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Heartland Region
Sioux Falls SD November 10, 2007

Preview

Analysis of early entries (as of October 30) for NTN Heartland regional championships.

by Steve Underwood, DyeStat news editor

Host South Dakota has rich tradition at NTN

Given the roles that South Dakota clubs have played in the first 3 editions of NTN, it’s fitting that
Sioux Falls SD will be hosting the Heartland Region NTN Saturday, November 10.

After the early entry deadline, both fields are loaded with club teams that include runners from
schools ranked in the latest (Oct. 26) DyeStat Heartland Top Ten.  For the boys, the currently
entered clubs include runners from 9 of the top 10 teams.  On the girls side, clubs including
runners from 7 of the top 10 teams in the region are entered.

It’s on the girls side, that the history lies, however.  The rise of the South Dakota schools –
Yankton and Sioux Falls Roosevelt – as national powers is strongly tied in to the history of NTN:

2004 NTN – 3-D Running Club (Yankton) is 3rd and Four-Pointers XC (Sioux Falls Roosevelt)
14th in first NTN.  In addition, Yankton’s Ramsey Kavan establishes herself as a national star with
a 10-second victory.  Krista Eckert (SFR), Allison Eckert (SFR), and Betsy Bies (Yankton) also
finish 10th, 13th, and 15th.

2005 NTN – 3-D comes back and takes 5th … and once again crowns an individual champ, as
Betsy Bies finishes four seconds before anyone else.  The 3-D boys also make it and finish
18th, while the Four-Pointers/SFR just miss an invite on the girls side.

2006 NTN – 3-D gets a 3rd straight bid and SFR, as the Sioux Falls XC Club, is back for their
2nd showing.  3-D is 5th, and Sioux Falls 11th, and Bies just misses a 3rd straight South Dakota
win as she finishes 2nd to Ashley Higginson.  Both Eckerts for Sioux Falls are in the top 9,
giving SD 3 at that spot or higher.

and this year

Both clubs will again be aiming for bids in 2007 as they are ranked 1st (Yankton) and 3rd (Sioux
Falls).  Neither has that up-front star power, but both have a solid chance.  But with a strong
chance to take either or both of them down is the Dowling Catholic TC (Dowling Catholic IA). 
Dowling’s HS team dominated the Iowa state meet last weekend and has been ranked #2 much
of the fall.  They DO have star power in Katie Flood, who could win it all in Portland.

Other clubs entering the field with runners from schools that are ranked include Minot M&Ms CC
(Minot ND), Omaha Marian CC (Omaha Marian NE), Bismarck RC (Bismarck ND), and Burnsville
Skinnyski (Burnsville MN).  Millard North RC (Millard North NE), with national standout Emily
Sisson, is also entered.

The boys field features the following nine clubs with runners from top 10 teams:  St. Louis XC
(University HS MO), Wayzata XC Club (Wayzata MN), Team Swanson (Shawnee Mission NW KS),
Pleasant Valley TC (Pleasant Valley IA), Rosemount TC (Rosemount MN), Bismarck TC (Bismarck
ND), Brainerd XC Club (Brainerd MN), 3-D Running Club (Yankton SD), Potosi CC Club (Potosi
MO).  University of St. Louis and Rosemount have both been ranked #1 this season.

Potosi was one of the representatives from the Heartland last year, placing 8th, while the other
went to Willmar XC of MN, which was 16th.  The Willmar club (Winged Foot RC) is entered for the
regional race this year.



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