10 at seventh. Will Sheets of Covington Catholic KY was the next highest finisher, at 11th. 1. Belen Jesuit Prep FL. In addition to Mantecon, who opened his season with a course record 15:01 at the Cecil Field Summer Classic, seniors Justin Ruiz and Joseph “Tiago” Socarras return to the lineup after impressive track seasons. Another senior, Diego Magarino, has stepped into the top five. New to the top seven mix are seniors Michael Brunet and Marco Prieguez, sophomores Armando Cruz and Jack Michalak, and Joey Diaz-Quintero, another senior, and junior Matthias Murrle. Belen put six in the top nine at the Cecil Field meet on the way to 23 points. 2. Trinity (Louisville) KY. The Shamrocks return their top five and six of the seven that ran to a fourth-place showing at NXR Southeast last year. Already the team won the St. Xavier Tiger Run in Kentucky and the Mason Invitational in Ohio. Senior Eli Oetken, junior Ryan Kimery, sophomore Ayden Taylor, and juniors Drew Koon and Haydon Spears are growing up together from one season to the next and could have what it takes to emerge from a crowded group of contenders for the second automatic berth to nationals. 3. McCallie School TN. Senior Jack Bowen returns as the top runner for the Tornado for the third straight year, and despite the graduation losses at 2, 3, 4 from last year's NXR Southeast lineup, McCallie is off to an impressive start. Bowen finished second overall and led McCallie to a dominant 43-point performance at the 33-team Chickasaw Trails Invitational in Alabama, defeating highly regarded Vestavia Hills AL, Montgomery Bell TN and Huntsville AL. Senior Henry Edwards and juniors Ian Jacobs, Henry Webb and John Roe all finished in the top 20. This team would love to break through and make it to NXN after finishing third at regionals in 2022 and fifth last year. 4. Harrison GA. In an early season gathering of Georgia's top teams, Harrison defeated Marist 71-87 at the AT&T Starr's Mill Panther XC Meet. There are some talented young runners in this group. Junior Grayson Swingley ran 1:53.40 in the 800 last spring, junior Clint Huggins ran 4:16.31 for 1,600 meters and sophomore Riley Comstock ran 9:20.68 for 3,200 meters. Moving all the way up from 25th at NXR Southeast last year may be a tall order, but this team has a lot of talented young runners. 5. Vestavia Hills AL. The Rebels bring back six runners from a team that finished third at NXR Southeast last year, so they should be in the mix for the top two. The one they lost to graduation was leader Henry Strand. Senior Mitchell Shaaf and juniors John Hayes, Ethan Meadows, Jackson Mize and Mason Thompson and senior Drew Morris all have regional experience and a chance to do something special. WATCHLIST More news |
