Boys XC Preseason Rankings: #10

<p> <span style="font-size: 13.63636302947998px;">NCRunners is counting down the top 25 boys teams heading into the fall season. &nbsp;The full rankings will be released on the first day of official practice: Friday, August 1st. &nbsp;These are subjective rankings (not computer generated); they take into account returning team rankings, returning team averages, team rankings in the 1600 and 3200 from indoor and outdoor track, and a school&#39;s &quot;Improvement Rating.&quot; &nbsp;Improvement Rating is a custom metric developed by researching the improvement in a team&#39;s 5-person average from year to year, in comparison to that same team&#39;s ranking. &nbsp;Improvement Rating numbers and methodology will be released on the weekend of August 2nd.</span></p>

Nick Linder leads a Providence Day team that returns both talent and one of the best cultures of any team in the state.

 

	Providence Day School (NC)
	1) Nick Linder		15:34.92	6
	2) Jack Paddison		15:45.00	13
	3) Jake Gilbert		16:56.00	161
	4) Chad Matthews		17:02.96	182
	5) William Glenn		17:14.00	234
	Average Time: 16:30.58 Total Time: 1:22:32.88 1-5 Split: 1:39.08
	6) Elias Eskind		17:41.00	359
	7) Reed Baker		17:52.00	435

Providence Day has been an NCISAA power for a long time now - after all, the boys have won 4 straight 3A state championships, and the database predicts them to earn a fifth in 2014.  The Chargers really made a leap forward over the last three seasons, though, as highlighted by the Improvement Rating.  That will be key in their ongoing pursuit to be one of the best programs in North Carolina, regardless of classification.  How many teams could graduate a runner the caliber of Ben Huffman, who went to both Nike Cross Nationals and Foot Locker Nationals over his career, and still return a top-10 squad that includes two sub-15:50 runners?  The concerns: aside from Nick Linder's excellence, Providence Day's track results were marginal for a top-10 team.  Also, depth is a problem: it's easy to project the Chargers' returning 4 and 5 to be under 17, but harder to see anyone that could fill in for one of the top 5 in the event of injury or illness.  Providence Day has one other advantage, though: with a middle school on campus (actually part of the same school), the Chargers have a built-in pipeline for young talent.  All this team needs is for one runner to make the jump to hanging with the back of their returning top 5, and this team will be in the final All-Classes top 10 again this year.

Improvement Data:

• 2013 XC Returning Ranking: 9th

• 2014 Outdoor Returning Team 1600 Ranking: 21st

• 2014 Outdoor Returning Team 3200 Ranking: 25th

• 5-Year Improvement Rating: 5.815 (19th)

• 3-Year Improvement Rating: 8.523 (8th)