Buchanan CA rising to become NXN contender

By Adam Kopet of DyeStat

Fayetteville-Manlius NY holds the top spot in the first in-season national rankings of the year, but the margin is narrowing with Buchanan CA coming on strong. F-M won the Wayne Pre-State Invitational but the overall performance wasn't as dominant as it could have been.

Buchanan is firing on all cylinders with its win at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic.

Two teams have made big jumps in the early portion of the season. Sun Prairie has been winning easily in Wisconsin and the Cardinals jump up to No. 15 after finishing fourth in a stacked Roy Griak Invitational field.

Dunlap IL has also made huge strides and the Class 2A school enters the rankings at No. 14. The Eagles have emerged as the No. 2 team in Illinois behind Naperville North, which has moved up to No. 3 in the national rankings after winning at Roy Griak.

On Saturday, No. 18 Saugus CA and No. 19 Sunset OR will compete at Nike Portland XC, on the old NXN course at Portland Meadows. No. 23 Mountain View ID is also scheduled to compete.

Thus far, California has shown considerable depth with five teams in the Top 30. However, the Northwest, Southwest and Midwest also have five teams.

 The Top 30

1. Fayetteville-Manlius NY

2. Buchanan CA

3. Naperville North IL

4. Great Oak CA

5. Mountain Vista CO

6. Keller TX

7. Wayzata MN

8. Centerville OH

9. Claremont CA

10. Bozeman MT

11. Jesuit OR

12. Saratoga Springs NY

13. Broomfield CO

14. Dunlap IL

15. Sun Prairie WI

16. Carmel IN

17. Battle Mountain CO

18. Saugus CA

19. Sunset OR

20. North Rockland NY

21. Riverside SC

22. Mountain View ID

23. Southlake Carroll TX

24. Granada CA

25. Yorkville IL

26. Lone Peak UT

27. Skyline UT

28. Issaquah WA

29. Minnetonka MN

30. Blacksburg VA