Great Oak boys, F-M girls best at NXN

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Even as the best high school cross country teams in the United States jockeyed for position over 5,000 meters of wet grass and squishy earth under Glendoveer Golf Course's fir boughs, the two championship teams needed to do nothing more than be themselves. 

Great Oak's boys, fresh from an historic California state meet, kept its momentum going on Saturday and won the championship at the 12th Nike Cross Nationals. Temecula XC (Great Oak) scored 114 points and won by 49 points -- the largest margin in meet history. 

Great Oak put all seven of its runners across the finish line before runner-up American Fork's fifth man. The trio of Spencer Dodds, Cole Spencer and Isaac Cortes helped lift coach Doug Soles' double threat program to its first national title. 

For the girls, once again, there was Fayetteville-Manlius and everybody else. Coach Bill Aris said his team earned a 'B' grade for its performance Saturday, but the result still sparkled as brightly as it has throughout the decade. Manlius scored 55 points and won with its second widest margin during a dynastic run of nine championships in 10 years. 

Even as it bled a few points late, the "Stotan" girls put three in front of runner-up Davis CA's first and six in front of third-place Great Oak CA's second. 

Senior Kaitlyn Neal, who transferred to Fayetteville-Manlius of suburban Syracuse, N.Y., boldly went to the lead in a race filled with elite level talent and ran with the courage and confidence that is a program hallmark. 

Neal eventually faded to 15th, but Fayetteville-Manlius averaged 17:55 for its scoring five -- 28 seconds per runner faster than the second-place team. 

Even if their were significant gaps, the teams that placed second on Saturday both had compelling stories. The Davis CA girls didn't know until Saturday morning whether or not their star runner, Fiona O'Keeffe, would be able to compete. The painful tendinitis that she has endured for more most of the season -- and gritted through heroically at the California state meet -- had not gone away. 

But O'Keeffe ran for her team and gave her teammates everything she had. And her team continued to rally around her. O'Keeffe finished 85th in 18:35 -- a full 64 seconds slower than she covered the same course in 2014 when she battled with Allie Ostrander for the individual title. 

A teammate gave O'Keeffe a piggy-back ride toward the stage for the announcement of the team awards. 

Over the summer, American Fork's boys seemed like a sure bet to make the podium -- and perhaps win the national title. But an injury to McKay Johns and a series of other unfortunate outcomes seemed to push the Cavemen of Utah out of the conversation. 

American Fork didn't win its state title. It placed fourth at NXN Southwest and had to sweat out a selection committee decision to nab perhaps the final at-large berth for the meet. 

As it turned out, coach Timo Mostert's team just needed more time to get things right. Junior star Casey Clinger held up as a dozen capable challengers pushed the pace around the golf course. It came down to Clinger and Carmel, Indiana's Ben Veatch coming up the final sharp hill together and looking down a 175-meter aisle to glory. 

Clinger outkicked Veatch for the win, taking the tape in 15:03.2. Veatch was next in 15:04.6. 

Clinger was the fastest freshman in 2013, the fastest sophomore in 2014 and became the first Utah champion to cap a sensational junior season. 

In the girls race, Katie Rainsberger of Air Academy CO accomplished a goal she has been chasing since 2012 when she finished 13th in an NXN final that included Sarah Baxter, Mary Cain and Alexa Efraimson. Rainsberger was sixth in 2013 and sixth again in 2014. 

In 2015, Rainsberger reigned in the rain. She surged away from everyone after two miles and no one was able to keep up. She won by the largest margin in meet history (13.4 seconds) with 16:56.8. Ella Donaghu of Portland's Grant High, calling on the experiene gained from two previous NXN races, outkicked everyone in the chase pack to place second in 17:10.2.