Major Invitational Cross Country Meet to Take Place on Saturday, September 28, 2019

BEAVERTON, Oregon (September 22, 2019) – Aloha High School will be hosting the 40th annual Nike Portland XC Cross Country Meet at Blue Lake Regional Park in Fairview. The Nike Portland XC Cross Country Meet is one of the premier cross country meets on the west coast with teams coming from across the USA to compete.

Over 140 teams with over 4,000 athletes will participate at the meet on September 28th. There will be 20 different races including five divisions of boys and girls varsity races. The top varsity race for the boys and girls is the Jim Danner Championship where 25 of the top teams and individual athletes in the region, West Coast, and USA will compete. The course is fast, challenging, and easily viewable for most of the course. 

The Nike Portland XC Meet will begin at 8:00 AM on Saturday, September 28th with the Small Schools Varsity Girls 5,000 meter race. Gates will open at 7:00 AM and there is a $5.00 parking fee to enter Blue Lake Regional Park. 

“We are excited to welcome some of the best programs and athletes in the region and the West Coast to compete in Portland” said Aloha Head Cross Country Coach Ken Martinez. “The course will challenge our athletes and will test teams who expect to win their state championships.”

Each year the races at Nike Portland Cross Country produce great drama as athletes challenge each other during the races and conclude with many exciting finishes. Martinez continued saying “We expect to see close team competition in all of our varsity races. We are pleased to have the opportunity to add a “small school” varsity race where teams that come from schools less than 1,000 students can compete for trophies.”

The results of the Nike Portland Cross Country races will have an impact on the national rankings for the teams and the individuals competing at the meet. 

The Jim Danner Championship races for both boys and girls are shaping up to be something special.

The Jim Danner Championship Boys race is wide open this year without a clear favorite in the team race. Tahoma (Maple Valley, WA) is ranked No. 11 in the Nation by Mile Split and is the pre-race favorite. However, Clovis North (CA) is ranked No. 19 in the Nation by Mile Split and is looking to move up in the rankings.

The 7 runners for each of these three squads will be battling the full length of the 5000 meter course. Other teams looking to improve their rankings are Camas (WA) and Franklin (OR) which are ranked No. 35 and No. 50 in the Nation by DyeStat. Franklin is running very well so far this season with strong team racing. 

Aidan Palmer of Franklin (OR) is the top returner to the Danner Championship race. Aidan is currently ranked No. 89 in the Nation by DyeStat and his teammate, Charlie Robertson, is ranked No. 53. Parkrose HS senior Ahmed Ibrahim has run 15:05 this season and is ranked No. 16 in the Nation. Other runners who will keep this lead group company and knock on 15:00 for 5,000 meters include; Isaiah Galindo of Clovis North, Derek Litzsinger of Eagle (ID), Ethan Martin of Tahoma (WA), Quincy Norman of Forest Grove, and Mitchell Athay of Idaho Falls. 

The team race in Girl’s Jim Danner Championship will be marquee event with the opening act for the nation’s consensus No. 1 girl’s program, Summit (Bend, OR). Summit won the prestigious Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) last December beating top high school programs from across the country.

Summit coaches Carol and Jim McLatchie stated, "The Summit Storm teams are looking forward to the Danner Invite where we get to test ourselves year after year against the best teams in the Northwest. Our girls are honored by the early season rankings and we look forward to doing our best against the top teams as we get our 2019 season rolling."

Looking to take some luster off Summit’s 2018 national crown, are three Idaho programs who are ranked in the Top 50 in nation by DyeStat. Boise Senior, Eagle, and Mountain View (Meridian) are ranked No. 27, No. 40, and No. 44, respectively, by DyeStat. 

The Girl’s race for individual honors should be a wild time with a large pack of ladies vying for the win over the final mile of the course. Ella Borsheim of Bellarmine Prep won the Danner Championship as a freshman last season and will be returning to defend her title. In winning the 2018 Danner Championship, Ella defeated Summit Senior Fiona Max. Looking to reverse the finish this season, Fiona has opened her season strongly and is currently ranked No. 10 in the Nation by DyeStat. Senior Lexy Hallady, ranked No. 16 in the nation by Mile Split, just won the Bob Firman Invitational in Eagle, Idaho in dominating fashion. Lexy will be leading the Mountain View (Meridian, ID) team and will challenge for the lead in the Danner Championship. 

For more information about the Nike Portland XC Cross Country meet, please visit www.NikePortlandXC.runnerspace.com.