BRADY MULLENS RUNS WITH SOUT LAKE CARROLL'S CADEN LEONARD DURING SATURDAY'S NXR
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After an exciting 2024 LHSAA State XC Championships, some of the best runners in Louisiana have extended their season, and they haven't hung up the spikes on the XC season just yet.
Last Saturday at the Woodlands, Jesuit's Brady Mullen and Parkview Baptist's Aiden Monistere made history by becoming the first pair of runners in Louisiana history to qualify for NXN. Mullen, after barely missing out and failing to qualify for Nike Cross Nationals last year, was able to get it done at the NXR South Regional in the Woodlands, Tx. where he finished third with a time of 15:11.
Mullen, who referred to the field as "chaotic," used his experience from a year ago to navigate his way through the mass of humanity and get to the front--even taking the lead just past the two-mile point. Around the 4.2K point, South Lake Carroll's Caden Leonard would pull away.
"It was very closed in, but I was expecting it this year." Mullen said. "I was then able to stay mentally dialed pass 50 people in the second mile to get to the front."
What Mullen wasn't expecting was to be in the lead.
"I got a little stage fright being in front because I didn't really expect to be there after starting in 50th," Mullen said. "But I'm proud of how I stayed in it until the end. It means a lot to make this year after barely missing it last year. I'm excited to show my worth at NXN and enjoy that experience."
Monistere, who was right behind Mullen, finished sixth with a time of the 15:23.
It's the first time all year that Louisiana's two best runners have been in the same race. But it's not the first time they have been on the same course on the same day. Both are coming off impressive state championship performances where they both defended their titles and won their second consecutive LHSAA state championship.
Mullen won the D1 state championships with a three-mile time of 14:44. Monistere won D3 with a time of 15:04.
Now Mullen and Monistere will make their way to Portland, Oregon a week from tomorrow to compete against the best in the nation at Nike Cross Nationals. They will run in the boys' championship race at 11:35am.
Other notable performances turned in at NXR include Jesuit's Brady Monahan, who finished just outside of the top ten at No. 11 with a time of 15:36, and Brother Martin's Noah Mooney, who finished No. 33 with a time of 16:00.
In the girls' division at NXR, St. Joseph's Baton Rouge Michelle Daigle finished No. 24 with a time of 18:36. Episcopal freshman Neva Lambert won the Rising Stars 1 Race with a time of 19:06. In that same race, St. Joseph's, led by freshman Olivia Crews (20:52) won the team division scoring 46 points.
NXN is not the only post-season championship race Louisiana athletes will be competing in next weekend.
Baton Rouge's Lucy Thomas, who is coming off the most impressive performance of her career will make her way to John Hunt Park in Huntsville, AL where she is scheduled to run in the 2024 RunningLane Championships.
Thomas(17:25) upset St. Joseph's Michelle Daigle to win the LHSAA D1 girls' state championship.
Other runners to watch include Talan Sievers and Matthew Edwards from Lafayette Christian Academy. Both are coming off top ten performances at the LHSAA D4 State XC Championships. Also, the Parkway Panthers, coming off their best season in school history, will have their top five runners in Huntsville.
Last year, the Panthers, led by then-freshman Brennan Robin, won the meet's silver division. It was the second year in a row that a team from Louisiana won the division as Brother Martin won the silver division in 2022.
Kent Falting called last year's performance by the Panthers the "icing on the cake."
Parkway is waiting to see where the team fill fall division-wise this year. Registration does not close until December 1.