Oklahoma Individual Rankings 9/25/24
This past week's performances have caused multiple change ups in our rankings. Below are the subjective based rankings that incorporate past performances, head to head matchups, and placings, with explanations for each!
Here's a link to the full rankings!
BOYS
1. Zachary Williams (Cache 12)
Although losing to Matthias this past weekend as MSSU, Williams is still the most consistent runner in the state. So far this season he has run 15:21 twice and 15:30 twice. This consistency is enough for me to still keep him at number one in the state.
2. Dominic Matthias (Moore 9)
Matthias was previously ranked 9th in our rankings last week. His performance at MSSU has bumped him all the way up to 2nd. At MSSU, he placed 2nd overall and set a new freshman record for our state. Matthias has now beaten Williams twice, but has not been as consistent. His two losses to Mez Barth kept him at second, but he was very close to being put at number one. Matthias is the state lead, and if he runs well this weekend, then there is a major chance he will be number one in the state.
3. Mez Barth (Stillwater 12)
Barth has been very consistent throughout his season so far. He has racked up multiple wins and has run under 16 at every race he's participated in thus far. Barth has beaten Matthias twice and at Deer Creek he beat Brody Maasen and Ethan Jones pretty handily. Although his personal best this season is not as fast as the other top five athletes, his head to head matchup success puts him at 3rd. It is likely that Barth will be right up at the front at any in state meet he runs at. He is one of the favorites for the 6A state title.
4. Brody Maasen (Jenks 11)
Maasen has put together some strong sub 16 performances at Deer Creek and Lucas Lovejoy, but his performances at Sugar Creek and Rogers State are what put him right at 4th in our rankings. At Sugar Creek, Maasen placed 2nd overall with a 15:33, outrunning some strong out of state talent. At Rogers, Maasen led the entire race and finished 1st overall with a 15:26. Maasen's kicking ability and foot speed is what makes him a very dangerous athlete to run against.
5. Clay McKinney (Regent Prep 11)
McKinney has put together some great performances so far this season. With some low 16 efforts, a strong 15:45 at MSSU, and a 2nd place finish at Rogers State with a 15:27. His performance at Rogers is what puts him high up in our rankings, as he barely got out kicked by Maasen after holding on for almost the entire race. McKinney is ranked 4th in the state based off time.
6. Nelin Kimery (Piedmont 11)
Piedmont is the current best team in the state, and Kimery is their lead runner. Kimery had solid performances at Deer Creek and Rogers State, but it's his performance at Woodbridge that puts him at 6th for us. Kimery ran the 3 mile course in 14:58. Which if we were to convert that time, it would be low 15:30s. His official 5k personal best this season stands at 15:40. To be the lead runner on the best team in the state is a feat that many cannot say they've accomplished. Kimery is one of your favorites in the 6A division.
7. Ethan Jones (Cache 10)
This season Jones has put together efforts of 15:54 at Deer Creek (4th place), 15:46 at Marcus T (30th place), 16:19 at Warrior Spirit (1st place), 15:49 at CCS (2nd place), and 15:36 at MSSU (8th place). It was a toss up between Jones at six or seven, but I ended up putting him at 7th. Jones is one of your favorites to place top 3 at the 4A state meet.
8. Charlie Ritchie (Bishop Kelley 12)
Ritchie has had a bit of an up and down season so far. He won the Muskogee invitational in 16:08, was 15th at Deer Creek with a 16:20, and 49th at MSSU with a 16:32. These times are not efforts that would usually put an athlete in the top ten, but Ritchie's 3rd place run at Rogers State is what gets him onto this list. Ritchie ran 15:32, which is good for 5th in the state off of time. As of now, Ritchie is one of the favorites for the 5A state title.
9. Noah Thayer (Mustang 11)
Thayer was last year's 6A state meet runner up. After a successful track season where he saw personal bests of 4:13 and 1:53, Thayer came into the fall cross country season with a lot of success. So far this season, Thayer placed 9th at Deer Creek with a 16:06, and then 1st at Mustang with a time of 15:34. With only two races this season, it is difficult to rank Thayer any higher than 9th at the moment. Regardless, Thayer is still one of the favorites to win the 6A title in November.
10. Ty Brooks (Lincoln Christian 10)
Brooks is a similar story to Ritchie. A bit of an up and down season but with one major highlight at Rogers State. Brooks placed 4th overall with a time of 15:39, and is Lincoln Christian's lead runner. Lincoln Christian are the favorites to take the team title in 4A, and are overall one of the best teams in the state across all classes. Brooks will surely be in the mix for the 4A state title, and is one of the few athletes that could upset Zachary Williams.
GIRLS
1. Bella Nelson (Owasso 12)
Nelson was last year's 6A xc state champion, and this spring's 6A champ in the 800 and 1600 meters. Nelson recorded a personal best of 17:29 last fall, and started off her season with a quick time at Rogers State. Nelson ran away from many of the best runners in the state to finish with a time of 17:48. She also ran 18:01 at MSSU, which was good for 2nd overall. Nelson is still the favorite to win the 6A state title.
2. Gwyneth Meyers (Bishop Kelley 12)
Meyers is the current favorite to win the 5A state title. After a very successful track season that saw her reach times of 2:13 and 4:56, Meyers came into this season with a strong base. At Deer Creek, she won in a time of 18:10, beating seven of the ten athletes on this list. In her three other meets this fall, she has placed in the top five, with two being out of state meets. She has set a personal best this year of 17:55 at Rogers State, finishing runner up behind Nelson.
3. Charli Keely (Jenks 11)
Although having the fourth fastest time in the state, Keely is still ranked at three. At both Deer Creek and Rogers State, she has beaten every athlete 4-10 on this list. She has out run Brook and Claire Collins twice, Barber twice, Childers twice, and Rutledge twice. She has beaten Cornelius once and Johnson once, although she did take a loss to Johnson at Sugar Creek. Keely is one of your favorites to place top three at the 6A state meet.
4. Ava Cornelius (Owasso 11)
Cornelius narrowly lost to Nelson at MSSU, placing 3rd with a time of 18:02. She also ran strong at Rogers State, placing 5th with a time of 18:07. Cornelius has put together two very strong performances, and has the potential to sneak under 18 minutes this fall.
5. Claire Collins (Piedmont 11)
Coming into this past weekend, Collins was arguably Piedmont's number three. With a 6th place finish at Deer Creek and an 8th place finish at Rogers in 18:17, Collins was off to a good start. But this weekend at Woodbridge, Collins ran the 3 mile course in 17:00. This time would convert to what would likely be the fastest time in the state so far. Collins was the first Piedmont athlete to come across the line on a team that is maybe one of the best our state has ever seen. With teammates to push her every day at practice and at the meets, look for Collins to continue her great season.
6. Emma Johnson (Edmond North 12)
Johnson was the 3rd place finisher at Deer Creek with a time of 18:25. She then placed first at Guthrie with a time of 18:19. This past weekend at Sugar Creek, Johnson beat Keely and Barber from Jenks with a 3rd place finish in 18:05. In her one matchup against Brooke and Claire Collins, Tayten Childers, and Pressley Rutledge at Deer Creek, Johnson came out on top. This puts Johnson very much in the mix for a top three finish at the 6A state meet.
7. Brooke Collins (Piedmont 10)
Brooke Collins is one of Piedmont's best runners. At Deer Creek, she was Piedmont's top finisher with a time of 18:40, good for 5th place. She then went to Rogers State and placed 4th overall in a time of 18:06. At Woodbridge she finished 2nd for Piedmont with a 3 mile time of 17:23. Collins has out run her teammate Claire at Deer Creek and Rogers, and narrowly beat Cornelius at Rogers State. Look for Collins to have a great rest of her season.
8. Kate Barber (Jenks 11)
Barber has put together three 18:40s performances this season, with one 18:07 at Rogers State. Barber is Jenks number two, and will surely look to be towards the front of the pack at the 6A state meet. Her track speed makes her a dangerous threat to out kick her opponents.
9. Tayten Childers (Piedmont 9)
Childers has consistently been Piedmont's number three so far this season. The freshman placed 8th at Deer Creek with a time of 19:01 and then 7th at Rogers State with a time of 18:09. Childers' improvement in such a quick amount of time is impressive. She then backed up her strong performance at Rogers with a 17:44 3 mile at Woodbridge. It is difficult to estimate, but there is a real chance that Childers' 18:09 is the all time freshman record for our state.
10. Pressley Rutledge (Tulsa Union 11)
Rutledge started her season off at Deer Creek where she placed 4th overall with a time of 18:38. At that meet, she beat Claire and Brooke Collins, Kate Barber, and Tayten Childers. At Rogers State she ran 18:21, which was good for 9th overall. At Rogers, she lost to all of the athletes above outside of Johnson, who didn't race that meet. Rutledge is 1-1 against many of the athletes above her on this list, but her personal best falls short of those athletes as of now. Rutledge has won both the Muskogee and Holland Hall Invitational this season.
Best of luck to all athletes competing this weekend! Stay tuned for more rankings every week.
Thanks for reading,
Shawn Rutledge