8/22-Coatesville boys, Radnor girls among elite in Pre-Season NTN Northeast Rankings...

In the pre-season ranking for the 2006 Nike Team Nationals, the boys of Coatesville are ranked #1 in the Northeast, while the girls of Radnor are #4. Both teams are ranked #1 in the PennTrackXC.com Pre-Season Poll.



Coatesville is ranked on the basis of a returning seven runners who averaged 16:44 on the tough, now retired, Hersheypark states course. Radnor returns three top seniors and a sophomore from last year's 5th place state team, while adding a top senior transfer from Washington.

The top two teams in each region receive automatic bids to the December 2nd NTN meet in Portland, Oregon. Among the eight regions in the US, there are four additonal at-large bids for both races. The Northeast is arguably the strongest region, with last year's at-large selection Saratoga Springs boys winning the meet. The Northeast has won the girls race each of the first two years, with Saratoga Springs NY and Hilton NY at the front. Hilton is the pre-season Northeast #1.

Coatesville's current schedule calls for them to remain in PA to race. They could face a highly ranked Southeast team at Carlisle September 30th. Radnor has committed to race in New York at Warwick Valley on September 30th in the pre-states race, where they will likely face other highly ranked teams.

NTN Northeast Rankings - Pre-Season, on Dyestat.com