Affolder puts Loudoun Valley over top at No. 1

By Paul Schmitz of DyeStat

2017 Boys Preseason National Rankings

The Southeast is a region on the rise and the national preseason rankings confirm it.

Led by US#1 Loudoun Valley of Virginia, which added transfer Sam Affolder during the offseason, the Southeast has entered the spotlight. Joining the alma mater of adidas professional Drew Hunter in the top 10 is St. Xavier of Kentucky, a team that finished 13th at NXN last year and brings back six of its top seven. Keep in mind that no Southeast team has ever finished higher than third place at NXN (Brentwood TN in 2013 and 2016) and the region has never received an at-large bid to nationals. Those things could change this fall.    

With massive losses to graduation, the Southwest looked like a region headed for a down year, but the number crunching shows they still have more top 50 teams (nine) than any other region. There might not be a dominant team in the Southwest, but there are many candidates for the top spots at the regional.  

Another region that lost several top athletes to graduation was the Midwest, especially the Illinois teams that swept the top four spots at NXR Midwest and placed three teams in the top 17 at nationals. The favorite in the Midwest is Downers Grove North, which returns five of its top seven after a 12th-place finish nationally. Joining the region frontrunner in the national top 10 is Carmel IN. The Greyhounds finished seventh at the regional meet in 2016, but return their top four intact and five of six. They had a terrific spring on the track giving them optimism heading into the fall.  

The region of the haves and have-nots is the Heartland. Wayzata MN joins our podium picks with a No. 2 preseason ranking. The second NXN spot in the Heartland is up for grabs. No other Heartland team cracks the top 25. The region has been dominated by Minnesota since 2012 and it could be another state’s turn to send a team to Portland.

After having success in 2015 by placing two teams on the NXN podium in Great Oak (first) and Dana Hills (third), California is again poised to challenge for national supremacy with two teams ranked in the top five and five teams in the top 20. Great Oak, sixth last year in Portland, returns five of its top seven and looks to be completely reloaded for another run at the title. The Wolfpack have great depth and were fast on the track this spring.

Another California team with a fast spring was Roosevelt of Eastvale. This team returns its top four runners and the Mustangs had five runners who clocked 9:40 or faster in the 3,200 on the track. Another Southern California team, No. 12 Loyola, had six runners under 9:40 and could move up the list in a hurry.        

Loudoun Valley has a firm grip on No. 1, but the margins between Wayzata, Downers Grove North and Great Oak are miniscule. Mark Sept. 23 as one of the biggest early season matchups of the fall as Great Oak travels to the University of Minnesota’s home course to take on some of the top high school teams from the Heartland, including Wayzata, at the Roy Griak Invitational. 

The Preseason Top 50

1. Loudoun Valley VA

2. Wayzata MN

3. Downers Grove North IL

4. Great Oak CA

5. Roosevelt CA

6. St. Xavier KY

7. Springville UT

8. Crater OR

9. Christian Brothers Academy NJ

10. Carmel IN

11. The Woodlands TX

12. Loyola CA

13. Timpanogos UT

14. Bellarmine Prep CA

15. Jesuit OR

16. Saint John’s MA

17. Green Hope NC

18. Mountain Vista CO

19. Brentwood Academy TN

20. Dana Hills CA

21. Burnt Hills Ballston NY

22. York IL

23. Bozeman MT

24. Neuqua Valley IL

25. Milton GA

26. Desert Vista AZ

27. American Fork UT

28. La Salle Academy RI

29. Staples CT

30. College Park TX

31. Flower Mound TX

32. Trinity Prep FL

33. Central Valley WA

34. Silver Creek CO

35. Palmer Ridge CO

36. Rock Canyon CO

37. Middleton WI

38. Pleasant Valley IA

39. Mount Tabor NC

40. Northport NY

41. Stillwater MN

42. Niskayuna NY

43. The Bolles School FL

44. Princeton NJ

45. Davis UT

46. Dublin CA

47. Severna Park MD

48. Kingsway NJ

49. St. Francis Mountain View CA

50. Hudson OH

Top 50 Teams from each region

Southwest: 9

Southeast: 9

California: 7

Northeast: 6

Midwest: 5

Heartland: 4

Northwest: 4

New York: 3

South: 3 

Top 10 Teams from each region

Southeast: 2

California: 2

Midwest: 2

Southwest: 1

Northeast: 1

Heartland: 1

Northwest: 1

New York: 0

South: 0