Welcome Minnesota Cross Country Fanatics!
It's August, it's warm and running fans across the country are getting fired up for another cross country season. We're ready to kick off our coverage this fall with a series of previews featuring individuals and teams we're watching in Minnesota who have the potential to figure in the action three months from now at the four MSHSL State Championship races!
Clearly, it's impossible to name every team and individual who has a shot but our staff of contributors has spent the last few weeks digging through the stats and back stories to create a list (unranked) for each class from across the state. We'll start with the individual boys in class AA who have our attention and move through the other three races the next few days. As one famous former Minnesota HS legend and olympian likes to say, "Let's get after it!".
Minnesota Class AA Boys Pre-Season Individual Watch List
While our staff agreed there is a favorite at the top, there is a talented group of seniors looking to contend for the individual crown in 2019. Four of the top five and seven of the top ten from last season graduated in the spring, so the list of early favorites this year will be heavy on seniors. The highest finisher in the class of 2021 (this year's junior class) at last year's State Meet was 22nd (Gabe Smit and yes he's in our list!) and you had to look outside the top 80 to find a class of 2022 athlete (now sophomores). Thus our watch list for Class AA will feature nine seniors and one junior.