BOYS' TEAM RANKINGS 30-22
30. Lafayette High
The Division I program, Lafayette already makes its second appearance on this list. This is a team that is defined by pack running. The 1-5 split of 1:11 speaks for itself which makes Lafayette a dangerous team when competing at larger-scale meets. The only question for them is, can they continue to steadily improve their times while still running together? If so, then expect to see more of them in the future.
29. Pineville
Keep an eye out for Division I Pineville. The team is led by low-stick Justin Descant which if you remember anything from last year's track season, it had to be about him. He shattered his previous performances from his freshman year and became one of the best middle-distance runners in the state as just a sophomore with his 1:54 800m.
I believe that he has more to offer during this cross-country season so keep an eye on him. He will more than likely be a strong low-stick for his team while the remaining four runners have personal best times ridiculously close to each other. If anything, keep an eye out for this team. The potential for growth for Pineville is palpable.
28. Archbishop Rummel
Division I school, Rummel is a team that has a more evenly spaced out top five. Each runner is roughly spaced 30 seconds from each other which is great for their approach as a team. There is no doubt that their top priority this coming season will be to close the gap and run more as a pack in order to make more of an impact at the Division I level. The team is led this season by returning junior Luke Burlison, who dipped just below 17-minutes last year for three miles.
27. West Monroe
West Monroe will be competing at the Division I level and is a fairly well-put-together team. They possess an incredibly strong low-stick and young runner with junior Landon Spears. He finished 11th last year at the 5A state meet and is one of the top returning talents this year. Outside of Spears, his teammates put together a capable 2-4 runners who only have a gap of 15 seconds between them. Though this is promising, West Monroe's greatest weakness is closing the gap between its fifth runner and the rest of the pack. If they manage to pull that off, then expect them to jump up in the team rankings.
26. John Curtis
John Curtis might be more favorable this year considering they competed in 5A last year and are now ranked in Division III. They are coming off of a state meet team finish that could have most likely been improved upon based on their previous performances throughout the season. The team has traditionally finished closed together in terms of individuals which will most likely be Curtis' winning strategy this coming season. Not only that, but keep an eye out for incoming freshman Conan Buchanan. He was the team's top finisher at the state meet as an 8th-grader and he could become a key player for their team as he matures.
25. Slidell
After not qualifying as a team for the 5A state meet, the question is put forward if Slidell may make a team appearance at the Division I state meet this season. The team was young last year but now returns with more experience under their belt and led by returning senior Reese Kirby. This team still has potential, as the majority of the team were underclassmen and will be returning with another year of experience and more time to mature. It would be foolish to count these boys out.
24. C.E. Byrd
With losing their top runner from last year, Trent Wells, Division I program C.E. Byrd's chance of being a top finisher at the state meet fell drastically. Although this is hard for the team to recover from, they still have a strong 1-2 finish from seniors Carson French and Hunter Thrasher. The only problem that this team faces now is the considerable gap between its 3-5 runners, with each having nearly a minute separation between each of them. This will be Byrd's largest obstacle to overcome this season.
23. Vandebilt Catholic
The first boys' Division II program makes the list with the esteemed Vandebilt Catholic. This team demonstrates a great example of pack running, so much so that their 1-5 split for their returning runners is just 33 seconds! With this closely packed of a squad, this team will be the bane of other teams' existence during championship races. Not to mention a 6th runner that is near identical to their 5th in personal bests, which allows Vandebilt some leeway if someone has a bad day.
22. Live Oak
Yet another team that exemplifies pack running. The Division I program Live Oak will need to maintain this strategy to improve upon their finish from the state meet last year. They finished well, but if they are each able to improve slightly while maintaining the separation between each of their runners, Live Oak may just become more than just another name on a list.