PREVIEW: 10 Class A Boys Who Could Dominate This Fall

Ethan Olson (Senior, Moose Lake/Willow River)

A year ago, Ethan Olson placed 5th at the State Meet, making him the 3rd returner going into the season. However, he actually ran the fastest 5k of any class A runner in 2016, when he blazed a 15:55.0 at NXN Heartland. Even more impressive, in the same race, Olson defeated Declan Dahlberg, last year's champion. This was the only time the entire season that Dahlberg lost to another class A runner. As a sophomore, Olson placed 59th at the State XC Meet, meaning he improved his position by 54 places over the course of just a year, so it's anybody's guess how much Olson will improve this season. Regardless, he has a legitimate shot to be next year's champion.