Remember, this is only how it looks from the rankings heading into the regionals. This is not a prediction based on any analysis of races held during the season. If a team has fewer than five ranked runners, it is assumed that their first unranked runner would finish five places behind the last ranked runner, their second unranked runner would finishe ten places behind the last ranked runner, etc. Runners run above and below their ranking in every meet, and the Regionals will be no different. The important thing is that if you have five runners, get them to the starting line. Your region may be depending on you.
Region I: This Region should advance four teams. Fairmont Senior looks to be solidly in the top position. Ritchie and Williamstown should battle for the 2nd spot. I show Ritchie with a 7 point advantage. Webster sits in the 4th spot, but Oak Glen is sitting close behind. Individually, the current top 10 includes Johnny Hogue, Brettley Harris, Daniel Cooper, Jakeb Van Horn, Austin Hayes, Chandler Antill, Matt Strand, Hunter Deem, Cody Tropeck, and Skyler Canas. And this is where this region gets crazy. There are a ton of runners within 90 points of that top 10 that aren't on expected advancing teams that will be fighting to take an individual spot. They are - Doddridge's Trey Heaster (12th), Tyler Consolidated's Dylan Reynolds (14th), Oak Glen's Brock Smith (15th), North Marion's Richard Stalnaker (18th), Braxton's Seth Backus (23rd), North Marion's Alex Myers (24th), Cameron's Cole Clutter (25th), Oak Glen's Tanner Gorby (27th), St. Marys' Jonathan Haddox (28th), East Fairmont's Jacob Morris (30th), Doddridge's Caleb Ferguson (32nd), Cameron's Dylan Coulter (33rd), St. Marys' Richard Butler (34th), and Wheeling Central's Caleb Estep (34th). There are 45 ranked runners in Region I, 24 of whom would be expected to advance in Region III or Region IV.
Region II: This Region should advance four teams. However, three of Grafton, Notre Dame, Paw Paw, and Trinity must get five on the line. I'm going to assume this happens. Bridgeport is clearly the top team in the field and will be well ahead of the competition. I show the next three separated by just 12 points with Keyser sitting in the 2nd spot, Frankfort in 3rd, and Philip Barbour in 4th. Berkeley Springs will be hoping for a great run and a slip by one of the others. Individually, the current top 10 includes Abe Merinar, Matthew Dearth, Scott Nesland, Leland Henderson, Steven Shetler, Zac Simmons, Lucas Young, Arryn Tennant, Troy Pallay, and Jordan Lawrence. Runners within 90 points of the top 10 who are not on an expected advancing team who will be tying to take a spot are Robert C. Byrd's Austen Zorick (17th) and Trinity's Daniel Dawley (20th). There are 37 ranked runners in Region II, 24 of whom would be expected to advance from Region III or Region IV.
Region III: This region is tricky. It could advance four teams...or it could fall all the way to two. There are 11 teams that have run complete this season. One has only done it one time that I've seen. Two others haven't done it since September 24th. Some of the others were sporadic. Since there are 11 available, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and go with four advancing. The other thing that makes it tricky is that there are so few ranked runners. That leaves so much up to the unranked runners to determine. Regardless, here is what the easily available information says. Sherman is the likely winner in this Region. Westside looks like a pretty solid 2nd. PikeView looks like the third best team and Greenbrier West the fourth. Individually, the top 10 includes Jason Weitzel, Jesse Canaday, Zachary Canaday, Nathaniel Evans, Dakota Cecil, Thomas Bowles, Kaleb Hamrick, Justin Grimmette, and Justin Cochran. There is one runner who is within 90 points of the top 10 who isn't on an expected advancing team and trying to take an individual spot. That is Richwood's John Bard (11th). Region III has 16 ranked runners.
Region IV: This region should advance three teams. Only 7 have run complete, so there is room for a one team to not come though. I'm going to assume they'll come through. This Region has a similar problem to Region III in having few ranked runners, which makes it hard to score the meet. With the information available, there are six teams within 12 points of each other, but it's almost completely reliant on the ranking of their top two runners, meaning almost everything will be determined by the unranked. As it is, Nicholas is shown at the top, just two points ahead of Buffalo and Roane, who are tied. Individually, the current top 10 includes Hayden Harrison, Caleb Pell, Glen McMillan, Caden McClanahan, Josh McClung, Caleb Shirey, Conner Lamb, Matt Christianson, Owen Huffman, and Jackson Reed. Runners within 90 points of the top 10 who aren't on expected advancing teams who will be trying to slip into one of the individual positions are Wirt's Brady Ohrn (11th), Scott Zach Marcum (13th), Charleston Catholic's Philip Mallory (14th), and Herbert Hoover's Matthew Hopkins (15th). There are 15 ranked runners in Region IV.