NXN At-Large invites have been sent out, and it is very well balanced this year as no region got all four of their teams in. The list (and a sneak peak at where they stand in my national rankings, though the full rankings won’t be posted until tomorrow):
Boys:
NE#3 West Chester Henderson PA (my US#11)
CA#3 Carlsbad CA (my US#23)
MW#3 St. Xavier OH (my US#17)
NW#3 Summit OR (my US#19)
Girls:
NY#3 East Aurora NY (my US#17)
SW#3 Pine Creek CO (my US#9)
MW#3 New Trier IL (my US#22)
CA#3 Saugus CA (my US#31)
California should get 4 teams in every year.
ReplyDeleteNo region should be guaranteed anything beyond their two auto qualifiers in any year. That goes for California on both sides, as well as the New York girls. No at-large spot is or should be automatic.
DeleteThat said, there are obviously differences between the regions - some are traditionally stronger than others, simple fact. Because of that, it will probably be rare - until the rest of the nation has caught up - that New York doesn't get a third girls team in and likely more often than not California will get a spot or two - if not three or four - because the region is so big and teams running so well at their "regional" (re: state) meet.
But, again, nothing is or should be automatic for any of the at-large spots. They are there to support the best teams/programs remaining, not the strongest or deepest regions historically.
I disagree about CA getting 4 automatically each year.
ReplyDeleteRob, where're your latest national rankings? I must've missed them. :/
I think there are a couple regions that should get four teams in per year and that they should expand the field as well. I realize that California as a whole has not performed well at NXN's (partly because they beat each other up all season) but they have shown year after year the depth that they have. How do you think the system should be, Mark?
Delete-James
*complete* rankings, I mean...
ReplyDeleteI haven't found the time to post complete rankings since the pre-season, but I plan on posting a full national rankings today or tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI see. Thanks. Look forward to it as always.
DeleteI read on the NXN website that they changed the policy this year. Last year 8 athletes and 1 chaperone traveled with a team. This year 7 athletes and 2 chaperones will travel with the team. This would seem to mean teams would have to commit to their 7 athletes prior to race day. Do you know when this information would be available?
ReplyDelete