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No. 11 Niwot (CO)

Analysis: Just four runners return from last year's fourth-place finish at Nike Cross Nationals, but they are an important bunch. Included among those athletes is junior Taylor James -- a devilishly talented mid-distance runner who went 2:05 in the 800m this past spring -- and senior Samrawit Dishon, who has the potential to be among the best in Colorado. That's about as notable as a duo you're going to get in the high school ranks. But what makes Cougars special is their potential beyond those two athletes: Joelle McDonald, Eva Klingbeil and Ashley Edwards are all strong pack runners who can produce efforts under 19 minutes. And that will make Niwot, which enters with an average time of 18:18.87 based on last season's best efforts, very dangerous. 

Biggest question: Is Taylor James as good in XC as she is on the track? 

It's a fair question for anyone who can split 12.48 in the 100m, 24.76 in the 200m, 54.25 in the 400m and 2:05.83 in the 800m. Fast twitch? Slow twitch? How many twitches does she have? That's obviously a joke, but based on last year the potential is strong: She went 17:37.56 at NXR Southwest and broke 18 minutes on two other occasions. Colorado is a notably deep state in distance running. Just how good can James get in 2019?  

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