From ESPN Rise:
What is it about Minnesota?
Why have its harriers been more successful at the NXN Heartland Regionals than any other state? Nine of the 16 team qualifiers to the NXN Finals in Portland, over the past four years, have been from Minnesota – with the boys getting six of the last eight. Last year, it was the Eden Prairie MN and Wayzata MN boys finishing 1-2. Sunday, at Yankton Trails Park in Sioux Falls, S.D., HL#1 Wayzata claimed the championship with 113 points, followed by Edina MN (124). Eden Prairie will be on the outside looking in, its 4th-place finish (149 pts.) a 6th-man tiebreaker behind Shawnee Mission Northwest KS (also 149).
Wayzata's boys are now four for four making it to Portland since the Heartland Regional began in 2007. Meanwhile, the HL#2 Eden Prairie girls made it three Minnesota teams qualifying overall by hanging 57 points on the field. Those they conquered include HL#1 Dowling Catholic (Des Moines, Iowa; 73 points), which while failing to defend their 2009 crown were still very pleased to return to the Finals. Yankton Trails Park must feel a lot like home to this quartet of squads that will represent the region in three weeks.
Read the rest right here, and congrats to all the Minnesota teams (boys and girls) for their fine work over the weekend.
