Abbey Nechanicky, Jackson Heidesch Break Course Records On Cold, Windy Day In Sioux Falls

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Abbey Nechanicky called making it back to Portland for Nike Cross Nationals "a full-circle moment" after last competing on the national stage as an eighth-grader with her team in 2018. 

This time, the Wayzata MN star will go as both a teammate and a regional champion, along with a course-record breaker, after running 16:44.7 on Sunday at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls, S.D. 

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Wayzata won the regional girls title and will make its sixth trip to NXN after scoring 75 points. The Owls from Olathe West KS locked down the second spot with 140 points and will give Kansas a representative at the national team cross country championships for the first time. 

Nechanicky was the favorite coming in and she began to put away Iowa champion Paityn Noe of Ballard and the rest of the field by the 2-mile mark. 

Noe finished 18 seconds back in 17:02.7.

A boys race buffeted by chilling winds but loaded with talent produced an exciting and dramatic finish as Jackson Heidesch of Dowling Catholic IA dug deep to fend off South Dakota's Simeon Birnbaum as both of them went under the course record, and under 14:40. 

Heidesch's time of 14:39.0 and Birnbaum's 14:39.2 was followed by Ford Washburn (14:41.6), Noah Breker (14:51) and Colby King (14:55.5) as it took a sub-15 effort just to make it into the five individual qualifying slots. 

Wayzata made it a team sweep and the boys will make the trip to NXN for the 10th time. Stevens Point, the Wisconsin Division 1 champion, improved steadily during the race and overtook Buffalo Road (Dowling Catholic) to finish second by just four points, 167 to 171. The four-point margin could be good for Dowling Catholic's at-large hopes.