Brophy Prep’s Black is title favorite
It’s been extremely tough for opponents to beat Phoenix Brophy Prep senior Xander Black all season.
When the AIA Division I boys crosscountry state championship meet at Cross Roads Park in Gilbert begins Thursday morning, many coaches and spectators expect Black to win his first individual state title.
“At the start of last season, I was the complete underdog,” Black said. “In the beginning of the season, no one would have predicted that I even got, like, top five in the state. This year is totally different. I’m definitely more confident but not taking anything for granted either.”
In the five races Black has competed this fall, his lowest placements were second, third and fourth.
Those placements were at the inaugural Western Equinox on Sept. 19 and the Chandler Invitational one week prior, clocking in at 15 minutes, 29.1 seconds and 16:04.6, respectively.
The only Arizona high school runners who beat Black where Queen Creek Casteel’s Dayton Carlson at Western Equinox, Goodyear Millennium’s Alexander Rafferty and Gilbert Highland’s Elijah Poelman at the Chander Invite, and Glendale Deer Valley’s Randy Espinoza at Nike Desert Twilight.
All four seniors’ times combined beat Black by an average of just over two seconds.
“I think some of the other fastest guys in the state are usually in other divisions. I won’t get to race them, like Randy Espinoza, at the state meet,” Black said.
Finishing behind someone else seemingly motivated Black to no avail.
In his next race the Nike Desert Twilight Festival on Oct. 2, Black set his personal and Brophy school records at 15:12.7 but Espinoza beat him on a15:09.8 time.
Black breezed to first in the The Phoenix Classic on Oct. 23 thereafter, besting second-place Max Davis of Flagstaff by 10.3 seconds.
In the Southwest
Sectional
state qualifier on Nov. 5., Black placed first (15:44.8) beating second- and thirdplace runners Dan Foster and Josh Shinske of Peoria Liberty by 15.7 and 18.6 seconds each.
But becoming favored to win is something that Black has had to wait his turn for.
“On paper, he’s supposed to win. He knows that other people recognize that’s definitely not a surprise to anyone,” Brophy Prep head coach Oscar Barboa said. “But our sport is so different in that you gotta see what happens when you lead up to the meet, obviously in a year like this. You truly never know...
“It’s difficult to win from the front. Sometimes it’s better to be the hunter.”
Black is familiar with being the hunter.
Similar to the fastest high school runner in Arizona history Daschbach graduating in May, Black had to earn his spot as Brophy’s top runner after seniors Marcos Gonzalez and Jose Acuna did the same.
That changed after Black’s breakout race last season was at the Desert Twilight when he set the school’s previous record of 15:19.9.
Also last season, Black finished 10 seconds behind The Republic’s two-time Athlete of the Year and Highland’s Leo Daschbach who won the Division I title on a 15:27.7 time — the event’s 10th best time ever.
But team titles titles inspire Black more than his individual times and other runners if he ever falls short of first.
He’s looking to lead Brophy to its first state title since 2003.
“Xander is a natural leader, especially on this team,” Brophy senior Jackson Moran said. “He’s the guy that I always go to: ‘Hey, what’s the course like? What are we trying to do today?’ At practice, I don’t think he’s never been late. He’s never missed a practice, I don’t think. He’s always there for us, always there having a good time at practice. He’s just that force on the team that you want to aspire towards that.”
The Broncos placed third as a team in the Division I state title race in past two seasons.
Barboa and Black have their eyes on the defending team champion Highland and last season’s runner-up Phoenix Desert Vista, which one five consecutive state titles from 2014 through 2018.