Kinetic pursuing three-peat and 16th overall girls title for New York, but Colorado programs Academy and Niwot, Utah’s Lone Peak, Flower Mound from Texas, New Jersey’s Union County and California entries Corona and San Juan Capistrano are all in championship contention in Oregon

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

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Only one time in Nike Team Nationals and Nike Cross Nationals history has a girls program from New York not placed among the top three finishers, with lineups from Fayetteville-Manlius, Kinetic (Saratoga Springs) and Hilton combining for 15 championships and 22 podium appearances in the past 17 editions.

Kinetic, making its fifth consecutive appearance and 16th overall, has captured the past two national titles, looking to join Fayetteville-Manlius as the only other group in meet history – regardless of gender – to win three in a row.

Emily Bush, Tong Ang, Anya Belisle, Cora Conley, Alycia Hart, Reagan Owen and Kate Turner are attempting to lead Kinetic to a ninth all-time NXN podium finish, second all-time behind the 12 top-three performances – including 11 titles – for Fayetteville-Manlius.

But there could be history achieved for other reasons Saturday, with the potential for Colorado, Utah, California or Texas to produce the first girls national champion for their respective states at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, denying New York a podium appearance for the first time since 2018.

Following an exciting matchup Nov. 18 at the Nike Southwest Regional in Arizona, Academy and Niwot from Colorado are set to square off again, leading a group of 16 returning programs in the girls championship race from last season.

Niwot is the only Colorado lineup in meet history to achieve multiple podium finishes, placing third in 2019 and runner-up last year, looking to benefit from the experience of seniors Olivia Alessandrini, Cayden Justice, Sarah Perkins and Mia Prok, along with sophomores Avalon Beltran, Anna Prok and Addison Ritzenehin to finally capture a national crown.

Academy is looking to join Niwot, Smoky Hill, Fort Collins and Battle Mountain as Colorado teams to secure podium appearances, trying to elevate from seventh place last season to contend for a national title with a lineup of senior Bethany Michalak – who took third last year – along with Tessa Walter, Jordan Banta, Emily Beers, Lauren Myers plus freshmen Chamorra Cooper and Mariah Hook.

Colorado could also join California and New York as the only states to have multiple girls lineups on the podium in the same year in meet history.

New York has achieved the feat six times, most recently with Fayetteville-Manlius and Saratoga Springs earning first and second in 2011.

Davis and Temecula (Great Oak) finished second and third in back-to-back years in 2015-16 for California.

Utah has achieved only one girls podium finish in meet history, with Davis earning third in 2013.

Lone Peak, which finished fourth in 2019 and last season, is relying on the return of senior Andie Aagard to the lineup, joining Addie Meldrum, Anna Bybee, Boston Bybee, Maya Bybee, Brielle Nilsson and Zoey Nilsson in pursuit of the first podium finish for the state in a decade.

No region, regardless of gender, has swept the team podium in meet history, but the Southwest has the strongest potential to achieve the feat Saturday.

Southlake Carroll, making its 15th appearance this year in Oregon, is the only Texas girls program to have produced a podium finish, taking third in 2005-06 and placing second in 2012.

Flower Mound, making back-to-back NXN appearances for the first time in program history, has generated plenty of momentum in the past month with the return of senior Nicole Humphries, joining twin sister Samantha Humphries, in addition to Alexandra Fox, Natalie Spangher, Ava Cole, Catherine Henderson and Adeline Bennett, and could ascend from last year’s sixth-place finish to contend for a podium appearance.

Clovis (Buchanan) became the fourth California girls program in meet history to earn a podium finish by taking third last year, joining Saugus, Davis and Temecula (Great Oak). Clovis earned one of four national at-large berths to compete and returns to NXN again this season.

Both San Juan Capistrano and Corona have the potential to add to the state’s history at NXN among the girls teams producing podium performances.

San Juan Capistrano, featuring Summer Wilson, Sophie Polay, Kaylah Tasser, Brynn Garcia, Reese Holley, Annie Packard and Chloe Elbaz, has an opportunity to surpass Saugus with the biggest one-year turnaround by a California girls program after finishing 21st last season. Saugus was 18th in 2006 and elevated to second in 2007.

Corona is making its first appearance at NXN, looking to surpass the sixth-place effort of Corona del Mar in 2006 as the best debut by a California girls program in meet history. Rylee Blade, Braelyn Combe, Taylor Davis, Madilyn Siana, Kinsley Whitecavage, Audrey Buckley and Jaela Jaffe are scheduled to compete for Corona.

Union County (Union Catholic) has the potential to improve on the best one-year improvement by a New Jersey girls lineup following a 22nd-place performance last season. North Hunterdon holds that distinction for the state, improving from 21st in 2017 to 16th in 2018.

Paige Sheppard, Courtney Kaiser, Cayleigh Kaiser, Peyton Hollis, Emmy O’Hearn, Ella Solorzano and Kayla Devine helped Union County capture its first Northeast Regional title Nov. 25 at Bowdoin Park in New York.

Illinois, California and Colorado are the only states with three programs entered in the 22-team field.

Mount Prospect and Elmhurst (York) are returning from last season, with Downers North making its first NXN appearance. Naperville North (2005) and New Trier (2011) boast the top debut finishes for Illinois, both placing fourth.

Portland (Jesuit) joins Kinetic in making its fifth consecutive appearance, the longest active streaks among girls programs in the field.

The Southeast Regional entries, Wilmington (Tatnall) and Louisville (Assumption) are both returning to NXN for the first time in at least a decade. Wilmington made seven consecutive appearances from 2006-12, but is back representing Delaware this season.

Louisville made three straight trips to Oregon from 2011-13 and returns again this year.

Denver (Mountain Vista) is competing at NXN for the first time since 2018 and the fourth overall, with Forest Park (Lincoln) racing again at a national final in its home state after last appearing in 2019.

Wayzata, West Olathe, Delmar and Wexford are also returning from last season. Wayzata of Minnesota won a national title in 2013 and took third in 2018, the last Heartland group to achieve a podium finish.