Miami Havana Completes Tough Weekend Double To Win Boys Title; Wilmington XC Brings Delaware Program Back To NXN After 11 Years

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Photos by CJ Kelleher/Velocity Shoot Photography

A dream weekend for Allie Zealand included spectating Saturday at the NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships before driving down to North Carolina for NXR Southeast. 

Zealand, who is home schooled and doesn't compete in a state championship meet in Virginia, showed what she is capable of Sunday at WakeMed Soccer Complex in Cary, zooming away from the girls championship field to win in 16:34.3. 

Zealand is a global U20 medalist in cross country and was part of the U.S. women's bronze medal team last February in Australia. 

VIDEOS | PHOTOS

"I felt so good and I kept pushing it," Zealand said. "I can't wait to have another opportunity (at NXN)."

Zealand, representing Pacers, won by 26 seconds. Reese Dalton, also from Virginia, was second in 17:00.0. 

Wilmington of Delaware won the girls team championship with 68 points. The runners from Tatnall School will return for the first time since a seven-year streak ended in 2012. With an eighth appearance at NXN the group breaks a tie with Blacksburg VA for the most in Southeast region history. 

Derby City of Kentucky earned the second automatic qualifying berth with 102 points, led by Reagan Gilmore's third-place overall finish in 17:10.2. The club representing Assumption will make its fourth appearance at NXN. 

Maddie Gardiner from Virginia, a teammate of Dalton, was fourth in 17:12.1. Caroline Hood of House TC (Georgia) was fifth in 17:20.1 and Hannah Rae Shaffer of Raleigh Catholic (North Carolina) got the final individual qualifying spot with 17:21.8. 

On the boys side, Miami Havana ran on tired legs and yet were easily able to secure the boys championship title with 84 points. The group won its seventh consecutive Florida Class 3A title just two days ago. 

The biggest surprise of the meet came in the battle for second place, where Wallace Boys Alumni upset the formchart in a big way and secured an automatic berth with 211 points. The five scorers split 40 seconds between 54th and 139th place in the overall results (20th to 78th in the team scoring). 

Wallace Boys Alumni's lineup finished second in Tennessee's Division 2-AA state final. The team that beat them that day, McCallie, finished fifth Sunday. 

Vestavia Hills, the top team from Alabama, was third with 241 points. 

Up front, Noah Valyo from The Drive (North Carolina) kept his strong season going with an individual victory in 14:40.8. Valyo earlier won the Great American XC Festival on the same course, two seconds slower, in early October. 

A large group of boys stayed together though the 2-mile mark. Valyo was able to outkick the challengers. 

Berkley Nance of Mills Godwin (Virginia) was second in 14:45.2, Tommy Latham of Ave Maria (Georgia) was third in 14:47.0, James Partlow of Patriots XC Club (Maryland) was fourth in 14:47.5 and Ethan Edgeworth, the Alabama Class 2A/1A champion, got the fifth and final individual qualifying spot in 14:48.9.