Travel distance to NXN Regionals - a reason for rearranging the regional borders (Part III)

 (this post is part of a series of 3, see the first post here and the previous one here)

One final thought to close the post… it would be wise to consider how these changes would have affected things in years past, as that might give us an idea of what these changes might mean from if they were ever implemented.

2007 teams added: 2 boys teams from Utah, Baylor TN (SE#3) boys, Bozeman MT (NW#3) girls, Dakota Ridge CO (SW#3) girls, and two additional girls at-large teams anywhere outside of the Northeast.

2007 teams subtracted: None of boys (unless NXN#22 Thomas Jefferson got edged out at the Mid-Atlantic regional), while on the girls side NXN#11 Warwick Valley NY wouldn’t have made it out of the Northeast.

Thoughts on 2007 additions/subtractions: Bozeman and possibly Dakota Ridge were both on par with Warwick Valley anyways, and two new at-large invites could have been handed out, so it would be a net positive. On the other hand, I don’t know if the two at-large invites would have gone to teams better than Warwick Valley. Boys would essentially not be a changed field, as the Utah teams that year weren’t all that great, and Baylor wasn’t far off of the other Southeast teams but the Southeast AQ teams finished #18 and #22 anyways.

2008 teams added: Daviess County KY (SE#3), Cibola AZ (SW#3), American Fork UT (SW#4) for the boys; Hidden Valley VA (SE#3), Mountain Brook AL (SE#6), Davis UT (SW#3) and Mountain Crest UT (SW#5) for the girls.

2008 teams subtracted: either NXN#14 Lincoln-Sudbury MA or NXN#6 Newton South MA. Obviously those two didn’t finish in the same order every time out (LS won NXR, but Newton South was much better at Nationals), but it would be a loss either way. However, it is also possible that NEITHER Massachusetts team made it to nationals: NY#5 Shenendehowa scored slightly better in the NY/NE merge that year, though running head to head may or may not have changed that score as it was close (15 points between the three teams).

Thoughts on 2008 additions/subtractions: It would have been a shame to lose either of the Massachusetts teams, especially given how Newton South stepped up at the national meet, but the prospect of adding a fifth New York team that was actually better at the regional meet is interesting (and an idea that New York faithful can certainly appreciate). Most if not all of the other teams being added to the field would be similarly competitive, though. The boys changes wouldn’t be too significant – the Southwest teams probably in the middle or maybe bottom third (Alta UT didn’t have a good day with their #20 finish), and Daviess County could have been competitive with the last few teams and at the cost of no other team.

2009 teams added: Don Bosco NJ (NE#3), Mountain View UT (SW#3), and Cibola AZ (SW#6) on the boys side; Green Hope NC (SE#5), Shadle Park WA (NW#3), either Mountain View ID or Mountain View UT (NW#5 or SW#3), and TC Roberson NC (SE#6) on the girls side.

2009 teams subtracted: NXN#21 La Salle Academy RI.

Thoughts on 2009 teams added/subtracted: For the boys, Cibola might not have been all too competitive, but on the bright side there wouldn’t be any drop-off from the Eastern regions as Don Bosco would be the only addition and the only one team would have even needed an at-large invite. On the girls side, Green Hope and Shadle Park were both better than LaSalle to start with, so that’s a net gain.

2010 teams added: Montgomery Bell Academy TN (SE#4) and Albuquerque Academy NM (SW#4) plus an at-large spot for the boys; Baylor TN (SE#5), Glacier Peak WA (NW#3), and Ogden UT (SW#4) for the girls. SE#3 Hidden Valley VA also probably would have qualified out of the Mid-Atlantic region.

2010 teams subtracted: Only NXN#20 Voorhees NJ if Hidden Valley did indeed beat them.

Thoughts on 2010 teams added/subtracted: The two new AQ teams on the boys side wouldn’t add much to the field, but no team would be lost (unless Pembroke wasn’t invited as an at-large) and you gain an at-large invite which is always a bonus since you didn’t lose a team in the process. On the girls side, that’s all good news as ALL three teams (plus a fourth in Hidden Valley) would have been competitive with the field.

2011 teams added: Fort Collins CO (SW#3), Mountain Vista CO (SW#4), and an at-large for the boys teams;  Green Hope NC (SE#4), Ogden UT (SW#5), and either Bozeman MT (NW#3) or Davis UT (SW#6). Plus, probably either two more at-large invites or two more New York teams (or some combination thereof) on the girls side.

2011 teams subtracted: None, though NXN#21 Champlain Valley VT and NXN#22 Hamilton-Wenham MA probably wouldn’t have made it out of the Northeast.

Thoughts on 2011 teams added/subtracted: Just like 2010, I think all those changes would be positive: all the teams being added would have been competitive, and you’d even have the opportunity to change out the last two finishers on the girls side for two possibly better teams as at-large invites as well.

2012 teams added: Brentwood TN (SE#4), Los Alamos NM (SW#3), and Cleveland NM (SW#5) for the boys; Green Hope NC (SE#6), Glacier Peak WA (NW#3) and either one or two at-large bid for the girls (NXN#22 Voorhees NJ would not have been an AQ team).

2012 teams subtracted: Possibly Voorhees NJ, but no others.

Thoughts on 2012 teams added/subtracted: All the teams would have been competitive, and with 1-2 extra at-large spots in place of the last girls team, the meet would only have been even stronger. That would have been good news for Xavier Prep AZ and Hidden Valley VA girls.