BOY'S INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE
The Meet record of 14:36.88 was set by Ethan Strand of Vestavia Hills in 2021. If the weather cooperates, several young men may challenge the record this year. Your top four seeds all return from last year's race.
Photo Alex Brust
Sr. Tommy Latham of Marist, a University of North Carolina commit, was 4th last year in 14:41.01. He is the #1 seeded boy. Latham is ranked #11 nationally in the Coros CC Individual Boys Rankings.
Knoxville Catholic Sr. Keegan Smith, a University of Colorado commit, was 6th in 14:49.41, Belen Jesuit Preparatory School So. Marcelo Mantecon was 7th in 14:52.59, and Huntsville HS Sr. Eric Moore was 8th in 14:57.39. Keegan has run 14:39.17, Mantecon 14:48.00 and Moore 14:53.94. Mantecon is ranked 15th nationally in the Coros Rankings. Add to the mix, Riku Sugie, of Thomas Nelson in Bardstown, KY, who comes in with a 14:51.92 and a #24 Coros Ranking AND, take a look at the 1600m times of the five and add Jesuit (New Orleans) Sr. Brady Mullen, Gulf Breeze So. Andrew Beroset and Sr. Joseph Socarras of Belen Jesuits and it should be one most strategically interesting Cross races we may see all year. The talent and speed was there to challenge the course record, but the course condition should make the race a slower, more strategic race. Watch for the race to develop just after the 2-mile. The speed is there to make the last mile a tough foot race to the finish.
Tommy Latham 3:58.85c (4:00.24 1-mile)
Joseph (Tiago) Socarras 4:04.53
Brady Mullen 4:06.51
Keegan Smith 4:06.06c (4:07.50 1-mile)
Riku Sugie 4:09.60
Eric Moore 4:10.02
Marcelo Mantecon 4:10.88
Keegan Smith 4:07.50
Andrew Beroset 4:11.27
In addition to the above, 39 more boys come into the race with sub-16:00 performances.
Sub-15:30 WATCH LIST
Jr. Owen Clemons Cleveland High School 15:01.90
Sr. Callahan Fielder Brentwood High School 15:13.28
Sr. Luke Alverson James Clemens 15:13.81
Jr. Malachi Burnett Creekview 15:16.14
So. Riley Comstock Harrison High School 15:16.39
Sr. Zachary Youngblood Chattanooga Christian School 15:20.26
After finishing fourth at Nike Cross Nationals and winning NXR Southeast and FHSAA titles, The Belen Jesuit Preparatory boys, from Miami, picked up right where they left off a year ago. They are the #1 ranked team in Florida and the #5 Belen Jesuit Preparatory boys, from Miami, picked up right where they left off a year ago. They are the #1 ranked team in Florida and the #5 nationally ranked team in the COROS MILESPLIT50 PRESEASON BOYS Rankings. They opened their season with two dominating wins at the Cecil Field Summer Classic in Jacksonville, FL. on Aug. 14th and last weekend at the Florida Horse Park Invitational in Ocala. At Cecil Field they scored 23 points going 1+4+5+6+7 (9+17) with a 0:41 1-5 split and an Avg of 15:31. At the Florida Horse Park, they scored 22 points going 1+3+5+6+7 (15+31) with a 0:41 1-5 split and an Avg of 15:33. They are the defending Team champions and should be on top of the podium again this year.
The team is led by sensational So. Marcelo Mantecon and in the early Florida rankings, the Belen boys hold 6 of the top 11 positions.
The only question in the boy's team race is who will join the Belen boys on the podium. The top two challengers appear to be Huntsville HS and Brentwood High School from Brentwood, TN. The Huntsville HS boys have another strong team this season and hold down the #2 AL State ranking. They were 5th last year and will be looking to move up this year. Led by Jr. Charles Pearson, the Huntsville boys have an Avg this year of 16:16.03 and a low 1-5 split of just 33.14 seconds.
Brentwood High School is the #2 ranked boys team in Alabama. They are led by two sub-16 runners, Sr. Callahan Fielder and Jr. Kehler Vaughn and thus far this season have an Avg time of 16:00.75 and a 1-5 split of 1:02.02.