A Look Back At The Best No. 5 Runners Year By Year At Nike Cross Nationals

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

DyeStat Archive Photos

The fifth scorers. Vital, and yet somewhat obscure in the mass of bodies that are striving for the finish line at the end of a Nike Cross Nationals. 

The fifth-best runner on a team at NXN can be a difference-maker, an Achilles' heel, an unsung hero. Fifth runners carry the burden, and the pressure, of adding the biggest number to the score. Their teammates and coaches pray for their well-being while they churn through the pack as the clock is counts precious seconds. 

What the first 19 Nike Team Nationals/Nike Cross Nationals have revealed is that the fifth scorer is important to determining a champion, if you've got the best one. But it's not always the case. 

Two years ago, the best fifth runners in both the boys and girls championship races did not wear the winning singlet. 

But 16 times out of 19 years, the best fifth scorer in the race was part of a trophy-hoisting celebration on the main stage. 

For the boys, it's just a little better than half. The are many ways to piece together a winning combination, and sometimes the decisive advantages happen at 2, 3 or 4 instead.

Here is a year-by-year at the best No. 5s in the championship races, what place they got, and whether they were part of the winning team. 

2004 

Girls - Karyn Delay, Kinetic RC (Saratoga Springs NY), 23rd, Won Championship

Boys - Owen Kimple, Stotan XC (Fayetteville-Manlius NY), 35th, Finished Second

2005

Girls - Ashley Jones, Hilton XC Club (Hilton NY), 33rd, Won Championship

Boys - Nick Kuczwara, Elmhurst XC Club (York IL), 47th, Finished Second

2006 

Girls - Courtney Chapman, Manlius XC Club (Fayetteville-Manlius NY), 46th, Won Championship

Boys - Jason Leonard, Bridgetown XC Club (Coatesville PA), 45th, Won Championship

2007 

Girls - Kathryn Buchan, Manlius XC Club (Fayetteville-Manlius NY), 37th, Won Championship

Boys - Kyle Cooper, Albuquerque XC Club (Albuquerque Academy NM), 49th, Finished Third

2008

Girls - Molly Malone, Manlius XC Club (Fayetteville-Manlius NY), 63rd overall, 33rd team scoring; Won Championship

Boys - Jack Driggs, Elmhurst XC Club (York IL), 89th overall, 50th team scoring; Finished Second

2009 

Girls - McKenzie  Carter, Manlius XC Club (Fayetteville-Manlius NY), 36th overall, 19th team scoring; Won Championship

Boys - Colby McCune, Boerne XC Club (Boerne Champion TX), 109th overall, 66th team scoring; Won Championship

2010 

Girls - Courtney Chapman, Manlius XC Club (Fayetteville-Manlius NY), 29th overall, 12th team scoring; Won Championship

Boys - Allen Leung, Arcadia XC Club (Arcadia CA), 70th overall, 33rd team scoring; Won Championship

2011

Girls - Hanna Smith, Manlius XC Club (Fayetteville-Manlius NY), 44th overall, 20th team scoring; Won Championship

Boys - Jordan Chavez, Carroll XC Club (Southlake-Carrolle TX), 63rd overall, 30th team scoring; Finished Second

2012 

Girls - Jenna Farrell, Manlius XC Club (Fayetteville-Manlius NY), 51st overall, 19th team scoring; Won Championship

Boys - Tyson Green, American Fork XC Club (American Fork UT), 77th overall, 48th team scoring; Finished Second

2013

Girls - Alayna Sonnesyn, Wayzata XC Club (Wayzata MN), 73rd overall, 33rd team scoring; Won Championship

Boys - Nicholas Trigani, Lincroft XC Club (Christian Brothers Academy NJ), 84th overall, 46th team scoring; Finished Second

2014 

Girls - Samantha Levy, Manlius (Fayetteville-Manlius NY), 58th overall, 20th team scoring; Won Championship

Boys - Riley Hughes, Manlius (Fayetteville-Manlius NY), 96th overall, 55th team scoring; Won Championship

2015 

Girls - Sophia Ryan, Manlius XC (Fayetteville-Manlius NY), 53rd overall, 18th team scoring; Won Championship

Boys - Nelson Quintana, Temecula XC (Great Oak CA), 86th overall, 46th team scoring; Won Championship

2016 

Girls - Rebecca Walters, Manlius XC (Fayetteville-Manlius NY), 52nd overall, 15th team scoring; Won Championship

Boys - Leonard McComas, Bozeman (Bozeman MT), 68th overall, 32nd team scoring; Won Championship

2017 

Girls - Claire Hill, North Naperville (Naperville North IL), 84th overall, 43rd in team scoring; Finished Second

Boys - Connor Wells, Purcellville (Loudoun Valley VA), 95th overall, 51st team scoring; Won Championship

2018

Girls - Azza  Borovicka-Swanson, Central Oregon (Summit OR), 96th overall, 48th team scoring; Won Championship

Boys - Connor Wells, Purcellville (Loudoun Valley VA), 63rd overall, 29th team scoring; Won Championship

2019 

Girls - Emily Bush, Kinetic (Saratoga Springs NY), 82nd overall, 40th team scoring; Won Championship

Boys - Mateo Joseph, Temecula (Great Oak CA), 72nd overall, 34th team scoring; Finished Second

2022

Girls - Anya Belisle, Kinetic (Saratoga Springs NY), 59th overall, 27th team scoring; Won Championship

Boys - Aaron Cantu, Newbury Park (Newbury Park CA), 78th overall, 42nd team scoring; Won Championship

2023

Girls - Olivia Alessandrini, Niwot (Niwot CO), 55th overall, 23rd team scoring; Finished second

Boys - Ben Jaster, American Fork (American Fork UT), 70th overall, 32nd team scoring; Finished second

2024 

Girls - Paityn Rohatinsky, Lone Peak (Lone Peak UT), 66th overall, 30th team scoring; Finished Second

Boys - Gavin Engtrakul, Niwot (Niwot CO), 67th overall, 35th team scoring; Won Championship

Final Tally

Girls - 2017, 2023 and 2024 are exceptions - 84.2 pct of the time, fastest fifth runner is on the winning team.

Boys - 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019, 2023 are exceptions - 52.6 pct, the fastest fifth runner is on the winning team.