In Wide Open Heartland, Sioux Falls Lincoln Has The Edge; Standout Individuals Grady Lenn, Quentin Nauman And Sean Fries Among Best In The Country

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Boys NXR Heartland Preview

Graduation hit the region hard. Only six of the top 25 runners from last year's NXR Heartland regional are back on the scene this fall. 

Team champion Spring Hill of Kansas was loaded with seniors and doesn't project to be a factor for this year's title. 

The regions two automatic berths for NXN are up for grabs. Even the teams selected as early season top-five picks have holes to fill and there is no clear-cut favorite. It's not clear whether the Heartland will have a single team in the next national top 20 assessment. 

But the individual talent in the region, that's another story. It's exceptional. 

Grady Lenn of De Pere WI is the top individual returner after placing fourth last year in 14:43.6. He went on to a spectacular track season and won Wisconsin state track titles in the 1,600 meters (4:01.79) and 3,200 (8:52.79).

Quentin Nauman of Epworth Western Dubuque, who broke the national junior class record in the mile with 3:58.65, is also finding his footing in cross country and won his season opener at the Cedar Rapids Prairie Invitational by 25 seconds. Another Iowan, Caleb Ten Pas of Des Moines Christian, ran 4:03.01 in the mile last June. 

Sean Fries of Minnetonka, who placed ninth at Foot Locker last year, opened his fall season by running 14:56 to win the St. Olaf HS Showcase. It was a 33-second improvement over his winning time in 2024. 

The top team in the region appears to be Sioux Falls Lincoln, last year's Heartland runner-up and 21st place team at Nike Cross Nationals. The Patriots bring four of seven back from that experience. 

It feels a bit speculative after that and it may take a few weeks to gain some clarity on the other top contenders. 

1. Sioux Falls Lincoln SD. The South Dakota champions seek a return trip to NXN after placing second at the Heartland regional last year. A strong 1-2 punch of senior Miles Lechtenberg and junior Tyrus Needles led the team to a season opening win at the Mack Butler Invitational in South Dakota. Lincoln runners took six of the top eight spots. There was a concerning 52-second gap between the top two and third runner Arvid Nelsen, a senior. Nayati Ringing Shield, another senior, and juniors Reid Groher and Henry Sayler, are all key pieces to the team's state and regional title hopes. 

2. Blue Valley Southwest KS. The Timberwolves return five of the seven runners who helped them place fourth at NXR Heartland last year, including leader Alex Roberts, a senior who ran 4:15/9:07 last spring. Senior Cameron Paschke, sophomore Andrew Claar, senior Wyatt McCulley and junior Zach Brewington are all back to try and move up into an automatic qualifying position. 

3. Wayzata MN. The Trojans opened up at the Husky Invite and won with 42 points, clumping six guys between sixth and 12th place, all within a 19-second window. That demonstrated some depth and good pack running and it may be a recipe for success in the postseason. Wayzata graduated its top two from last year's team and will lean on seniors Matthew Jenneke, Connor Viera, Aidric Pfeifer and Samarth Raj, junior Will Chabot and sophomore Thomas Berndt. 

4. Waukee Northwest IA. An August time trial revealed that the Wolves have six runners who can run under 10 minutes for 3,200 meters, which is proof that the team has the depth to be a factor this fall. It isn't a given that those results will translate into success on the cross country course, but few other teams in the region have shown as much depth to start the season. Seniors Kellen Tuyls, Roy Verastiegui, Ayden Gabrielson and Zak Shlomi and sophomores Nolan Van Bruggen and Leo Derry may end up better off in HOKA Postal Nationals, but they also may be a real contender in Iowa. 

5. Stevens Point WI. Veteran performer Cooper Erickson is the top returner for the Panthers and he brings valuable experience to the group as a two-time NXN participant (2022 and 2023). The Wisconsin D1 champions bring back four of seven from last year's state meet team and Erickson is joined by junior John Jazdzewski, sophomore Garrett Strong and senior Donald Voetberg. Junior Alex Dziak is also a key piece of the lineup. 

WATCHLIST 

Cedar Falls IA

Lincoln North Star NE

Gilbert IA

Marquette WI

Bismarck ND