With the high school cross-country season in Washington set to begin in February of 2021, The Runner WA has put together a list of the top 50 runners to watch for this coming spring season. These rankings are based on their 2019 season performances and the 2020 COVID season this fall if they had run a time trial or virtual meet.
Here are the runners ranked 31 through 40 for the boys.
40. Nicholas Marty, Toledo
2019 Time: 15:55.7
2019 State: 6th (1B/2B), 16:12.7
2020 Time: 16:19
Analysis: Nicholas Marty was one of the more successful 1B/2B runners last fall collecting six victories in total, including the Central 2B League Championship. With that success, the confidence does build for someone like Marty. The only thing standing in his way is his district rival and 2019 1B/2B cross country state champion, Ilwaco's Daniel Quintana.
39. Cameron Hatler, Eatonville
2019 Time: 15:56
2019 State: 13th (2A), 16:02.6
2020 Time: N/A
Analysis: From a middle of the pack runner to a podium finisher, Cameron Hatler took a giant leap in his junior year coming away with a new personal best 5k time of 15:56 and 13th place finish at the 2A state cross country meet. In a new classification period, Eatonville has moved down to the 1A level, now putting Hatler in the conversation to be a top-five finisher for a hopeful 1A state cross country meet.
38. Austin Steed, Beamer
2019 Time: 15:52.3
2019 State: 73rd (4A), 16:22.3
2020 Time: N/A
Analysis: A slow start to the year turned into a fast finish by the end of the season for Austin Steed. He put together a quality race at the NPSL 4A League Championships running a personal time of 15:52.3. Although he finished 73rd at the 4A state cross country meet, Steed ran eight seconds faster this year than his sophomore state time.
37. Luke Alfonso, Stadium
2019 Time: 15:58.3
2019 State: 30th (3A), 16:08.9
2020 Time: N/A
Analysis: Leading Stadium to the school's first-ever district cross country team title and a sixth-place team finish at the 3A state meet was Luke Alfonso's greatest success last season. As the momentum shifts to his junior season, Alfonso will be considered a top podium finisher this season at the 3A ranks and could build upon his 15:58 personal best time.
36. Justin Peck, Trout Lake
2019 Time: 15:59.8
2019 State: 2nd (1B/2B), 15:59.8
2020 Time: 16:35.9
Analysis: Justin Peck made quite the turn-around in his junior season with a runner-up finish at the 1B/2B state cross country meet and a new personal best time of 15:59.8 after missing out on running at the state meet his sophomore year. As he found ways to pick up six wins throughout the regular season last year, Peck has proven he is among one of the best returners for 1B/2B runners. The hopeful rematch between him and Ilwaco's Daniel Quintana should be a fun one to watch.
35. Kya Villanueva, Woodinville
2019 Time: 15:58.2
2019 State: 35th (4A), 15:58.2
2020 Time: N/A
Analysis: To replace Luke Houser was going to be the toughest task for Woodinville in 2019, but Kya Villanueva fit naturally right into that role as the Falcons top runner last fall. Earning a ninth-place finish at his district meet, Villanueva took full advantage of his first trip to the 4A state cross country meet finishing 35th overall while running a new personal best time of 15:58.2. With that being said, will we see a stronger and more competitive Villanueva this spring?
34. Sean Westerhout, Bainbridge
2019 Time: 15:46.4
2019 State: 11th (3A)
2020 Time: N/A
Analysis: We got a good idea of what Sean Westerhout was capable of after a solid performance at Nike Hole in the Wall, but the Bainbridge runner found ways to do even better later on in the year. Westerhout made one of the biggest improvements of returning runners at the state cross country meet as a junior, shaving off 70 seconds from his sophomore time and earning a spot on the podium in the 3A race.
33. Vincent Loftis, Arlington
2019 Time: 16:01.7
2019 State: 22nd (3A), 16:01.7
2020 Time: 15:14.7
Analysis: It was definitely a junior year slump for Vincent Loftis, but during the COVID-19 season, he has proven to be a different type of runner in his senior season. After not breaking the 16-minute mark at all last year, Loftis has four 5k marks faster than 15:45 this fall, including an incredible 15:14 personal best he ran in early November. Despite being ranked 33rd early on, we could see Loftis being a top 10 runner by the end of the 2021 season.
32. Amha Alemeneh, Eisenhower
2019 Time: 15:57.5
2019 State: 33rd (4A), 15:57.5
2020 Time: N/A
Analysis: Like Woodinville's Villanueva, Eisenhower's Amha Alemeneh has some big shoes to fill this season with the departure of Jonas Price for the Cadets. With a strong finish to his sophomore year at the 4A state cross country meet running a new personal best 5k time, Alemeneh will look to build on that success in the spring. I still don't know a ton about him, and hopefully this spring we can learn more about his ability.
31. Cameron Stuard, Tahoma
2019 Time: 15:49.1
2019 State: 34th (4A), 15:58.2
2020 Time: 16:09
Analysis: Cameron Stuard finds himself as Tahoma's top returner this spring and most experienced runner. Being part of two talented Tahoma teams in the last two seasons, Stuard knows what it takes to be successful as a team, especially at the 4A level that has been very competitive in the last few years. From an individual perspective, he's among the top returners this year for 4A and should be a top 10 finisher at state.
To view previous 2021 top 50 Washington cross country rankings, click below:
Note: The 2021 Washington boys' top 50 cross country rankings were compiled by The Run Down Podcast crew of Keenan Gray, Alex McIntire, and Kyle Paulson.