By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The 41st Foot Locker West Regionals are scheduled for Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif. It marks the 22nd year the regionals have been held at Mt. SAC.

The girls championship race is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. PST and the boys championship race will start at 10:55 a.m.

The top 10 individuals in each championship race advance to the Foot Locker National Championships on Dec. 14 at Balboa Park's Morley Field in San Diego.

Here are 10 storylines to follow at the fourth and final Foot Locker regional meet:

Big rebound for Boyden

Skyline UT senior Thomas Boyden has had more than six weeks to endure the frustration of not finishing the 5A state final after an early fall and a late-race collapse spelled doom in his pursuit for not only an individual championship, but also a potential course-record attempt at Sugarhouse Park.

Boyden, a Stanford signee, is the only returning male qualifier from the West, placing sixth at the regional on the 5-kilometer course at Mt. San Antonio College in 15:38.5, before earning All-America recognition with a 13th-place national finish in 15:46.1 at Balboa Park’s Morley Field in San Diego.

Boyden is looking to become the first Utah male athlete since Weber’s Talon Hull in 2015-16 to qualify for nationals in back-to-back seasons. Hull won the regional title in 15:28.3 in 2016.

Martin eyes another masterful performance

Lehi UT senior Anna Martin is one of three returning qualifiers from last year’s meet, joining Mayfield CA junior Audrey Suarez and San Clemente CA senior Hana Catsimanes.

Martin hasn’t had as long of a layoff as Boyden since the 5A state final Oct. 23, winning the Utah High School Track Coaches Association Pre-Foot Locker 3-mile race Nov. 16 in 17:44 at Pleasant Grove.

Martin placed third at last year’s regional in 18:06.5, before placing 34th at nationals.
Since then, the BYU signee has dealt with both foot and knee injuries, but rebounded in time to place second in the 5A state championship and has only competed in four races this season entering regionals in comparison to racing nine times before arriving at Mt. SAC last year.

Martin is trying to become the first Utah female athlete to win the regional title, in addition to following former Provo standout and current BYU athlete Kate Hunter (2015-16) in becoming the latest individual from the state to advance to nationals in consecutive years.

Black is back at Mt. SAC

North Phoenix Prep AZ Jordan Black ran the fastest time on the opening day of the 72nd Mt. SAC Invitational on Oct. 25, covering the 2.93-mile course in 15:07.3 to prevail in the Division 3-4-5 team sweepstakes race.

Black has an opportunity to make an even bigger impact in his return to Walnut, not only looking to challenge for the victory, but become the first Arizona male athlete since Tuba City’s Billy Orman in 2010 to qualify for nationals.

Black, the two-time Arizona Division 4 state champion, placed 15th at the Nike Southwest Regional on Nov. 23, which makes Saturday’s event his final opportunity as a prep athlete to qualify for a national cross country championship.

Xander Black, a junior at Brophy Prep with no relation to Jordan Black, also has the potential to qualify after placing second at the Arizona Division 1 state final and 25th at NXR Southwest.

Borovicka Swanson seeking own summit

One year ago, Azza Borovicka Swanson helped Summit OR make history by contributing to the girls team championship at Nike Cross Nationals.

Borovicka Swanson had to overcome early season injuries and came back to win the junior varsity title at the Mountain Valley Conference championship and place second in the open race at NXR Northwest.

But the depth of top-ranked Summit didn’t allow Borovicka Swanson to return to the Summit lineup for Nike Cross Nationals, giving the senior an opportunity to potentially secure a qualifying berth to Foot Locker Nationals instead.

Since Summit rarely travels out of state for meets, Borovicka Swanson has raced predominantly in Oregon throughout her career, so the trip to California will not only be a change of environment, but terrain in comparison to racing at Glendoveer Golf Course for NXN in Portland.

The last female athlete from Oregon to qualify for nationals was South Eugene’s Sara Tsai in 2013.

In addition to Borovicka Swanson, Oregon junior standout Charlie Robertson of Franklin and senior Ahmed Ibrahim of Parkrose are both legitimate threats to qualify for nationals in the boys race. 

Utah champions ready for new challenge

Creed Thompson of Skyridge and Dalton Mortensen of Bountiful both placed in the top 10 at NXR Southwest, results that would have earned them berths to advance to Foot Locker Nationals, but performances that left the Utah state champions on the outside when it came to securing trips to Portland for Nike Cross Nationals.

Mortensen, the 5A title holder, and 6A champion Thompson, along with 3A winner Porter Whitworth of Grantsville all have the potential to qualify for nationals, along with Skyline’s Thomas Boyden.

Whitworth will be looking to rebound from a 72nd-place finish at NXR Southwest, but if he can, Utah could again approach the four male qualifiers it produced in 2017.

Whitworth finished 28th at last year’s regional at Mt. SAC.

Seven could again be lucky number for California

Although the Golden state has crowned the past three girls regional winners with La Costa Canyon’s Kristin Fahy prevailing last season after back-to-back victories in 2016-17 by Malibu’s Claudia Lane, California hasn’t had an opportunity to showcase a level of depth like it could potentially produce Saturday since 2014.

Five years ago, California secured seven of the 10 girls qualifiers to represent the West.

In the four regional finals since, there has been at least four California female athletes to advance to nationals, including five in each of the past two seasons.

With Mayfield junior Audrey Suarez and San Clemente senior Hana Catsimanes both returning qualifiers, California already has significant experience in its favor.

In addition, Clovis North sophomore Miliana Perez, Sage Creek senior Skyler Wallace and sophomore Stormy Wallace, Granada Hills sophomore Sofia Abrego, Mission Vista junior Bella Longo and Anaheim Canyon sophomore Emma Hadley all placed in the top 30 at last year’s regional and are scheduled to return Saturday.

Foothill Technology junior Brooke Secreto, the California Division 4 state champion, is joined by Colony junior Amber Rios, Mira Costa sophomore Dalia Frias, St. Francis Sacramento sophomore Cate Joaquin, Serrano sophomore Tiani Goeson, Miramonte junior Audrey Allen, Saugus junior Hannah Fredericks, Clovis East freshman Erika Nyberg and Canyon Crest Academy junior Elizabeth Emberger are also scheduled to compete in the girls championship race, looking to extend their seasons at the national final in San Diego.

Star Valley standout hoping stars align

Peter Visser, a junior at Star Valley WY, captured his second straight state championship and placed eighth at NXR Northwest on Nov. 16 in Idaho.

Visser, who improved from 44th last year at NXR Northwest, was hoping to join Rawlins junior standout Sydney Thorvaldson in representing Wyoming at Nike Cross Nationals, but he has an even more historic opportunity at the regional at Mt. SAC.

Visser is looking to become the first Wyoming male athlete since Campbell County’s Andrew Jones in 2002.

Jones placed third at the regional and finished 17th at nationals, just missing All-America honors.

Ping is a woman for all regions

Desert Vista AZ junior Grace Ping placed seventh in the Midwest regional last season and finished 31st at Foot Locker nationals representing Winona Cotter MN. She also finished 48th at Nike Cross Nationals.

Ping has the rare opportunity to qualify from a different regional this season, looking to secure a fifth career appearance at a national championship race.

Although her freshman sister Lauren Ping, competing Saturday at NXN, won the Division 1-2 team sweepstakes Oct. 26 at the 72nd Mt. SAC Invitational, Grace Ping didn’t compete in Walnut during the regular season, making the regional race her first time on the challenging 5-kilometer course.

Both Ping, the Division 1 runner-up, and St. Michael Indian senior Ali Upshaw – the two-time Division 4 state champion – have an opportunity to follow 2017 national qualifier Jesselyn Bries of Sandra Day O’Connor in representing Arizona at the national finals in San Diego.

Millero looks to continue memorable run

Faith Lutheran senior Raymond Millero has produced five victories in 5-kilometer races this season and placed in the top 10 of all nine competitions.

Even more impressive since it is his first season competing in cross country.

All the more significant considering he had surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee 13 months ago.

Millero, a former soccer standout, has made an incredible recovery from the injury and an inspiring transition to distance running, highlighted by his 4A state championship Nov. 9 in Reno.

Millero is attempting to become the first Nevada male athlete to qualify since Sierra Lutheran’s Wade Meddles in 2009.

Long time coming

It has been a decade since a female athlete from New Mexico qualified for the Foot Locker national final.

Hawaii has endured a 15-year drought without a girl advancing to compete in San Diego.

Both of those streaks have the potential be halted Saturday, with Cleveland NM freshman Leah Futey and Kalaheo HI sophomore Emily Naylor – both individual state champions – having the potential to qualify in Walnut.

Futey won the New Mexico 5A title Nov. 9, then got her first experience in an elite regional race Nov. 23 by finishing 80th at NXR Southwest in Arizona.

Naylor, who captured the Hawaii state crown Nov. 2, squared off against several California standouts from San Clemente, Palos Verdes and Dana Hills when she finished 19th in September at the Iolani Invitational.

Naylor is one of the most improved athletes in the country, elevating from a 99th-place finish at the state final during her freshman year. She is attempting to become the first female athlete from the state to qualify for nationals since Hawaii Baptist Academy’s Lauren Ho in 2004.

Although Cleveland’s Amanda Mayoral won NXR Southwest in 2017 to advance to NXN for the second time in her career, Futey is trying to become the first New Mexico female athlete to advance to the Foot Locker national finals since Albuquerque Academy’s Julia Foster in 2009.