The top two runners from Northland Prep’s distance contingent, freshman Yohanes Van Meerten and senior Jack Flugstad, will not compete for the Spartans Friday at the Nike Chandler Rotary Classic or, it seems, in any meet this season.
The two boys, who consistently finished in the top 10 during fall’s cross country season, will now run “independently,” under the guidance of NPA’s former cross country coach, Xavier Rodriguez.
Rodriguez confirmed in an interview Thursday that Van Meerten, Flugstad, junior David Hayes, sophomore Emilio Haubert and, a lone girl, senior Deia Mulligan, will race unattached in larger, more prestigious meets in California, Texas and Arkansas, among other places.
Last weekend, Rodriguez took his crew to the Texas Distance Festival in Southlake, where the runners had their first taste of competition that Rodriguez respectfully says is at a level higher than what they could go against in Arizona. Van Meerten, the freshman phenom, ran 4:28 in his first track race ever, Hayes 4:49, and Haubert 4:55. Flugstad logged a 21-second PR in the 3,200 meter, running 9:35.
Rodriguez, a former standout collegiate runner at Stephen F. Austin University and a semi-pro who trained in Flagstaff, said he has returned to private coaching of preps after NPA won the Division 4 Boys cross country title last fall under his guidance.
“I would say there’s a 95% chance that they will not compete for the school, but that is up in the air right now,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t want to get too much into the details, but their parents feel like it’s in their best interest to not associate with the school athletic department at this time. We are working to see if there’s a way of having them compete in the end of state championships still…
“They have a new athletic director this year that wants to go in a different direction with their staff, and so I’m back in the private coaching realm at the moment. We’ll see what the future holds, but right now I’m really enjoying coaching the small group of athletes that I have and helping them to run in more elite races across the country.”
Dedrick Wiese, NPA’s athletic director, confirmed on Friday via email that Rogriguez’s contract for track and cross country next year was not renewed, but did not elaborate.
Van Meerten was a top cross country runner in the state as a freshman, though he missed the state cross country finals because of the flu. He was expected to dominate the Arizona small schools division this track season. Rodriguez said he was impressed with Van Meerten’s debut in Texas against top boys from that state.
“We threw him into the fire right off into an elite field,” Rodriguez said. “And he did great. He was little starstruck about how fast some of those guys were. Arizona is not like that. But it was good for him to have that experience. I think it lit a fire under Yohanes to want to run faster.”
Flugstad, in his senior year, is hoping to receive an NCAA Division 1 scholarship, according to Rodriguez, so logging fast times in his final track season is crucial. The coach said Flugstad has received interest from USC, Santa Clara, Davidson, Portland State and Texas Christian University.
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