NXN SW champ Collins taking FL West chance

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Josh Collins of Wasatch UT wasn't supposed to win his state meet. But he did.

He wasn't expected to win NXN Southwest. But, on Saturday in Arizona, he did.

And rather than be satisfied with the berth to one championship event, Collins is taking a risk by turning it down and going to Foot Locker West instead.

"I just wanted to try both," Collins said. "It's more of an individual thing at Foot Locker and Nike is the team nationals."

Collins beat two-time Foot Locker finalist Conner Mantz in the Utah 4A championship race back on Oct. 22 when Mantz was suffering with a stress reaction in his leg. He did, however, run one of the fastest times of the day on the three-mile course.

At Casa Grande on Saturday, Collins' plan was to stay with the lead pack until the final 400 meters and then try to match the kick of anyone who went.

He stayed with American Fork duo Zac Jacklin and Casey Clinger for the bulk of the race and then unleashed a kick the brought him the lead with 150 meters to go -- and the win in 14:55.

Seven guys broke 15 minutes on the fast 5K course. Collins, knowing he was going to opt for Foot Locker anyway, wasn't thinking top-five. He was thinking win all the way.

"Winning the race is the point of going," he said. "That's what everyone's trying to do."

At Foot Locker West, on the same day as the NXN Championship, Collins faces the task of finishing in the top 10 of a regional that potentially includes John Dressel, Matthew Maton, Levi Thomet, Elijah Armstrong, Mantz and Trevor Reinhart -- all returners from last year's national championship race in San Diego.

"Winning (NXN SW) was a great feeling," Collins said. "I knew Paul Roberts (from Colorado) was there and other guys ranked super high, so it was cool to perform that well."

One Utah athlete who took the risk of turning down an NXN berth for a Foot Locker attempt last year, Lucy Biles of Utah's Herriman HS, is not going that route again. Biles placed fifth at NXN Southwest and tweeted on Sunday that she is going to NXN Championships in Portland.