Willmar (MN)
Willmar comes into the Heartland Regional with three straight trips to NXN under its belt, however, the team's had a lot more work to do after their top three runners -- who were on all three teams -- graduated in the spring. Still, the Cardinals are fresh off a fourth-place finish at the Minnesota Class AA Championships and at times have looked remarkably close to their 2016 form.
Heidi Schmitz, Serena Monson, and Leah Hansen all return from last year and have picked up the reins very nicely, each running at least 18:52. At this point, they are still a long shot to make it back for a fourth consecutive season, but under the right circumstances and with the right amount of improvement, it very well could happen.