NXN Boys — Favorite Spencer Makes All The Right Moves

On the Glendoveer courseâ€s “terraces†rise with 200m to run, “thatâ€s when I knew I just had to put it all out there, put everything on the line for it,†said winner Jackson Spencer. (JOHN NEPOLITAN)

PORTLAND, OREGON, December 06 — The Nike Cross Nationals boys†race had seen some very unexpected individual champions in recent years, including upsets in the past three editions.

But when Jackson Spencer made his decisive move on the first incline of the “terraces†that comprise the final 200-meter stretch at Glendoveer Golf Course — which followed his surge at 3700 — it became clear that predictive form would hold in 2025. The undefeated Herriman (Utah) senior had been considered the runner to beat nationally since he crushed the Woodward Park course record in the Clovis Invite in October, his second major triumph in California following a Woodbridge victory weeks earlier.

Saturday, with temps in the 50s but on a saturated and moderately muddy course, Spencer was content to cruise near the front of an unwieldy lead pack where everyone appeared to be gauging the course before making any aggressive moves. Lucas Tanner (Deforest, Wisconsin) led at 2K (5:57.8) with about 30 within 3 seconds — after a gradual slowdown following a quicker start.

Sean Fries (Minnetonka, Minnesota) decided heâ€d had enough and forced the pace at about 2200 and started stretching things out behind him. He still led at 3K (9:06.2) with now just 11 in close contact. Then at about 3700, during the second time around a short, tight loop, Spencer decided it was time to shake things up.

“Right before the ‘lollipop†over there for the second time around, thatâ€s when my head was just telling me, ‘Go, Jackson, go!â€â€ he said. “Drop everyone, see who comes, and then it will be a battle from there.â€

Spencer, who is headed to BYU next fall, said his goal coming into the season was to win the national title. He gave a lot of credit to his runner-up teammates and Coach Doug Soles. He said the plan was “to make the race as short as possible†and stay in the pack for at least 3K.

At 4K (12:01.9), Spencer still had Caden Leonard (Southlake Carroll, Texas), Mt. SAC course recordsetter Yohanes Van Meerten (Flagstaff, Arizona), Ruel Newberry (Guyer, Denton, Texas), Marcelo Mantecon (Belen, Miami, Florida) and Fries for company. Then 600 meters later, only Leonard and Van Meerten remained.

Leonard, the 4-time qualifier who was 3rd last year, rallied from a nasty spill around the lollipop and seemed poised to move on the terraces with just over 200 to go. But it was Spencer who got his legs to turn over more quickly up the first incline, then pulled away further on the second.

“With about 200 meters to go up the — what do you call them? — those little hills over there, thatâ€s when I knew I just had to put it all out there, put everything on the line for it, and I was able to come away with the win,†he said.

Spencer crossed in 15:01.3, with Van Meerten coming back and pipping Leonard at the line for 2nd, 15:03.3 to 15:03.7. Four different Utah boys have won NXN 5 times (Casey Clinger won twice), the most of any state in NXNâ€s 20-year history.

Spencer will also have a chance to represent Team USA for the World U20 Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee on January 10 as USATF has allowed the NXN winner to join the top 5 from the U20 Champs that took place later Saturday on Glendoveer.

Not far behind, Niwot (Colorado) launched what would be a record-setting defense of their team title, as Quinn Sullivan (15:09.9) and Hunter Robbie (15:11.1) grabbed 5th and 6th overall and the 3-4 sticks in the team battle. When their 5th man scored 28, they had a meet record 61 points to easily defeat Spencerâ€s runner-up Herriman squad at 97 and Lincroft (Christian Brothers Academy, New Jersey) with 110.

“Itâ€s always just to have fun and believe in the team culture,†said Sullivan when asked on the podium about Niwotâ€s team ‘mantra†preparing for the meet, “and thereâ€s not much we can do except work, work, work and have fun.â€

NXN BOYS

Teams: 1. Niwot 61; 2. Herriman 97; 3. Lincroft 110; 4. Carroll 137; 5. American Fork 195; 6. Sioux Falls 210; 7. Royal Pines 254; 8. Columbus 269; 9. Haddonfield 286; 10. Portland 287; 11. Garden of the Gods 288; 12. Plainfield North 294; 13. Redondo Beach 309; 14. Carmichael 336; 15. San Clemente 372; 16. Manhattan Beach 397; 17. Austin 431; 18. Raleigh 441; 19. Forest Park 447; 20. Lincoln 452; 21. East Setauket 459; 22. Thiells 509.

Individuals: 1. Jackson Spencer (Herriman) 15:01.1; 2. *Yohanes Van Meerten (Southwest) 15:03.3; 3. Caden Leonard (Carroll) 15:03.7; 4. *Marcelo Mantecon (Southeast) 15:05.6; 5. *Quinn Sullivan (Niwot) 15:09.9; 6. Hunter Robbie (Niwot) 15:11.1; 7. Sean Fries (Heartland) 15:17.0; 8. Jayden Warner (Northwest) 15:17.2; 9. Paul Van Laningham (Southeast) 15:17.3; 10. **Jack McGovern (Midwest) 15:21.1;

11. **Ruel Newberry (South) 15:22.2; 12. **Kai Gutierrez (Carroll) 15:22.7; 13. *Oliver Horton (Garden of the Gods) 15:22.9; 13. Ethan Locke (South) 15:22.9; 15. Sean Gray (Northeast) 15:23.6; 16. Brian Burns (South) 15:23.8; 17. Luke Hnatt (Lincroft) 15:30.6; 18. *Kamari Ronfeldt (Midwest) 15:31.3; 19. *Theo Oppermann (Northeast) 15:31.4; 20. Lucas Tanner (Heartland) 15:31.7;

21. Grady Lenn (Heartland) 15:32.2; 22. **Brice Fuller (Midwest) 15:32.5; 23. *Yosuke Shibata (Northwest) 15:34.8; 24. **Garrett Faught (Northwest) 15:35.1; 25. *Jay McDonald (Southwest) 15:39.5; 26. Conor Lott (California) 15:39.5; 27. *Gavin Schmitt (Lincroft) 15:39.5; 28. *Logan Rohatinsky (Southwest) 15:39.8; 29. Eli Jarvis (Herriman) 15:44.3; 30. Canaan Dunham (Heartland) 15:44.4;

31. Maximo Zavaleta (California) 15:44.5; 32. *Tyrus Needles (Sioux Falls) 15:44.6; 33. Ryder Keeton (Niwot) 15:45.6; 34. **Abdi Hassan (Southwest) 15:45.9; 35. Miles Lechtenberg (Sioux Falls) 15:46.0; 36. Krish Desai (Manhattan Beach) 15:46.1; 37. **Bo Howland-Vlahakis (Northeast) 15:46.5; 38. Xzavier Campos (Garden of the Gods) 15:46.5; 39. *Ben Adams (Southwest) 15:47.6; 40. ***Jude Ritzenhein (Niwot) 15:49.1. (200 finished)

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