Reasons abound why the XC Town USA Meet of Champions is a must-run and must-watch event!

In a most unusual year, the XC Town USA Meet of Champions, Presented by the Garrett Companies stands as a must-run and must-watch event for prep XC runners and all fans and supporters of the sport – and there are more than 1,300 reasons why, all of whom will be taking to the rolling terrain at the storied LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute on November 14-15.

Whether or not you’ll be at LaVern Gibson next weekend, you can watch all of the action on RunnerSpace.com. The biggest reasons to watch? Well, take your pick:

*** Newbury Park HS, California’s growing boys’ distance dynasty, flourishing with almost unheard-of depth despite the graduation of all-time great and indoor 3k national-record setter Nico Young, headlines the prep team entries of both genders. California has postponed their XC season until winter, but the Panthers – competing as a club here – are in shape now and could make a huge splash in Terre Haute. At Desert Twilight, they had six run between 14:53 and 15:22. 

*** Sydney Thorvaldson, the amazing Rawlins, Wyo., runner who has ascended to the very top echelon of the nation’s elite preps, is the headliner of the girls’ field and arguably the most accomplished individual entry of either gender. The Arkansas commit was 3rd in the NSAF’s 2019 New Balance Indoor Nationals 2-Mile with her 10:01.52 PR, also captured the bronze at last fall’s Nike Team Nationals in Portland, ran a 10:06.58 indoor 3,200 at altitude in last February’s Simplot Games, and is unbeaten with a full Wyoming season this fall that has included a 16:19 5k.

*** And, for those in tune with Saturday’s Elite/College/Open races, a special treat is in store with an opportunity to watch Rio Olympic 5000m silver medalist Paul Chelimo – the sub-13:00 performer who will be returning to LaVern Gibson for the first time since 2013, when he was a senior at UNC-Greensboro. Chelimo has competed lightly in 2020, due to the pandemic, but is ramping up for the 2021 Olympic Games and XC Town will provide a launching pad into the new year.

Regular season and state championship meets have been taken away in many states and communities by the COVID-19 pandemic, as have the biggest prep national championship events. But many of the nation’s top teams and individuals – some who have been racing for their teams this fall and some who have not – will be competing in Terre Haute for a chance at some great post-season competition and maybe a piece of glory.

Newbury Park’s boys, Sydney Thorvaldson and Paul Chelimo are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Here are a number of other individuals and teams that bear watching at XC Town:

GIRLS INDIVIDUALS

Analee Weaver – A 2019 Foot Locker All-American and BYU commit, the senior has led her Stillwater, Minn., team this fall with a PR of 16:42 for 5k. She wasn’t able to defend her state title as the Minnesota season stopped short of a state meet, but she won the alternative Twin Cities Running Company Showcase.

Riley Stewart – The junior won the Nike Cross Southwest Regional title last fall, then just missed All-American honors at Foot Locker. She has lost only to Thorvaldson this fall and is now Colorado’s 5A champ with a 17:03 PR.

Karrie Baloga – The Cornwall, N.Y. soph has had limited opportunities this fall with no New York season yet, but she comes off a sterling 2019-20 freshman campaign that saw her take 11th in the Foot Locker Finals and then run 9:34.52 to take the N.Y. state meet 3,000m.

Tatum David – Having transferred to IMG Academy in Florida, the Illinois native will have a bit of a homecoming this weekend; she was 4th at NXN Midwest on this course last year en route to national finals placings of 17th at NXN and 10th at Foot Locker. She’s had a great fall from her new home including a blazing 16:41 5k victory at Desert Twilight in AZ. David’s teammate Carly McNatt was 8th at Foot Locker last fall.

Carmen Alder – The Pinecrest, N.C. senior, representing Franklin Elite TC here, has had a pair of spectacular 16:58 and 17:11 5k XC efforts this fall. The BYU commit was 2nd (’18) and 6th (’19) in two successive Great American meets and has won a slew of North Carolina state titles. She was also the AAU National Champ in 2019.

Meghan Ford – Coming down from Jamestown, N.D., Ford won’t be deterred by any frigid weather. She was the 2019 NXN Heartland champ with her 17:19 PR and placed 21st at Nationals. She’s unbeaten in North Dakota this fall, having just won her 3rd state title. The Furman commit is actually one of two Meghan Fords who could place very high at XC Town; the other is a freshman from Mason, MI who has run 17:36.

BOYS INDIVIDUALS

Judson Greer - The returning fifth-place finisher at Foot Locker Nationals last year, Greer of Melissa High in Texas is pursuing his third straight Texas UIL Class 4A title. Greer ran 14:45.9 for second place at the Desert Twilight XC Festival on Oct. 2. He is committed to North Carolina.

John Scherer IV - The Northern Arizona commit from Oshkosh North did not get to compete in the Wisconsin season this fall but he has continued to remain relevant nationally. He ran 14:54.5 for second place in the unattached sweepstakes race at the Desert Twilight XC Festival last month.

Peter Visser - The senior from Star Valley WY won his third consecutive Wyoming Class 3A championship on Oct. 23. Visser is the top runner in Wyoming. In 2019, he placed second at the prestigious Bob Firman Invitational and went on to take eighth at NXR Northwest.

Joshua Truchon - Last weekend, he gave West Allis Nathan Hale its first individual state champion with a decisive victory at Arrowhead High in Wisconsin. Due to COVID-19 protocols, he didn't learn he had won the state title until about seven hours after his race.

Liem Chot - The senior won his third consecutive Nebraska state championship for Lincoln North Star. Born in South Sudan, Chot emigrated to the U.S. as a sixth grader. He discovered a talent for running when he entered high school.

Lucas Guerra - He has placed second at the Indiana state meet at LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course two years in a row and should know the terrain on Nov. 15 as well as anyone. He won seven of the nine races he competed in this fall.

Grahm Tuohy-Gaydos - The senior from Green Mountain High in Colorado ran an eye-popping 5K on the road on Sunday, clocking 14:53.0 at altitude. Tuohy-Gaydos was fifth in the Colorado Class 4A championship in 2019.

Jackson Watts - The Kentucky state champion from Madisonville North Hopkins held off Brady Masters of Brady Central to win the coveted Class AAA title by four-tenths of second last weekend. He ran 15:15.0 to win his regional.

BOYS TEAMS

Severna Park XC Club - Maryland did not get a chance to start the cross country season this fall due to the pandemic, but the reigning Class 4A champions have stayed active. In October, senior Jake Gelfand led the club to a victory at the VA Elite Invitational at Pole Green Park in Virginia.

South Temecula TC (Great Oak CA) - California's most powerful program for the past decade, Great Oak is a consistently potent national championship threat. John Worthy, a member of last year's runner-up Nike Cross Nationals team, leads this re-tooled group after the graduation of some top seniors. California wil begin cross country officially in late December.

Stumptown Running (Jesuit OR) - Even though Oregon won't start an official cross country season until next March, the boys from Jesuit have clung together and stayed motivated by training and competing virtually. The lineup includes Ryan Schumacher, the youngest son of Nike Bowerman TC coach Jerry Schumacher, and Jacob Nenow, the son of former U.S. 10,000 meters record holder Mark Nenow.

GIRLS TEAMS

Cherry Creek XC Club (CO) – The above-mentioned Stewart isn’t the only standout on this Colorado powerhouse. The Bruins were at the top of their game in their 5A state meet a few weeks ago, scoring 42 and winning by 40. Their club was 4th at NXN Southwest last year and they’ve clearly made progress in 2020.

Naperville (North) XC Club (IL) – A perennial power in Illinois, they would have been the favorite had there been an IHSA state meet this season. They won the NXR Midwest title last fall and took 12th at Nationals after finishing runner-up in 2018. Seniors Maggie Gamboa and Audrey Mendrys have generally led a tight group.

Edina XC Club (MN) – In another state with a regular season, but no state meet, Edina has prevailed over a tight group of other big school powers including Minnetonka and Wayzata – who are also coming to XC Town. Edina was 14th at NXN Nationals a year ago and recently captured their 6AA Section title and the Twin Cities Running Company Showcase (though Minnetonka was missing their top runner in the latter).

Carmel Distance Project (IN) – The Greyhounds had a run of 8 straight state titles end in 2015, but last Saturday they were back atop the podium at the IHSAA finals at LaVern Gibson for the 19th time. Senior Annie Christie, a week after winning during an overwhelming semi-state triumph, paced the state title effort in 3rd place.

Loudoun Valley XC Club (VA) – Loudoun Valley, the most recent NSAF Great American champs in ’19, has been running as a club this fall with the VHSL having shut down fall sports. Led by standout Ava Gordon, they’ve been stellar traveling as far as Arizona and in their home state as well. After their 10th-place finish at NXN last fall, don’t count them out of any big meet.