How Do Saturday's NXN Results Bode for the Southwest Region?

Despite having neither that advantage of altitude training nor of familiarity with soft-course race, Desert Vista's girls still managed an impressive 6th at NXN.

Girls Regions

Starting with the tables of team and individual finishes:

Team Finishes:

California - 2, 3, (18)

Heartland - 5, 12

Midwest - 4, 10, (16)

New York - 1, 14

Northeast - 20, 21

Northwest - 8, (11), 22

South - 9, 15

Southeast - 17, 19

Southwest - 6, (7), 13


Individual Qualifier Finishes:

California - 25, 28, 48, 50, 71

Heartland - 22, 23, 30, 32, 84

Midwest - 9, 14, 15, 18, 31

New York - 5, 8, 10, 13, 27

Northeast - 45, 49, 70, 86, 135

Northwest - 4, 16, 21, 41, 82

South - 12, 26, 34, 44, 133

Southeast - 19, 24, 39, 54, 76

Southwest - 1, 3, 7, 11, 17 + Grace Ping at 6*

In terms of girls team finishers, there's a nice and neat separation into an upper division of New York (though New York was kind of only one team deep at this level), California, Midwest, Heartland, and Southwest. The Northeast, Southeast, South, and Northwest make for a clear second tier, with a possible case to be made for the Northwest as a middle tier kind of region based on the performance of their at-large berth.

The Southwest presumably moves to the second-ranked region of all girls regions if we take into account the seventh-place finish of at-large entry Broomfield. That is not the highest-ever NXN finish by an at-large team, but it does rank among the best.

In terms of individuals, the Southwest was massively out in front of everyone (even without counting Ping). New York and Midwest were both strong, but not as strong. The South, Southeast, California (which had a qualifier opt out for Foot Locker West), and Northeast were well behind the other regions in terms of individual performances.

Whether or not the selection committee takes note (whether formally or informally, consciously or subconsciously) of historical performances at Nike Cross Nationals, the Southwest has been building a stronger and stronger case for itself with each passing year. If the committee does take note, performances like this only strengthen the Southwest's positioning for future at-large bids.

* - Grace Ping would not have been eligible by what at least once were the rules for NXN individual qualification. It remains to be seen what happens from here, but I'll treat Ping separately here since no other region (at least this year) had the opportunity to qualify a Grace Ping for nationals.