Region 2

Site (host): Bardstown (Thomas Nelson)

BOYS

The top challengers:

1. Riku Sugie. It sure seems like it'll be Sugie's time to shine. The Thomas Nelson sophomore ran less than five seconds behind star teammate Lane Hoyes last season to finish as runner-up, and boasts the best time in the region by 31 seconds (15:17.20). That's the second best mark in Class 2A this year.

2. Brendan Nagle. His most recent times are far off from Sugie's average in his most recent outings, and he ran a PR (15:48.33) to win the Daviess County Classic on Oct. 8. The John Hardin junior will be motivated to play spoiler.

3. James Stanger. If Allen County-Scottsville were in another class or region, Stanger could threaten to win, but elite runners at the top will make it difficult here. His PR (17:14.28) came when he was in eighth grade (2019).

Fast facts: Butler County junior Parker Smith has the third fastest time in the region this season after Sugie and Nagle. He ran 17:11.58 at the Hillbilly Run on Sept. 24. ... Noah Rhodes (LaRue County), Gavin Breunig (Elizabethtown) and Daniel Filiatreau (Thomas Nelson) also enter with sub-17:30 times this fall.

GIRLS

The top challengers:

1. Ella Johnson. The Elizabethtown senior's PR is more than a minute better than anyone else on the seed list, and multiple minutes faster than most in the top 10. The mark - 17:56.57, earned at this year's Hillbilly Run - is also significantly faster than most of the state; it's the No. 1 time in all of Class 2A.

2. Isabella Day. The freshman out of LaRue County could pace the region once Johnson graduates in May; her best time (19:00.71, also at the Hillbilly Run) is about 50 seconds faster than the next best and ranks in the top 10 across Class 2A.

3. Ella Tucker. She combines with Day to form a strong 1-2 in the freshman class in Hodgenville. Tucker has been a bit inconsistent, timewise, but her best - 19:50.77 - is the 12th fastest time in Class 2A this fall.

Fast facts: Elizabethtown's Emma Musgrave is the only other runner entered with a sub-20 minute seed time (19:59.90). It was earned as a freshman in 2019. Her fastest time this year is the fifth fastest in the region (20:43.34). ... After the top three, Warren East freshman has the fastest time in the region at 20:15.83.