Top Nine Boys Teams At The Nike Heartland Regional

Dowling Catholic (IA)

Dowling Catholic entered this fall with a lot of momentum, having finished third at the Heartland Meet last year and returning five of their seven fastest runners. In fact, they owned a preseason MileSplit50 ranking of 11th, but an early loss to Edina at the Heartland Classic, then a 4th-place finish at the Roy Griak Invitational, and finally an injury to junior Will Ode have resulted in the national prospects of the team diminishing. However, things could be coming together for the Maroons. They won the Class 4A State Championships by one point over Dubuque Hempstead in a race that saw the return of Ode, who has now had two weeks to keep getting healthy. Indeed, Ode will be the key for the team, as they likely haven't built up enough of a resume to gain a wild card bid if they don't get an automatic qualifier. If Ode can reclaim his place at Dowling's number 1, their chances of qualifying skyrocket.