Read this featured article on Melville posted earlier this week!
Watch Melville earn his spot to NXN at the NXN Southeast Regional last weekend!
David Melville enters his first race at the national stage as only a junior and certainly has a chance to do something special this weekend. He has been in Portland, Oregon since Thursday and has been showing us how great Nike treats NXN Qualifiers via our Snapchat account (NCRunners).
North Carolina has seen some of it's best athletes compete at NXN since 2008 when Broughton became the first NC advancers to the meet. Below you can find each qualifier as well as their regional place and national place.
2008 Broughton Boys - 2nd Team at Southeast
Highest NXN Finisher Blake Askin - 88th
2009 Chris Colo - Marvin Ridge - 5th at Southeast
National Finish - 91st
2011 Sam Roberson - Broughton - 3rd at Southeast
National Finish - 97th
2012 Ben Huffman - Providence Day - 5th at Southeast
National Finish - 129th
2014 Jeremy Brown - Broughton - 3rd at Southeast
National Finish - 23rd
2015 Jeremy Brown - Broughotn - 5th at Southeast
National Finish - 85th
2016 David Melville - Northern Guilford - 3rd at Southeast
National Finish - TBD
Broughton's Jeremy Brown made his first trip out west as a junior and currently holds the best all-time performance from NC at the meet with a 23rd place finish.
Now Melville will go into tomorrow with a lot of confidence after placing 3rd last week at the Southeast Regional finishing just over his PR in a race that went out somewhat slow. He truly has nothing to lose going against a tough NXN field.
Due to Portland's rainy weather, the course is very difficult and muddy as he will find out today as he gets to preview the Glendoveer Golf Course. This can benefit Melville as in the past he has raced very well in rainy conditions. Last year in a tremendous rainstorm at the NCHSAA State Championships is where Melville truly established himself as one of NC's best where he won his first individual crown as a sophomore.
Melville is the only North Carolina athlete in this field as all eyes will be on him during the race tomorrow. Best of luck to you David, and congrats on a stellar junior XC season! We know you will represent North Carolina well!