Ping Gets Long-Awaited Chance To Shine At NXR Southwest On Home Turf 

By Erik Boal and Doug Binder, DyeStat Editors

The Nike Cross Regional Series, which began last week, will serve thousands of high school cross country runners at each of nine regional meets that span the country. The NXR Southwest at Shalimar Golf Club in Tempe, Ariz. takes place on the second of four compelling weekends, with live webcast coverage of every regional. 

NXR SOUTHWEST LIVE WEBCAST | ENTRIES

Lauren Ping has been waiting two years for an opportunity to win the Southwest Regional on home soil, and the Desert Vista junior will get her opportunity Saturday representing Ahwatukee in the championship race, which also features several top challengers from Colorado and Utah.

Ping, a three-time Arizona Division 1 state champion, finished sixth at the 2019 regional as a freshman.

She was instrumental last year in helping Desert Vista XC Club win the Nike Cross Virtual team championship, but missed the opportunity to compete again at regional and national finals, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ping established herself as a leading contender for the regional title when she won the Sept. 24 sweepstakes race at the Desert Twilight Festival, prevailing against several competitors who are entered in the championship race.

With Arapahoe and Cherry Creek only represented by a few athletes, Ahwatukee (US#18) also finds itself among the contenders in the team competition, especially with Ping and senior Katie Sigerud leading the way.

Although a stress fracture suffered by Emery Ito resulted in Ahwatukee placing second Nov. 13 at the Arizona Division 1 state final behind the Soaring Hawks of Highland High, Bailee Christofis and Emily Littlefield, along with Ping and Sigerud are capable of keeping Ahwatukee in contention.

REAL Training, representing Colorado 4A state champion and US#2 Niwot, will field a lineup led by individual winner Eva Klingbeil, along with Mia Prok and Madison Shults.

Utah 6A state champions American Fork XC Club (US#15) – featuring Avalon Mecham, Abigail Barlow and Avery Moore – are also strong contenders in the team competition, as well as Arizona Division 1 winners the Soaring Hawks, led by Emma Baugh and Kayla Case.

Arizona Division 2 champions Casteel, competing as Run Wild, are also entered, in addition to New Mexico 5A winner Volcano Vista – representing Hawks Running – and 4A state champion Los Alamos, which is competing as Los Alamos Cross Country Club.

Utah 5A state champion SpringvilleXC is also scheduled to compete, as well as Nevada 4A winner Desert Oasis, representing DO XC, led by second-place finisher Noemie Guechida.

All four Arizona individual state champions are entered, with Ping being joined by Division 2 winner Mia Hall of Run Flagstaff, Division 3 champ Kylie Wild from Salpointe Catholic – representing Desert Lightning – and Division 4 title holder Jessica Madrid of Round Valley, competing for Elks.

Utah 6A champion Addi Bruening of Herriman is representing Mustang Club, with 5A runner-up Jane Hedengren of Timpview competing for T-BIRDS XC and fourth-place finisher Mari Konold of Mountain View also entered.

Katelyn Maley, a two-time Colorado 3A state champion, is competing for Basalteens, with 5A runner-up Brooke Wilson and eighth-place finisher Keeghan Edwards of US#16 Valor XC and Distance also entered, in addition to 4A second-place finisher Samantha Blair of Eagle Valley Track Club, as well as 2A champ Nadhia Campos, a freshman at The Vanguard School.

Blair is the top returning athlete from the 2019 regional, finishing third overall.

Ava Escorcia of 5A champion Arapahoe is competing unattached, along with Paisley Piepgras and Addison Laughlin of 5A runner-up Cherry Creek. Rosie Mucharsky, a freshman at Denver East who placed 14th in 5A, is representing Colfax Hustle.

Ellary Battle, the New Mexico 5A state champion from Alamogordo, is scheduled to compete, with the top two athletes from the 4A final, Delaney Ulrich and Kelly Wetteland of team winner Los Alamos, also entered.

Seven Nationally Ranked Boys Teams Entered

The boys championship at NXR Southwest shapes up as the best high school race of the fall so far with seven Top-30 teams in the field. 

US#2 Cheyenne Mountain XC, one of the most complete teams in Colorado history, will go in as the favorite based on its victory in the CHSAA Class 5A final. A lineup that includes Erik Le Roux, Enzo Knapp, Tyler Nord, Knox Exton and Cedar Collins is anticipated, although Kaden Levings is not on the entry list. Levings was the team's second man at the state meet, but the team put six in the top 13 that day. 

REAL Training (US#4 Niwot CO) is led by Zane Bergen, the Colorado 4A individual champion who also won the Desert Twilight XC Festival this fall. Bergen is the top individual in Saturday's race. The team also packs a punch with Joey Hendershot, Carlos Kipkorir Cheruiyot and Frederick Ambrose.

Utah's top team this fall, Farm-Town (US#5 Farmington UT) is the UHSAA Class 6A champion. The group finished eight points behind Cheyenne Mountain XC at the Border Wars meet on Sept. 24 in Salt Lake City. Matthew Neuschwander, Ryan Bennett, Britton Austin, Ethan Peterson and Isaac Halverson comprise a cohesive group that could be tough to beat. 

Perennial regional power American Fork XC Club (US#7 American Fork UT) is led by the 1-2 punch of Nathan Jaster, the Utah 6A individual champion, and Jayden Fitzgarrald, who was third at the state meet. 

Vista Nation (US#12 Mountain Vista CO) won the Colorado Class 5A team title, using a season-long build to go after its prime objective in securing the championship. This group, led by Tyler Downs and Jayden Nats, has been somewhat overlooked but has a potent lineup that split 41 seconds on its top six at the state meet. 

Valor XC & Distance (US#13 Valor Christian CO) finished just two points behind Vista Nation in the Colorado 5A final and will certainly have eyes on reversing that order on Saturday. Ty Garrett and Drew Costelow give Valor a 1-2 punch that should compete for low points in a crowded field of talented runners. 

RIVERTON (yes, All Caps) refers to US#27 Riverton UT, which finished third in the Utah 6A championships and includes top performers Tyler McDougal and Jake Seegmiller. 

Yerington NV standout Kutoven Stevens, the subject of a DyeStat feature earlier this fall and a New York Times piece this week, is among the unattached individual standouts who will take part in the race. Stevens won the Nevada Class 2A/1A race but posted the fastest time of the day at the state meet. 

Noah Jodon of Ahwatukee (Desert Vista AZ) is the Arizona Division 1 champion. 

Rendon Kuykendall (unattached/Hope Christian NM) is the top runner in New Mexico and won the Class 4A title. The Los Alamos Cross Country Club (Los Alamos NM) scored 24 points at its state meet and gets a chance to test the waters outside the state.