By Cory Mull for MileSplit

NXN is almost here. 

So get ready for a fight for the national championship on December 2 in Portland, Oregon. Since 2014, runners and teams who have qualified for the end-of-season meet have run on the Glendoveer Course. 

No. 1 Fayetteville-Manlius (NY)

What should we expect to see from the Fayetteville-Manlius girls in 2017? Is there a chance the Hornets get upset for just the second time in 12 years?

FM has won 10 out of the last 11 Nike Cross Nationals titles, with only Wayzata (MN) upsetting the Hornets in 2013 by 12 points.

Well, history has told us not to bet against FM.

While this year's squad hasn't look untouchable at times, the Hornets, ranked No. 1 in the Flo50 national rankings, still go into the championships with the best five-girl squad in the entire nation -- generally speaking, they're the best seven-girl squad, too.

Since the Manhattan Invitational, when the program laid down a powerful win against the field with just 22 points and a 14:25.28 average for the 4K course, the team has been firing on all cylinders.

Leaving with yet another win at the NXR New York Regional on November 25, the FM girls went 3-4-5-6 and No. 12 to pierce their competitors with 23 points. Sophomores Claire Walters and Phoebe White and senior Sophie Ryan have been trading the No. 1 position for much of the season, and all three -- not to mention senior Rebecca Walters -- have a potential to finish as the lead stick here at NXN.

The Hornets have registered impressive wins against New York competition like Corning, Shenendehowa and Saratoga, but it will be interesting to see what the squad will do against teams like Great Oak (CA), Naperville North (IL) and Wayzata (MN).

FM also cleared a hurdle at the New York Class A state championships, scoring a low of 24 points on an 77-second compression, doing so on an 19:32 average across difficult terrain at Bowdoin Park.

Rain is projected for Saturday's championship, so if FM can battle through those tough conditions again, don't expect any less from the team.

FM's intimidating pack-style, however, is the key to their win at NXN again. If the Hornets maintain their form in Portland, expect the program to take their 11th title. 

No. 2 Great Oak (CA)

In some ways, you could say the Wolfpack have been overlooked all season. Simply by virtue of its schedule, Great Oak has raced not only against the best in California, but versus some of the nation's best teams overall. 

And since October, the Wolfpack, ranked No. 2 in the Flo50 national rankings, have been unbeatable, logging big wins at the Clovis Invitational, Mt. SAC, the CIF Southern Section Finals and the Division I Championship in California.

state champions!  pic.twitter.com/IsAn7vO5UZ

—  Fatima  (@fatima_cortess_) November 26, 2017

While you could say the Wolfpack have losses on their resume against Buchanan (CA) and Naperville North (IL), those came in September before the team was truly at its top form.

So if there's any team who could give Fayetteville-Manlius a run for its money, the Wolfpack girls are it. Their best performance came in 2014 when they finished second overall, but they returned in 2015 to finish third, too. 

And to the pleasant surprise of head coach Doug Soles, he may have a No. 1 and No. 1A on his team. For much of the season, sophomore Tori Gaitan has led the Wolfpack as its top runner, but at the Division I Championships, junior Fatima Cortes was fourth overall and first for the club.

Senior Sandra Pflughoft supplies dangerous depth at No. 3 and sophomores Audrey Dangand Arianna Griffiths finish out the ranks.

It will be Dang and Griffiths, though, who will have to come through with big performances in Portland if the Wolfpack have any shot of uprooting FM. The team's spread from the state championship race was nearly 90 seconds and will need to be tighter to win. 

No. 3 Naperville North (IL)

This could be another program that's been seriously undervalued, considering a large percentage of their major wins came in September and because Illinois mostly runs 3-mile courses.

But don't sleep on the Huskies. They haven't lost this season.

Consider their two-point win at Roy Griak on September 23 against Great Oak (CA), Wayzata (MN), Yorkville (IL) and Edina (MN). Or their victories at the Spartan Invitational or First To Finish.  

But if we're looking more closely at recent wins, the Huskies, who are ranked No. 3 in the Flo50 national rankings, made good work of NXR Midwest qualifier Yorkville at the Class 3A championships in Illinois, winning 87-117 behind a 79-second spread and 17:10 average at Detweiller Park.

Just a week later, the Huskies swept aside any pressure of being the top team at NXR Midwest and scored a dominant win, scoring 87 points on a 66-second spread.

Senior Sarah Schmitt, an Indiana signee, has been at the heart of the Huskies' lineup all season and is running in top form. She finished fifth at Midwest -- and later qualified for Foot Locker Nationals.

Key to the Huskies' podium chances, however, is their remaining lineup and their ability to fight displacement. Juniors Alex Morris, Claire Hill, and Megan Driscoll and senior Hannah Ricci will really need to have a solid plan entering the looping Glendoveer Course in Portland on December 2 if Naperville North hopes to challenge the contenders. 

Hill and Driscoll, as well as freshman Audrey Mendrys, run at the back of Naperville's lineup and therefore need to work together. 

No. 5 Wayzata (MN)

The Trojans have been the only program to upset Fayetteville-Manlius' championship haul over the past 11 seasons and, no surprise here, are a sleeper pick to win again.

If the best judgements of teams come in the final months of the season, there's no debating then that Wayzata has been at the top of its game in November.

Producing championship wins at the Class AA championships in Minnesota and at NXR Heartland this month, the Trojans have the kind of lineup that could challenge FM for a title.

On a fast, looping course in South Dakota, the Trojans, ranked No. 5 in the Flo50 national rankings, placed three runners under 18-minutes and its fifth at 18:22 to score 65 points at NXR Heartland.

Sophomores Emma Atkinson and Caroline Sassan are the 1-2 combo which ultimately set the tone for Wayzata's success and will need to be important here.

Sophomore Ryan Paulsen, senior Brooke Young, and freshman Lauren Mccollor close out the scoring for the Trojans, often times under 19 minutes for 5K.

If FM has trouble adapting to Portland's conditions -- a factor that at least contributed to outings at Pre-State in Wayne and during state -- then Wayzata could be the team that pounces here.

Minnesota is no stranger to cold weather races and might have the guns to make it happen. 

No. 13 Mountain Vista (CO)

The Golden Eagles could be another team with a lot of potential at NXN. Returning after a 13th-place performance in 2016, Mountain Vista is one of those teams who could succeed by virtue of its region's depth.

Nationally ranked all year, the Golden Eagles, ranked No. 13 in the Flo50 national rankings, were ultimately upset by Battle Mountain (CO) at NXR Southwest, but they have the requisite talent and form to be able to challenge some of NXN's best.

Perhaps the team's best performance came at the Class 5A championships in Colorado, where the team scored 30 points behind an 79-second compression and 18:43 average.

The Golden Eagles logged their top four inside the top five, including lead runner and sophomore Jenna Fitzsimmons. And better yet, the program's top five will all be back next season.

Junior Caroline Eck, sophomores Sarah O'Sullivan and Madison Reed and junior Makenna Anderson make up the team's scoring unit. 

Other Teams To Consider

Buchanan (CA): The Bears may have the best three-girl lineup at NXN. But that fourth and fifth will be crucial. Sophomore Corie Smith and junior Meagen Lowe will be the team's low stick scorers and possibly could both go top-five individually.

Bozeman (MT): A team not to overlook. Coming from elevation, the Bozeman girls dominated their state Class AA championships with an 18:43 average. Lead runner Camila Noe could go top five individually.

Keller (TX): If nothing else, the Keller girls will be looking for a bounce back race after finishing second to Southlake Carroll at NXR South. Keller, though, has serious talent and three girls -- possibly four -- capable of going sub-18. The Indians scored 63 points at Texas' Class 6A championships with 18:01 average on a 78-second compression.

Battle Mountain (CO): The squad upset Mountain Vista at NXR Southwest and scored 59 points at the Class 4A championships in Colorado using an 80-second spread.