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Preview - Nike South - XC - Dyestat 2013

Published by
DyeStat.com   Oct 3rd 2013, 9:46pm
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Growing Nike South Inv. adds Great Oak to mix


By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

 
Organizers of the Nike South Invitational would eventually like it to be the Bob Firman Invitational of Texas. That means growing the meet ever further, enticing teams to come in from elsewhere, and continuing to build.

Meet director Juris Green, the head boys coach at the host school The Woodlands, is moving in that direction. He even hired a PR person this year for the first time, just like the meet management at Firman (in Idaho) does it.

"This is something we want to grow," Green said.

And with it, Nike South could move the dial on the overall quality of Texas high school cross country.

Already, Saturday's meet has many of the top Texas teams and athletes involved, including an always-interesting showdown between the state's most successful programs, The Woodlands and Southlake Carroll.

"I don't ever approach it as us vs. them," Green said of the Texas rivalry. "Under all of this, bottom line, as fun as it is, it's Oct. 3. We've got another month and a half until we want to be clicking. Saturday is about feeling good about our progress and I would bet that (Southlake Carroll coach) Justin Leonard would say the same thing."

The big guest this year is Great Oak, a Californian team with boys and girls squads ranked in the DyeStat Top 40 this week. (Actually, both teams are in the top 20).

Coach Doug Soles, who built the Great Oak program from its inception when the school opened in 2004, says traveling to the most competitive meets in the country is part of his blueprint.

"The big thing to me is that we have to travel and go take on teams in other regions," Soles said. "We want to see what it's all about. Nike Nationals started the same year the school opened up. We've been to Great American, Manhattan, Nike Pre-Nationals. We want to (experience) different regions. We've gotten better year in and year out and traveling is a big reason for it."

There is still belief at Great Oak that the girls team is a national championship contender this year, but the squad's 2 and 4 runners are currently out of the lineup with injuries. Stepping to the fore, sophomore Destiny Collins has been sensational so far this season. She finished third behind Sarah Baxter and Marissa Williams at the Cross Country Classic on Sept. 21.

In Texas, Collins will be tested by The Woodlands' Madi McLellan – who was ninth at the Cross Country Classic – and Paige Hofstad of New Braunfels.

Although the talented Jesuit Strake boys are elsewhere on Saturday, the elite boys race does include top individuals Austen Dalquist of Keller and Bradley Dohner of Klein Oak.



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