Jon Barney is the top boys returner from 2020 and a threat to win it all this year.
After stops at Division 3 and Division 1 last week, we pick up today with a prognosis for Arizona's Division 4 today. These are the small schools. Projections are probably the most difficult with smaller schools because the graduation of one or two top runners typically makes a larger difference with a smaller school than a larger school. On the other hand, if losing graduating seniors was such a big deal, Hopi never would have won 20-some consecutive state championships.
Regardless of how you weigh those factors, though, this article means to offer some insights into how this season might play out.
Last year, of course, Veritas Preparatory Academy edged Glendale Prep for the Division 4 boys crown. In Division 4 girls, it was Northland Preparatory, which now has a tradition of excellence spanning several years, winning by a slightly larger margin over Northwest Christian. Conspicuously absent from last year's competition was perennial contender Hopi.
We'll dig deeper into both Division 4 Boys and Division 4 Girls on the pages that follow, but recent history is always a good place to begin. In digging deeper, we'll use tools provided with the MileSplit database. You need to be a subscriber to access the tools and the links provided in the article, but if you're content with just a surface view, the article reads just fine without the links. Even if you forego the subscription for now, keep in mind the kind of power the database and associated tools provide. You may decide you want access to that power at some later date.