Manny Putz - NXN 2024 champ?

Definitely a front-runner, but it's always too early to tell. Many people thought Danny Simmonds would win it all this year based on his NXN finish last year and his track season, but he got 13th this year, which was worse than his finish last year. And it isn't like he fell off or had a bad year this year, it's just that you never know what will happen after that gun goes off, no matter who you think is the favorite.

Simmons was not in the top 100 the first K. He was with his teammates. I wonder if he was pacing them to try to win as a team.

Putz won’t need to do that next year. His team isn’t close to good enough to make NXN

I know they arne't in the same grade (right?) But who has the better post HS career?

Putz or Skandera?

Skandera is a sophomore. Putz is a junior

The thing with Simmons was his track times were far better than any of his cross times. I know courses are deceiving but it just looks like he is better on the track than he is in cross. Putz, on the other hand, might be better in cross than track. Hard to tell because he did not have a sophomore track season due to injury.

Putz better move to Utah or Cal if he wants to win. Only guys from those states are allowed to win these days.

From the little 4th hand information I’ve read, Danny probably overthought the course conditions and made several bad tactical decisions that took him out of contention. I’d still pick him to win in a hypothetical re-race.

Falling at the start is a tactical error that Putz overcame for a top 5 spot. My money is on Putz!

Cal? I think you mean Colorado. No one from California was able to handle the conditions at NXN this year.

Noonan from Dana Hills finished 45th even though people saw him as a contender to win. Maybe he will be a contender next year if he practices in those bad conditions more, or if the conditions at NXN aren’t as bad next year

But he still beat everyone from qualifying teams so he got the 1 point for American Fork

I feel like so many Southwest guys were slept on and finished higher than expected. And I don’t think anybody expected JoJo Jourdon to win.

Watch out for these SW guys to challenge for a podium spot or maybe the title.

-Kyle Steadman. Senior next year. Individual qualifier who has been to NXN twice already (went with his team in 2022). Also part of a very good program so probably has a great coach.

-Benjamin Anderson. Senior next year. In the middle of the season, many people thought he was #1 in Colorado. Took 9th at Footlocker nationals. Probably not his best race at NXR. Has a great coach.

-Brogan Collins. Senior next year. Made crazy year-to-year jumps especially from freshman to sophomore year. #2 nonsenior finisher at NXR Southwest

Stop, just STOP. IT'S JAN ONE...NXN IS IN LIKE 47 WEEKS...GO HIGH HIGH SCHHOL KIDS

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I don’t know. I thought Simmons was going to cakewalk NXN.

He moves into second at 11:20

Teammate Burnstad beat Putz in the 1600

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Liam Anderson was the last national XC champion to be the top nonsenior at the previous National Championships.

2023: JoJoJourdon did not compete at 2022 NXN.

2022:Aaron Sahlman was the 3rd nonsenior at RLXC.

2021: Colin Sahlman was way behind even his own teammates at 2020 XC Town.

2020: Parker Wolfe didnt run 2019 NXN and Judson Greer was far back.

2019: Nico Young was the 2nd nonsenior behind Cole Sprout at 2018 NXN.

A sleeper pick to win NXN is Kaden Evans from American Fork.
He will be carrying the torch for the team after Simmons is gone.
He ran an 8:57 2-mile at NBNI. He seems to have established himself as the best non-senior in the Southwest.
He did get beat by Joe Barrett at NBNI, but Southwest guys fare at NXN better than the Northeast guys (or guys from any other region for that matter)

And in 2017, Troutner beat Hasty even though Hasty was the top returner

Josiah Tostenson wouldn’t be a bad pick at all (for winning NXN)

Freshman and sophomore year he was near the top of his class nationally, ran the fastest nonsenior 3200 time at Arcadia, and has a really good training partner (Tayvon Kitchen).

NXN is also held in the state that he lives in.

Putz has run 4:13/9:02, both "solo", during the past 10 days or so. His times are dropping.

Onalaska has 4:13 in Putz and 4:14i from Burnstad. Plausible to have both sub-4:10 by June. Their 4x8 is also coming together to be a low-7:40s candidate which is good for Wisconsin.