Spring Valley High School's boys' cross country team is ranked 10th in the Nike Team Nationals (NTN) preseason southeast poll. The list was released on Aug. 20.
The top two teams in each region (at the end of the season) will be invited to compete in the Nike Team Nationals. Nationals is set for Dec. 4 in Portland. The third and fourth place teams in each region are considered for the four national at-large selections (www.dyestat.com).
John Jones is the head coach at Spring Valley. "First, I had no idea there even was a ranking being done by NTN," said Jones." Secondly, if I had known I would have thought we (Spring Valley) were a long shot to get in. It is nice to have the program recognized and I think it also brings more attention to the hard work and good teams that many of our schools have in SC. Staying in that poll will be tough. However, if Chapel Hill was sixth maybe we do belong since we beat them this past weekend (WNC Carnival). I'm not convinced we are even the best team in SC. Fort Mill has a move-in from Kentucky and Ridgeview has their 800m guy running well. Our goals are simple - win region then win state. Anything above that is gravy. The win in Hendersonville (WNC Carnival) shows we are in the hunt but it is a long season and I have seen that just about anything can happen."
In 2003 the Vikings finished first in the 4A State Championship boy's race. Since Jones joined Spring Valley 25 years ago, 2003 was the first time the team has won a state championship. On Aug. 28 the Vikings opened the 2004 cross country season with a win at the WNC Cross Country Carnival in Hendersonville. Jones' Vikings tallied 114 points to Myers Park (Charlotte) second place score of 127. Leading the Vikings in the meet was senior Reid Wilson. Wilson finished second in 16:04.27, 15 seconds behind first place finisher Jack Bolas (Chapel Hill HS). Wilson finished second behind Spring Valley alumnus Brian Raymond at the 2003 State Championships.
2004 Preseason NTN Southeast Rankings (Aug. 20)
1.Jesuit Tampa FL
2.Winter Park FL
3.Hoover AL
4.Collins Hill Suwanee GA
5.Houston Germantown TN
6.Chapel Hill NC
7.Tucker Richmond VA
8.Salesianum DE
9.Fort Defiance VA
10.Spring Valley SC
New to high school cross-country this year is Nike Team Nationals. Nike released this news on March 12, stating that the new national high school team cross-country championships will be held in Dec. in Portland, OR. The post season meet will involved 20 boys and 20 girls teams, with more than 300 runners from all areas of the country (Nike press release).
Nike's youth running manager Josh Rowe founded the Nike Team Nationals. "The Nike Team Nationals will motivate hundreds, if not thousands, of runners nationwide to seek new levels of excellence year-round," said Rowe in the Nike release on March 12. "We at Nike also hope to foster values of teamwork that are important to young runners on and off the course."
The 2004 5,000-meter course will take place at Portland Meadows, a horse racing track. The course, according to dyestat.com will feature man-made hills in an enclosed stadium with seating for 4,000 spectators.
The championship event will be sanctioned by the USATF. Teams will compete as USATF affiliated clubs with Nike providing team racing uniforms.
According to a dyestat.com article teams will be chosen based on regional rankings by Marc Bloom, publisher of The Harrier Magazine. Invitations to the meet will be awarded to teams following their state meet. The top two boys teams and top two girls teams from each of the eight regions, plus four at-large selections each for boys and girls will make up the field.
The NTN regions consist of: Northeast, Southeast, South, Midwest, Heartland, Southwest, Northwest and California.
The Southeast region consists of: Alabama - Delaware - Florida - Georgia - Kentucky - Maryland - North Carolina - South Carolina - Tennessee - Virginia - West Virginia - plus the District of Columbia - Puerto Rico - Virgin Islands.
Note: The Eye Opener takes place this Saturday (Sept. 4) at the Milliken Plant in Spartanburg. High School and Collegiate Team Entries are now available for viewing on the Eye Opener page for 2004.
The top two teams in each region (at the end of the season) will be invited to compete in the Nike Team Nationals. Nationals is set for Dec. 4 in Portland. The third and fourth place teams in each region are considered for the four national at-large selections (www.dyestat.com).
John Jones is the head coach at Spring Valley. "First, I had no idea there even was a ranking being done by NTN," said Jones." Secondly, if I had known I would have thought we (Spring Valley) were a long shot to get in. It is nice to have the program recognized and I think it also brings more attention to the hard work and good teams that many of our schools have in SC. Staying in that poll will be tough. However, if Chapel Hill was sixth maybe we do belong since we beat them this past weekend (WNC Carnival). I'm not convinced we are even the best team in SC. Fort Mill has a move-in from Kentucky and Ridgeview has their 800m guy running well. Our goals are simple - win region then win state. Anything above that is gravy. The win in Hendersonville (WNC Carnival) shows we are in the hunt but it is a long season and I have seen that just about anything can happen."
In 2003 the Vikings finished first in the 4A State Championship boy's race. Since Jones joined Spring Valley 25 years ago, 2003 was the first time the team has won a state championship. On Aug. 28 the Vikings opened the 2004 cross country season with a win at the WNC Cross Country Carnival in Hendersonville. Jones' Vikings tallied 114 points to Myers Park (Charlotte) second place score of 127. Leading the Vikings in the meet was senior Reid Wilson. Wilson finished second in 16:04.27, 15 seconds behind first place finisher Jack Bolas (Chapel Hill HS). Wilson finished second behind Spring Valley alumnus Brian Raymond at the 2003 State Championships.
2004 Preseason NTN Southeast Rankings (Aug. 20)
1.Jesuit Tampa FL
2.Winter Park FL
3.Hoover AL
4.Collins Hill Suwanee GA
5.Houston Germantown TN
6.Chapel Hill NC
7.Tucker Richmond VA
8.Salesianum DE
9.Fort Defiance VA
10.Spring Valley SC
New to high school cross-country this year is Nike Team Nationals. Nike released this news on March 12, stating that the new national high school team cross-country championships will be held in Dec. in Portland, OR. The post season meet will involved 20 boys and 20 girls teams, with more than 300 runners from all areas of the country (Nike press release).
Nike's youth running manager Josh Rowe founded the Nike Team Nationals. "The Nike Team Nationals will motivate hundreds, if not thousands, of runners nationwide to seek new levels of excellence year-round," said Rowe in the Nike release on March 12. "We at Nike also hope to foster values of teamwork that are important to young runners on and off the course."
The 2004 5,000-meter course will take place at Portland Meadows, a horse racing track. The course, according to dyestat.com will feature man-made hills in an enclosed stadium with seating for 4,000 spectators.
The championship event will be sanctioned by the USATF. Teams will compete as USATF affiliated clubs with Nike providing team racing uniforms.
According to a dyestat.com article teams will be chosen based on regional rankings by Marc Bloom, publisher of The Harrier Magazine. Invitations to the meet will be awarded to teams following their state meet. The top two boys teams and top two girls teams from each of the eight regions, plus four at-large selections each for boys and girls will make up the field.
The NTN regions consist of: Northeast, Southeast, South, Midwest, Heartland, Southwest, Northwest and California.
The Southeast region consists of: Alabama - Delaware - Florida - Georgia - Kentucky - Maryland - North Carolina - South Carolina - Tennessee - Virginia - West Virginia - plus the District of Columbia - Puerto Rico - Virgin Islands.
Note: The Eye Opener takes place this Saturday (Sept. 4) at the Milliken Plant in Spartanburg. High School and Collegiate Team Entries are now available for viewing on the Eye Opener page for 2004.