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 a certain number of places behind the last ranked runner, their second unranked runner would another number of places behind the last ranked runner, etc. Runners run above and below their ranking in every meet, and the Regionals will be no different.

Region I: This Region will advance 3 teams. Grafton appears to have a firm grasp of the top spot. Fairmont Senior looks pretty solid for 2nd. The 3rd spot is tight. I have John Marshall in the spot by a single point over East Fairmont. Individually, the top 5 ranked runners not on one of those 3 teams are Brooke's Gavin Scott (#5), East Fairmont's Armandi Islam (#6), East Fairmont's Bryler Wilson (#8), East Fairmont's Dominic Rinehart (#13), and North Marion's Brady Carpenter (#20). Runners within 60 points of those 5 that are not on an expected advancing team are East Fairmont's Jonathan Bowers (#23) and East Fairmont's Ben Barnes (#25). Region I has 37 ranked runners. I estimate 40 runners competing in this race.

Region II: This Region will advance 3 teams. Elkins is easily in the top spot. Bridgeport looks like they are solidly in 2nd, and Keyser appears to have the 3rd spot pretty locked down. Individually, the top 5 ranked runners not on one of those 3 teams are Hampshire's Wyatt Thorne (#7), Lewis County's Brody Skinner (#8), Hampshire's Ethan Richman (#12), Lewis County's Owen Debar (#18), and Hampshire's Levi Richman (#22). Region II has 33 ranked runners. I estimate 42 runners competing in this race.

Region III: This Region will advance 3 teams. Shady Spring looks like the only virtual lock in the field. I have them winning it by 27 points. The next 3 spots are separated by just 2 points, so anything goes. As it is, I have PikeView in the 2nd spot. I actually have a tie for the 3rd position iwth Herbert Hoover getting the 3rd spot over Ripley on the tie-breaker. This would be a fun one to watch. Individually, the top 5 ranked runners that are not on one of those 3 teams are Capital's Micah Hale (#3), Ripley's Eli Casto (#7), Ripley's Daniel Scholl (#11), Ripley's Connor Bailey (#12), and Greenbrier East's Grayson Adams (#15). Runners within 60 points of those 5 that are not on an expected advancing team are Ripley's Levi Boyce (#16) and Capital's Josiah Inyang (#18). Region III has 30 ranked runners. I estimate 48 runners competing in this race.

Region IV: This Region will advance 3 teams. I have Winfield easily in the 1st position. St. Albans looks pretty solid for 2nd. I have Spring Valley in 3rd. One of their top 5 hasn't ran since 9/27. If he's out, it gets a lot close, but I'd still have them in the spot. Individually, the top 5 ranke runners that are not on one of those 3 teams are Point Pleasant's Wyatt Kirkpatrick (#3), Nitro's Sam Aulenbacher (#5), Nitro's Sawyer Redman (#7), Lincoln County's Elliot Austin (#10), and Nitro's Theo Atkinson (#20). There are no other ranked runners within 60 points of these 5 that are not on an expected advancing team. Region IV has 20 ranked runners. I estimabe 34 runners competing in this race.