Ryan Oosting, Arlington
He wasn't the national 5K outdoor champion by accident. No matter what he's done this fall, just the fact that he won that crown this past June labels Oosting as one of the favorites to win it all this weekend. In our opinion, he's a co-favorite because you can't ignore Shelgren with the way he has been running this fall. Oosting looked relaxed in winning the Division 2 race at the EMass State Meet where he ran 15:52. It wasn't an all-out effort for the Arlington junior, who we know is capable of running in the low 15-minute range. Oosting will not be able to hold back this Saturday if he wants to pull out the victory, and he won't. This one will be fast from the start with the possibility of a sub 4:40 at the mile mark for the leader(s). If the race comes down to the final 400 meters, Oosting should get the nod because of his devastating kick.