District 7
Location: St. Joseph, MO (MWSU XC Course)
Teams: Atlanta (g), Braymer, Glasgow, Hardin-Central, La Plata, Meadville, Norborne (g), Northeast (Cairo), Northwestern (Mendon), Polo, Princeton, Salisbury, Schuyler County
2017 Team Qualifiers (D6): Boys - Salisbury (27), Glasgow (29); Girls - Glasgow (34), Salisbury (35)
Top Returners (D6) (2017 Place): Jesse Weinstein - Salisbury (2nd), Nicole Helm - Salisbury (1st)
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After taking 20th at last year's state cross country meet, Preston Thomas had broke out even more during the track season and has carried that over into a stellar cross country campaign for Princeton. The junior has himself in a great position to bring home the individual district title, but he has several challengers. Meadville's Dillon Seckington looms just eight seconds behind him as well as first-year cross country runner sophomore Gavin Fitzwater of Polo and last year's District 6 champion Jesse Weinstein. All four boys will surely duke it out in this one and receive potential challenges from Northeast's Zane Mcadams and Princeton's Logan Dunkin.
Princeton was looking strong heading into the cross country season and now appear to be the district title favorites with Meadville not far behind. Both teams have distanced themselves from the rest of the field and are both clamoring to make their first ever trips to state as a team.
Nicole Helm was Salisbury's number one throughout the 2017 season, but freshman teammate Kjirsten Guilford has usurped her and appears to be the favorite to pull of the District 7 victory on Saturday. Guilford's last two races at Centralia and on her home course have been by far her best of the season and are spelling out a late season breakthrough. Her 20:24 personal best from last Monday's meet puts her firmly in the driver's seat in this one. Helm sits third in our virtual meet, but has the pedigree to finish higher. She'll have to leapfrog Glasgow senior Alyssa Yung in the process, though, as Yung has run over 75 seconds faster than her this season.
Salisbury and Glasgow are the only two teams with at least five scorers again and appear poised to claim both team qualifying spots for the second straight year.
