NXN 2023 Way too early preview: Dawn of a new Era

The Top 10 Junior Boys To Watch In Cross Country
10. Trey Caldwell
De La Salle (CA)
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Last year was the first time Caldwell gained national experience.
After finishing ninth at states with a 5K personal best of 15:21, Caldwell finished eighth at the Champs Sports West Regional. From there, he was 30th at the Champs Nationals Cross Country Championships.
Outdoors, Caldwell produced times of 4:25 for 1,600m and 9:14 for 3,200m. The experience gained in 2022 can propel Caldwell's career forward.
9. Brady Mullen
Jesuit (LA)
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Despite having a short cross country season, Mullen put together five solid performances together within two months.
At the beginning of the season, Mullen finished sixth at Nike XC Town Twilight Invitational with a 5K lifetime best of 15:04. His performance was the top mark by an underclassman that day by nearly 30 seconds.
In December, Mullen competed at the RunningLane Cross Country Championships, finishing just inside the top 100.
Mullen was able to bounce back during the spring to finish ninth at the RunningLane Track Championships in the 3,200m with a new Louisiana state record of 8:59. He became the first athlete in over 40 years to break nine minutes at the distance.
In the mile, Mullen ran a lifetime mark of 4:18 at the Mobile Challenge of Champions Invite.
8. Joe Barrett
Christian Brothers Academy (NJ)
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At the Shore Conference Championships, Barrett dipped under 15 minutes for 5K for the first time in his career as he ran a 14:59 for the victory. He backed that performance with a victory at NJSIAA Group Championships and a seventh-place finish at the NJSIAA Cross Country Meet of Champions.
To conclude the season, Barrett, the 23rd-ranked recruit in the Class of 2025, finished 11th at the Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regional and just missed qualifying for the national championships by 17 seconds.
As Barrett shifted his focus to the track he set personal bests in every event he competed in. Barrett clocked 1:58 for 800m, 4:15 in the 1,600m, 8:31 in the 3K, 9:07 in the 3,200m, and 9:04 in the two mile.
7. Manny Putz
Onalaska (WI)
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Even though Putz did not compete this spring, we still can't forget about his sophomore cross country season.
He started out his season with two victories before he lined up at the Roy Griak Invitational. Putz was the fourth-place finisher behind three seniors as he crossed the finish line in 15:38. The following weekend, he put on the best performance of his career by winning the Steve Johnson/Dan Huston Invitational in a personal best time of 14:50.
His performance earned him a 191 speed rating for his efforts.
Towards the end of the fall, Putz won his first WIAA state cross country title and was 11th at Champs Sports Midwest Regional.
6. Keegan Smith
Knoxville Catholic (TN)
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Since he was a freshman, Smith has never shied away from national competition.
As we enter the 2023 season, he's one of the top returners in cross country.
Last fall, Smith produced two performances that dipped under 15 minutes for 5K. He ran a personal best at the Saturday Light Fever meet with a 14:53 and then he followed up with a 14:54 a few weeks later at the North Alabama JV Gold Circuit Championships.
When he clocked his personal best in Hendersonville, Tennessee, he earned a 190 speed rating, fourth-best in his class.
Outdoors, Smith, the 19th-ranked recruit in the Class of 2025, put together top marks on the track. He set lifetime bests of 1:52 in the 800m and 4:11 in the 1,600m and mile. Smith became the TSSAA state track and field champion in the 1,600m and 3,200m before ending the season at New Balance Nationals Outdoor.
While running against a loaded field, he set a lifetime best of 4:11 to finish 13th in the mile and then he clocked a 9:19 in the two mile.
5. Broen Holman
Sonora (CA)
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Holman made some strides this season as the third-place finisher at the CIF State Cross Country Championships and qualified for nationals in his second season of running.
After finishing seventh at the Champs West Regional, he came away with a 22nd finish at nationals with a 15:35 at Balboa Park. Holman was the top underclassman and he put together a race that earned a 191 speed rating for his efforts.
That shouldn't come as a surprise as Holman clocked all of his cross country performances under 16 minutes for 5K and his fastest performance was at the state championships where he crossed the finish line in 15:12.
His strength this year was in the 3,200m, as he was California No. 22 with a 9:01. To end his season, Holman finished ninth at states with a 9:03. The rising junior clocked personal bests of 2:02 in the 800m and 4:16 in the 1,600m.
4. Vincent Recupero
Bishop Blanchet (WA)
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The standout Washington star made some waves during his second year of competition. He produced four sub-16-minute 5Ks throughout the year.
His best performance came from the Nike Northwest Regional where he earned a 186 speed rating as he set a season best of 15:27 to finish ninth.
In the spring, Recupero, our No. 5 recruit in the Class of 2025, showcased not only his strength but his speed in various meets across the country. He finished as the top sophomore in the mile with a U.S. No. 27 time of 4:07, which he ran to finish 11th at the Hoka Festival of Miles.
He also made it into the top 17 in the nation in the 3,200m with an 8:47 from the Arcadia Invitational. As he tested out his strength, he clocked 9-flat in the two mile to finish 10th overall at Brooks PR Invitational.
Recupero's speed was evident as he clocked a personal best of 1:56 in the 800m at a quad meet at the end of March.
3. Ty Steorts
Hurricane (WV)
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Steorts had a breakthrough sophomore season.
The young talent and 33rd-ranked recruit in the Class of 2025 debuted with a new 5K personal best of 14:56 at the Dutch Miller Invitational. From there, he racked up wins left and right throughout the state of West Virginia and the country.
The WVSSAC state cross country champion later finished 11th at the Champs South Regional meet. That didn't stop him from putting together one big push to end the cross country season.
In Huntsville, Steorts toed the line at the RunningLane Cross Country Championships and finished fifth overall in the championship final. He was the top underclassman to finish the fast course.
He even scored a 192 speed rating, which is the highest rating in the Class of 2025.
Later in the spring, he earned another state title in the 3,200m while he finished fifth in the 1,600m with a new best of 4:15. At the RunningLane Track Championships, he completed the 3,200m in a career best time of 8:54 for fifth while he was 11th in the mile with a 4:17.
2. Evan Noonan
Dana Hills (CA)
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While he had a slow start to the beginning of his season, everything clicked when it mattered most.
After finishing 100th at the CIF State Cross Country Championships two years ago, Noonan turned around this fall and became the Division III champion with a 5K personal best of 15:04.
Combined with all the divisions in the state of California, Noonan, the 24th-ranked recruit in the Class of 2025, would have finished the championships as the fifth-fastest competitor.
Noonan capped off his cross season with a 46th finish at Nike Cross Nationals with a 15:47. During the spring, he ran 4:09 in the 1,600m, 4:17 in the mile and 8:49 in the 3,200m, which was the 23rd-fastest time in the U.S. this season.
1. Josiah Tostenson
Crater (OR)
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Tostenson's sophomore season was exceptional as he finished as one of the top underclassmen at high-caliber competitions.
Take Nike Cross Nationals for example.
The young talent was the top sophomore to finish the Glendoveer course as the 42nd finisher with a 15:42. But that wasn't all.
In September, he finished fifth at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic with a three-mile personal best of 13:57 and earned a 187 speed rating for his efforts. He continued to build on that momentum as he finished sixth at the OSAA State Championships and 10th at the Nike Northwest Regional.
Tostenson, our seventh-ranked recruit in the Class of 2025, clocked a season best of 15:28.40 for 5K in October. Outdoors, he ran a personal best of 8:58 for two miles at the Oregon Relays, which ranks him U.S. No. 19.
He also ran a full mile in 4:08.

milesplit.com

The Top 10 Junior Boys To Watch In Cross Country

Olivia Ekpone

We rank the top rising junior boys taking to the cross country course this fall season.

Link:www.milesplit.com/articles/336920/the-...

10 Of The Best Junior Girls Talents To Watch In XC

10. Alyssa Sauro
Williamstown (WV)
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With Irene Riggs now graduated, Sauro, the former high school point guard from West Virginia, can now take the throne as the state's top dog at 5K.
Sauro had a blitzkreig sophomore campaign, winning six races en route to her top 10 finish at the Champs Sports National Championships.
That finish puts Sauro firmly in the national spotlight in 2023 and it gives her two more years to find success along the way. Outdoors, she continued her string of results with state wins in the 800m, 1,600m and 3,200m.
She's also found PRs of 4:51.10 in the 1,600m and 10:11.81 in the 3,200m, putting her among the class' top distance runners.

9. Juliet Frum
Mountain Vista (CO)
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The first bit of news to report is that Frum, a rising junior from Illinois has transferred to Mountain Vista High School. She previously attended Glenbrook North High School.
That's important because Frum, who owns personal best times of 2:16 in the 800m, 4:50 in the 1,600m and 10:52 in the 3,200m, is an elite athlete who was Illinois' top returner at 3-miles and 5K.
She'll arrive at a program that's considered one of the best in Colorado history.
The benefits should be obvious.
Frum, who ran 16:53.21 for 3-miles and 17:23.10 for 5K, should step into the No. 1 role for MV and could even challenge the state's elites -- Ella Hagen, Isabel Allori and Keeghan Edwards -- for supremacy. Beyond that, Frum could become a national-contender, too.

8. Jessica Jazwinski
Hart (MI)
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Few stars ran, or won, as much as Jazwinski last fall.
She won a total of 15 races last year, including her Michigan Division 3 final and the Michigan Meet of Champions.
That success didn't end there. She followed with a fourth-place finish at the Champs Sports Midwest Regional and then an All-American finish at Champs Sports Nationals.
Her best performance came at the Meet of Champions, where she clocked a time of 16:47.30 -- second best for the sophomore class in 2022.

7. Claire Stegall
Nolensville (TN)
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Stegall is vastly underrated, but maybe that's just where she wants to be.
Opening her sophomore season in 2022 after just two races as a freshman, she ripped off a 17:08 PR for 5K at the Voyles Classic, then proceeded to finish second in a national field at The Southern Showcase. She followed with four straight wins, culminating with her first Class 3A title in Tennessee.
Stegall then went to the RunningLane Championships, where she found herself in the lead pack before bowing out with just 800 meters to go.
All that being said, Stegall has a sports car engine. Outdoors she claimed personal best times of 4:41.40 for 1,600m and 2:09.11 for 800m.

6. Helen Sachs
Holland West Ottawa (MI)
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The Michigander reached as high as No. 4 on our MileSplit50 rankings over the cross country season -- which came after she won the Nike Midwest Regional in a 5K PR of 16:47.90 in November.
She finished the year at No. 15 after her 60th-place finish at Nike Cross Nationals, but the total of her season remained impressive: nine wins and a Michigan Division I title.
The bad news is that Sachs missed all of the indoor and outdoor seasons. But the good news is that cross country is still ahead of us.
Based on that sophomore season alone, it would be hard to discount her chances in cross country.

5. Zariel Macchia
William Floyd (NY)
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Macchia is a machine.
The New Yorker won six races through her cross country season, including a New York State Class A title in 18:02.60, before claiming a third-place finish at the Champs Northeast Regional, a runner-up finish at the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships and a sixth-place finish at the Champs National XC Championships.
What's more, Macchia then proceeded to qualify for the U.S. U20 XC team and then was top 20 at the World U20 XC Championships in Bathurst, Australia.
Again, Macchia is a machine.
Outdoors, she ran 59.47 seconds in the 400m, she clocked a 1,500m PR of 4:25.02 and a mile best of 4:47.16 and then she clocked times of 9:35.82 in the 3K and 16:17.29 in the 5K at Nike Outdoor Nationals.

4. Abby Faith Cheeseman
The Webb School (TN)
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Cheeseman had, in many ways, a perfect season.
It wasn't too long, she didn't race too often and she capitalized when it mattered, winning her third straight state title in Tennessee before qualifying for Champs Sports Nationals and placing inside the top 10 at the race.
Cheeseman won the Jesse Owens Classic, beginning her season in October, then moved on to the Frank Horton Night Classic, where she can a 5K personal best of 17:04.50.
She only raced six times across 2022.
Utilizing key meets and performing well in crucial moments, Cheeseman now finds herself among the cream of the crop in the Class of 2025.

3. Jane Hedengren
Timpview (UT)
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No girls athlete has emerged more than Hedengren over the last year.
While her cross country season went well, with five wins and a Utah State Championship in a 5K personal best of 17:25.40, her outdoor season is where she made things happen.
She clocked class-leading times in the 1,500m (4:18.37), mile (4:35.69), 3K (9:17.26) and 2-mile (9:54.38), scooting past the likes of Sadie Engelhardt and Hanne Thomsen.
While cross country is a different beast than the track, the indications favor Hedengren's continued ascent through the ranks in 2023.

2. Hanne Thomsen
Montgomery (CA)
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Thomsen is fast approaching Engelhardt in California.
The rising junior from Santa Rosa ran the fastest 5K in the state last year in 16:49.20, clocking that time in September of 2022 at the Nike Portland XC Invitational.
She went on to win the Asics Clovis Invitational in 17:04.20, the CIF Division 3 state final in 17:12.77 and finished 16th at Nike Cross Nationals in 17:35.20.
She won every single one of her races up through nationals, accumulating seven wins across the campaign.

1. Sadie Engelhardt
Ventura (CA)
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Engelhardt hasn't quite figured out the race formerly known as Foot Locker Nationals just yet. But perhaps third time's a charm for the California ace.
Other than her 10th-place finish at Champs Sports last year, there was not a single result over the prior fall that did not go her way.
She won the 3-mile race at Woodbridge in 15:42.60, clocking a sophomore record and a new national best time for the distance; she won the CIF SS Division Finals and the CIF Division 2 Championships in a new 5K best of 16:57.84; and she won the Champs Sports West Regional.
All in all, Engelhardt won all eight of her races before her final one.
This year, you can bet she will have her sites on a national win.

milesplit.com

10 Of The Best Junior Girls Talents To Watch In XC

Cory Mull

We return with the top 10 junior girls to watch in cross country this season.

Link:www.milesplit.com/articles/337001/the-...

Interesting that they skipped Edwards, but Edwards is named under Juliet Frum…

Edwards will be her teammate, no track season though…. Does anybody know why?

so she can run spring track next year at vista

Benji Anderson from Mtn Vista Colorado is one to watch in the southwest region

Agreed. He will be the new #1 for Mountain Vista. Downs was #1 on the team last year and made NXN but he graduated.

So it will be interesting to see what Anderson can do

The Top 10 Sophomore Boys To Watch This XC Season

10. Ryan Tuohy
North Rockland (NY)
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This is somewhat of a projection, considering Tuohy's returning 5K time of 16:07.00 puts him just inside the top 75 performers for his class from last year.
But how can you argue? He's the brother of Katelyn Tuohy, the greatest cross country athlete we've ever seen on the girls side. Ryan Tuohy's freshman season was very good, too, with a win at the Section 1 Championship, a top 10 finish at the Six Flags Wild Safari Invite and a top 30 finishes at states and the federation championships.

9. Jaden Merrick
Cedar Falls (IA)
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Merrick's top 5K only placed him inside the top 21 performers for the freshmen class in 2022, but numbers don't often tell the full story.
He authored seven performances under 16 minutes -- a level of consistency few freshmen matched last year -- and performed well at the Iowa Class 4A Championships, finishing 18th overall. That was the top freshman performance at states in Iowa.
Merrick, our 49th-ranked recruit in the Class of 2026, also ran well at the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships, crossing the silver race in 20th place in 16:03.40. Only three freshmen were faster in the gold race -- Clemons, Strohman and HM pick Kehler Vaughn.
What speaks to his potential, though was his efforts over the outdoor season. Merrick ran times of 4:14.79 in the 16,600m and 9:12.88 in the 3,200m, efforts which placed him fourth and sixth in his class over the season.

8. Luke Snyder
Rittman (OH)
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Few freshman in the country won as much as Snyder in 2022. He roped off 10 wins over his first year in high school, capturing victories at the Wooster Invitational, the Tuslaw Invite and the WCAL League Championship.
In the ones that truly mattered, Snyder did not drop off, either. He was first in his OHSAA District 3-9 race and then second at the OHSAA Division 3 championships.
His best performance for 5K actually came in his last race. He ran 15:37.00 to finish 61st at the Nike Midwest Regional.

7. Noah Bontrager
Topeka Westview (IN)
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Last year our top cross country runner of the year, Kole Mathison, was from Indiana. Could Bontrager be tracing his steps toward the national elite?
He certainly had an outstanding freshman campaign, pumping in six wins across the season, including recognitions at his section and regional races. He also won his Semi-State 2 race, doing so with a 5K PR of 15:20.80.
And then he would finish his season at states, clocking a time of 15:41.00 to finish 12th. Indiana is a one-and-done race, and considered among the most difficult to qualify for. Bontrager was the top freshman in the state in 2022.

6. Landon Kimmel
Tipp City Tippecanoe (OH)
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Kimmel was tasked with being his team's No. 1 in 2023. He did not disappoint.
He won five races as a freshman, finished fifth at the Trinity/Valkyrie Invitational and was fourth at regions. At the Division I state championships, Kimmel was 25th overall and the top freshman finisher.
From there, he closed his season at the Nike Midwest Regional, rounding up a 30th-place finish.

5. Matthew Wroblewski
Portland Jesuit (OR)
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Facts are facts, and Wroblewski was top freshman at Nike Cross Nationals in 2022.
That's a strong resume builder for the rising sophomore, who was 115th at NXN. What's more? His Portland Jesuit squad finished second overall at the meet.
His best performance for 5K came in October at the Metro League Championships when he offered a finishing time of 15:35.60.
He was also 19th at the Oregon Class 6A championships as Jesuit claimed a state team title.

4. Noah Strohman
Holliday (TX)
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Is there a stronger small school runner at this point?
Strohman is coming off an incredible outdoor season that saw him run a time of 4:07.84 in the 1,600m and 4:09.23 in the mile, both No.1s for the class. Furthermore, those times ranked No. 1 and No. 2 for freshmen all-time, too.
In cross country, he went under 16 minutes over his final five meets, including a PR of 15:19.80 at the McNeil Invitational and a time of 15:49.50 at the UIL Class 3A championships, his first title-winning run.
Strohman, our third-ranked recruit in the Class of 2026, followed with a 30th-place finish at the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships.

3. Rocco Culpepper
Boulder Niwot (CO)
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Call it the Culpepper affect.
Rocco is the younger brother of Cruz Culpepper, an all-time performer in Colorado, and the son of Alan Culpepper and Shayne Culpepper, Olympians and former professional runners.
Alan was recently the head coach of NAZ Elite in Flagstaff.
Rocco, our 41st-ranked recruit in the Class of 2026, simply charts toward stardom.
His freshmen season did nothing to disapprove that notion, with a 5K PR of 15:18.90 in October.
He won his Region 4A-3 meet in October and then earned a top 10 finish at states.
He trains at altitude with some of the best runners in the U.S., and that matters, too. Niwot is a team full of top performers. Rocco ran 4:16.26 outdoors in the 1,600m.

2. Caden Leonard
Southlake Carroll (TX)
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A lot of things work in Leonard's favor to place him in this position.
He's the second-fastest returner for 5K in cross country nationally, the fastest for 3-miles in his class and the top runner for 5K outdoors for all freshmen -- by a full 38 seconds.
But he's also a coaches son, he was the top finisher for Southlake Carroll at the Texas state championships and he largely punched above his weight at national competitions.
He also was the second-best freshman finisher at NXN.
Results, and X factors like those, all add up to make Leonard one of the top sophomores this year.
Leonard, our 14th-ranked recruit in the Class of 2026, also reached the Texas state outdoor championships in the 3,200m. While that race that didn't play in his favor -- he was last -- the lessons learned from his freshman season will go a long way.

1. Owen Clemons
Cleveland (TN)
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Clemons owns the honor of being the fastest cross country returner for 5K in his class, with a personal best time of 15:01.90 that was achieved last October in Tennessee.
But that was only half of the story.
Clemons ran twice that day -- October 1, 2022 -- and ultimately would end up finishing sixth in 15:10.10 at the Jesse Owens Classic in Alabama, a race conducted in Oakville that morning, before he would race again that night in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and would execute on his personal best time of 15:01.90 at the Saturday Light Fever.
You don't see that very often.
Clemons, our 10th-ranked recruit in the Class of 2026, would go on to win his region and then the TSSAA AAA state championship in 15:22.47 before finishing his fall at the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships.
No stranger to national competition, Clemons ran 4:18 for the mile indoors and 1:54 (800m), 4:14 (mile) and 9:12 (3,200m) outdoors.

milesplit.com

The Top 10 Sophomore Boys To Watch This XC Season

Cory Mull

The top 10 sophomore boys to watch in 2023? We have you covered.

Link:www.milesplit.com/articles/336905/the-...

The Top 10 Freshmen Girls To Watch This XC Season

10. Sarah Tole
Auburn High School (AL)
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Tole gained plenty of experience at the state level in Alabama.
As an eighth-grader, Tole was Auburn's (AL) No. 1 and led the squad to a second-place team finish at the Alabama Class 7A State Cross Country Championships. She set a 5K lifetime best of 18:02 and earned a 129 speed rating for her efforts as she won the title by over 19 seconds.
Outdoors, she continued to excel as she broke 11 minutes in the 3,200m to finish third at the Alabama Outdoor State Championships with a 10:39.73. In the 1,600m, she clocked a personal best of 5:01.06 to finish as the runner up at her Section 2 meet.

9. Kayla Devin
Ridge Harriers TC (NJ)
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Despite having just two cross country races underneath her belt this past season, Devin made them count.
She set a 4K personal best of 14:33.05 at the USATF New Jersey Association Junior Olympic Championships before she finished sixth at the AAU National Championships.
This spring, she personal bests in every event ranging from the 800m through the two-mile.
In the middle school field at New Balance Nationals Outdoor, she finished fifth in the two mile with a 11:25.35.

8. Linnea Ousdigian
Mounds View (MN)
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Ousdigian had a breakthrough season in 2022.
In her second year of running cross country, she was able to finish 44th overall at the Roy Griak Invitational in September.
As she continued throughout the fall, she had a top 10 finish at the MSHSL State Cross Country Championships and clocked an 18:19 for 5K to earn a 127 speed rating. She was the top finisher from Mounds View and led the team to a third-place finish.
Ousdigian was able to gain national exposure by placing in the top 50 at the Nike Heartland Regional Championships and earned a 122 speed rating. She was the second-fastest middle school athlete to compete in this qualifier.
In the spring, she went 5:06 in the 1,600m and 10:48 in the 3,200m.
She finished on a high note over the outdoor season as she competed in Hayward Field at Nike Outdoor Nationals. Ousdigian finished 15th with a 17:43 best on the track.

7. Kaylie Livingston
Ann Arbor (MI)
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Livingston has been competing since 2019, but this year Livingston set herself apart at national meets.
Before competing at the AAU National Cross Country Championships, Livingston toed the line at Meet of Champions, where she defended her MITCA Michigan Meet Of Champions in the 5K with a personal best of 17:55.10, which ranks her No. 5 among girls in her class. A month later, she earned the silver medal at the AAU National Championships in Tennessee with a 14:49.90 in the 4K.
Even though she didn't compete during the spring, she finished third in the 3,200m at the MITS Indoor State Championships with a 10:52 but has a personal best of 10:50.88.

6. Adria Favero
Olympus (UT)
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Favero is one of the top distance runners in her class -- not only in the state but nationally as well.
As an eighth-grader, she took a leap into the sport and competed in her first season. During cross country, she won the USATF Utah Association Junior Olympic Championships with a 14:24.80 lifetime best for 4K. Favero tested her skills among national competition and finished second overall at the USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships with a 14:26.
As she hit the track in the spring, she continued to progress as she set a best of 2:24 in the 800m, 5:05 for the full mile, and en route to an emerging elite Nike Outdoor National title, Favero set a lifetime best of 10:42.20 in the two-mile.

5. Peyton VanDeest
Spearfish (SD)
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Throughout the year, VanDeest outperformed many competitors at the state and national level. During the cross country season, she sprinkled in four races that were sub 19-minutes for 5K.
One of the top moments in her cross country season was finishing sixth at t the SDHSAA State Championships. Here she earned a 131 speed rating as she clocked an 18:18.09 personal best. On the national stage, VanDeest finished fifth at the Nike Heartland Preview in September with an 18:32.30.
This spring, she's gone 10:58 for 3,200m and 5:10 in the mile.

4. Ava Lindsey
Greenville Hurricanes (SC)
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Lindsey went undefeated this past fall in South Carolina. The incoming freshman posted three sub-18 minute 5K last year.
She began the season by clocking 18:14 and 18:12 for 5K at the FIGHT like Wyatt and at Eye Opener. At the latter meet, Lindsey earned a 129 speed rating.
The young talent from Greer, South Carolina, ran a lifetime best of 17:34.18 to win the Starlight Run in October. To cap off the year, she became the champion at the SCHSAA & IC State Championships with an 18:13.40.
As the spring season progressed, she won two SCHSAA State Championship titles in the 400m and 3,200m. Lindsey clocked times of 1:04.23 and 10:57, which were new lifetime bests on the track.

3. Evie Malec
Minnetonka (MN)
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Malec lined up against some of the nation's best this year and held her own.
She debuted her cross country season at the St. Olaf High School Showcase, where she clocked a 20:19. As the season unfolded, she earned top finishes in the state, such as her third-place finish at the Lake Conference Championships and her sixth-place finish at the MSHSL State Cross Country Championships.
She will return this year as the sixth-fastest competitor in the state, and she's just a rising freshman.
To cap off her cross country season, she set a lifetime 5K best of 17:53.90 at the Nike Heartland Regional. Her best performance ranks her fourth overall among the Class of 2027 and she earned the second-highest scoring speed rating of 131.
During the spring season, she was the runner up in the 800m at the Lake Conference Championships before she finished fourth at the MSHSL State Track and Field Championships in the 1,600m.
Even during the summer, Malec ran a best of 4:50.49 to finish second at Brooks PR Invitational in the mile.

2. Paige Sheppard
Hillsborough (NJ)
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Sheppard gained national experience in cross country and track and field across her middle school seasons.
Last season, she competed in two 4K cross country races. One of those meets was the AAU National Championships, where she won her first cross country championship title with a personal best of 14:28.97.
In June, she clocked a time of 4:49.79 in the mile to win her division at Brooks PR. Within the same week, she ran 2:07.97 to finish eighth in the championship 800m race at New Balance Nationals Outdoor.
She leads the eighth-grade class in the 800m, 1,500m, and 1,600m.
Since 2017, Sheppard has been competing at the AAU Junior Olympic Games. Recently, she became the 800m and 1,500m 2022 AAU Junior Olympic champion with winning times of 2:12 and 4:38.

1. Sophia Rodriguez
Dallastown Area (PA)
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As an eighth-grader, Rodriguez was a revelation. And she dropped World Records along the way.
In March, she secured the 1 14-year-old age group World Record in the two-mile at Nike Indoor Nationals with a 10:20.68. Later in June, she hit the outdoor oval and ran the fastest 5K ever run by a 14-year-old girl with 16:22.30.
She didn't stop there as the Pennsylvanian ran a 14-year-old age group 2-mile record at Nike Outdoor Nationals, clocking a 10:12.33 to finish sixth overall in the girls championship section.
Now as she enters her freshman season, she will carry with her a 17:55.70 5K best from the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships, where she finished seventh overall.
Her performance ranks her No. 6 for her class all-time and it earned the highest speed rating for the Class of 2027 with a 142. She also won the Nike Northeast Regional open race title with an 18:40.
At the end of the 2022 season, she grabbed the USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championship title with a 14:02 4K performance and was 17th at the USATF National Cross Country Championships with a 21:42 6K run.

milesplit.com

The Top 10 Freshmen Girls To Watch This XC Season

Olivia Ekpone

These incoming freshmen girls have an opportunity to start their high school career on a high note this cross country season.

Link:www.milesplit.com/articles/336796/the-...

The Top 10 Sophomore Girls To Watch This XC Season

10. Cameron Macias
Clovis West (CA)
- - -
Macias could be the biggest breakout star among sophomores this cross country season.
She enters the fall as one of the top combined athletes across 5K and three miles thanks to stellar PRs of 17:28.50 and 16:41.00 set in 2022. Those marks also came on two of the biggest stages in California, earning her a fourth-place finish at the ASICS Clovis XC Invitational and a top 25 honor at the Woodbridge Classic.
However, Macias did not compete at the CIF State Championships in November.
If her track fitness is any indication of what to expect from her this fall, it could be a special season from the sophomore.
She logged solid marks of 2:15.78 for 800m and 4:55.52 for 1,600m and even advanced to the CIF State Championships in the 800m.

9. Meg Peterson
Mt. Prospect (IL)
- - -
With bests of 17:40.90 for 5K and 17:19.85 at three miles, Peterson could continue to develop into a star in Illinois.
Peterson showed steady progression throughout the 2022 cross country season, beginning with a 18:15.20 5K opener in September and she ended with the fourth-fastest performance among freshmen at Nike Cross Nationals in December.
Along the way, she also took eighth at the IHSA State Championships and earned a stellar 11th-place finish at the Nike Midwest Regionals.
Mt. Prospect, with a long history of success in cross country, has benefitted greatly from the addition of Peterson, too. With Peterson as their No. 1 runner, the team took fifth at NXN and won a Class 3A state title in Illiniois.
Peterson should continue to lead Mt. Prospect to national success and she should rank among the top distance athletes in the Class of 2026.

8. Kynzlee Buckley
Buchanan (CA)
- - -
It's not everyday that you see a freshman earn a top finish at one of the most competitive cross country meets in the nation.
That's exactly how Buckley fared at the Woodbridge Classic last September.
Not only did the newest member of the star Buchanan (CA) squad earn 13th overall in the sweepstakes race, but she clocked 16:19.60 for three miles, earning the fastest mark at the distance for the Class of 2026 last season.
The time also ranks as the sixth-best 3-mile time ever recorded by a freshman in U.S. high school history.
But that wasn't the only accolade Buckley added to her young resume. She also logged a 17:36.10 best for 5K as she finished sixth at the ASICS Clovis XC Invitational and then helped Buchanan to a third-place team effort at Nike Cross Nationals in December.
Buckley returns this fall as the top combined 5K/3-mile runner among rising sophomores.

7. Emily Cohen
Cherry Creek (CO)
- - -
Is Cohen the next up-and-coming star out of Colorado?
She certainly made a case for that honor during her freshman season at Cherry Creek.
In her first year competing for the Colorado powerhouse, Cohen registered a 5K personal best of 17:26.40 and earned top 10 finishes at both the Roy Griak Invitational and the Colorado Class 5A State Championships. On the national stage at the Garmin RunningLane XC Championships, she would earn 16th overall in 18:15.80.
Cohen followed up her cross country season with a well-rounded outdoor campaign, running 4:57.94 for 1,600m and 10:41.07 over 3,200m.
Her 5K best from last season ranks Cohen at U.S. No. 3 among returners for the Class of 2026.

6. Jaelyn Williams
Eastlake (CA)
- - -
Williams went on a tear during her freshman year of high school.
Not only did she finish fourth against prominent names at the CIF Division I State Cross Country Championships in a PR of 17:38.84, but her greatest efforts came on the track as she clocked a class-leading 10:11.01 for 3,200m at the CIF State Championships in May, taking fourth overall.
She also ranked among the top freshmen this spring in the 1,600m (4:46.26) and 2-mile (10:28.92).
Williams returns to the course in 2023 as one of the top athletes in California and one of the top sophomores nationally.

5. Addison Ritzenhein
Niwot (CO)
- - -
Distance running certainly runs in the family for Addison.
The daughter of Dathan Ritzenhein earned national attention last fall when she was the top freshman finisher at Nike Cross Nationals in a 5K personal best of 17:38.40. That earned her a stellar 18th-place finish in her first time competing on the national stage for cross country.
Ritzenhein continued that momentum going into the track season as she took third in the 2-mile at Nike Indoor Nationals in 10:21.03 and posted notable PRs on the outdoor track; 4:58.04 over 1,600m and 10:29.42 for 3,200m.

4. Eliana Black
Cambridge Christian (FL)
- - -
Black has been a consistent figure in the Class of 2026 since middle school.
She first made national headlines as an eighth-grader competing for the Cambridge Christian high school varsity team and clocking 17:51.29 for 5K that season.
That trend carried over to high school as the latest Florida phenom was the definition of consistency, clocking times under 18 minutes in all nine of her 5K races last season.
Of those nine contests, she won all but one of them, including an elusive title win at the FHSAA class 1A State Championships.
Her 17:15.50 best from the North Port XC Invitational last September ranks her as the second-fastest returner for the rising sophomore class in the 5K.
During the track season, Black ranked among the best in the grade for distance events with personal bests of 2:10.78 for 800m, 4:48.83 in the 1,600m and 10:30.18 for the 3,200m.

3. Chiara Dailey
La Jolla (CA)
- - -
As the 14th-place finisher and the lone freshman competitor at the Champs Sports National Championships last fall, Dailey made a big statement to end her debut season.
It was a season full of highlights, including a runner-up finish at the CIF State Cross Country Championships -- in a 5K PR of 17:27.22 -- and a stellar second-place effort in the rated race at the Woodbridge Classic. She ran 16:34.80 for three miles.
But then came track season and Dailey logged class-leading marks in a variety of events.
She led freshmen in the 1,500m (4:23.67), 1,600m (4:42.43) and mile (4:44.47) during the outdoor campaign and also posted stellar efforts of 2:09.23 for 800m at Nike Outdoor Nationals and 10:24.48 for 3,200m.
Expect to see Dailey contend for top placements at the national championships this fall.

2. Elizabeth Leachman
Boerne Champion (TX)
- - -
The 2-mile 15-year-old world age group record-holder will be a force this cross country season.
Leachman clocked 9:57.65 at Nike Outdoor Nationals in June for the fastest 2-mile ever marked by a 15-year-old.
As a freshman in cross country, she also put together her best performance of the season at the FEAST Patriot XC Invitational with a 18:16.64 best for 5K. She also finished as the runner-up at her district championships and was 20th at the UIL Texas Class 5A State Championships.
Her world record-breaking runs on the track could very well give her the boost needed to take command of the cross country season this year.

1. Macy Wingard
Denton Braswell (TX)
- - -
Wingard returns to the cross country course as the 5K leader for the Class of 2026, having clocked 17:15.30 at the Marcus Coach T Invitational last fall.
But that wasn't her only 5K time under 18 minutes as a freshman.
She clocked seven sub-18-minute performances during the 2022 season and later placed seventh at the Nike South Regional and 43rd at Nike Cross Nationals.
Eliana Black of Cambridge Christian (FL) was the only other girls freshmen last season to run under 17:20, and the next best returner sits over 10 seconds behind Wingard in the 5K rankings.
That experience and consistency should be crucial for Wingard in 2023 and it will set her apart from the rest returners nationally.

milesplit.com

The Top 10 Sophomore Girls To Watch This XC Season

Ashley Tysiac

We rank the top sophomore girls taking to the cross country course this fall season.

Link:www.milesplit.com/articles/336881/the-...

This year is the first time that two boys Heartland teams are in the top 10 in the preseason rankings

The Top 10 Senior Girls To Watch In Cross Country

10. Isabel Allori
Liberty Common (CO)
- - -
Allori was a standout in Colorado in 2022 and went undefeated through her first seven 5K races, which included winning her first Colorado Class 3A State Cross Country Championship title.
She proceeded to set a lifetime best of 16:58 for 5K en route to a qualification into Nike Cross Nationals. The young talent finished 14th overall and will now enter her senior season as the seventh-fastest competitor from nationals.
On the outdoor track, she clocked 2:11 in the 800m, 4:52 in the 1,600m and 9:56 in the 3,200m.

9. Nicole Humphries (TX)
Flower Mound (TX)
- - -
Humphries has been going 1-2 with her twin sister Samantha, and they've both lined up against one another at various meets throughout the state.
A memorable race Humphries had this fall was going across the finish line with her sister at the UIL State Cross Country Championships; Nicole won the title in 17:36.
She then set a personal best of 17:07 for 5K as she crossed the finish line in fourth at the Champs South Regional.
Humphries made the decision to compete at both Nike and Champs National Cross Country Championships. She concluded her cross country season with a 13th-place finish in Portland and went 21st in San Diego.
As the spring season unfolded, Humphries finished third and fifth at the UIL state meet in the 3,200m and 1,600m. She then had a breakthrough moment at Brooks PR Invitational, where she dropped a four-second best in the 800m this year with a 2:06.
The Oregon commit enters her senior season with lifetime bests of 2:06 in the 800m, 4:46 in the mile and 10:11 in the 3,200m.

8. Samantha Humphries
Flower Mound (TX)
- - -
Just like her twin Nicole, Samantha Humphries had a standout season -- but especially on the cross country course.
Earlier in the fall, she set a lifetime best of 17:11 for 5K to finish fourth at the Nike South Invitational. From there, she raced to win back-to-back titles from the UIL District and Region 1 Championships. At the UIL Cross Country Championships, it was a blanket finish between her and her sister, but she was second by a hair.
In the championship part of her season, Humphries finished 18th at the Champs South Regional meet before she finished 11th at Nike Cross Nationals.
The Oregon commit clocked bests of 2:10 in the 800m, 4:41 in the mile, and 10:12 in the 3,200m during the spring.
Her standout performances included a second-place finish at the HOKA Festival of Miles in the mile and in the 3,200m at states.

7. Nicki Southerland
Delta (IN)
- - -
All Southerland did this season was win.
To kick off last fall, Southerland secured 12 straight 5K wins before she finished second at her state cross country championships and sixth at the Champs Sports Midwest Region.
Outdoors, Southerland was undefeated in the 1,600m and raced to a new lifetime best of 4:43 to win the RunningLane Track Championships title. When she faced national competition at New Balance Nationals Outdoor in the mile, she came across fifth with a 4:41 personal best.
This spring, Southerland showed off her speed as she finished second at states with a 2:05 personal best and a U.S. No. 8 performance. Southerland even posted a 10:14 best in the 3,200m.

6. Anna Callahan
Skyline (WA)
- - -
Callahan's biggest success story last fall? She learned how to put everything together when it mattered.
Leading up to Nike Cross Nationals, the Skyline (WA) senior won the Washington State Cross Country Championships and the Nike Northwest Regional.
When she lined up amongst the nation's best in Portland, she crossed the finish line as the ninth-fastest girl with a 17:23.
From there, it was a snowball effect.
Callahan then claimed 800m and 1,600m titles in Washington before becoming the national champion at Nike Outdoor Nationals in the mile with a 4:44 lifetime best.
The Sammamish, Washington standout clocked personal best of 2:10 in the 800m, 4:44 in the mile and 10:17 in the 3,200 this season.

5. Allie Zealand
Pacers Homeschool (VA)
- - -
Zealand's personal best for 5K in cross country is 17:05 and based on how her spring went, she is on track to have another breakout season.
The Lynchburg, Virginia standout -- a home schooler -- had top finishes at national meets, including a third-place finish at the Champs South Regional and fourth at the RunningLane Cross Country Championships.
Zealand finished strong at Champs Sports Nationals with an eighth-place finish in 17:38.
To end her successful cross country season, Zealand represented the U.S. at the World U20 Cross Country Championships. While in Australia, she was 34th overall with a 24-flat 6K performance.
She had a light outdoor season as she only competed at RunningLane Track Championships at New Balance Nationals Outdoor. In Alabama, she won the 3,200m title with a U.S. No. 17 time and personal best of 10:06. Zealand was also second in the mile with a 4:47.
Zealand ran the mile at New Balance Nationals Outdoor and finished ninth. Zealand's mile performance ranked her 26th amongst the nation's best milers. She earned the silver in the two mile with a 10:02 to be U.S. No. 9.

4. Isabel Conde De Frankenberg
Cedar Park (TX)
- - -
Conde De Frankenberg has been a track and cross country star since her freshman season. She's accumulated three state titles and one New Balance Nationals Outdoor 800m win over her lifetime in the sport.
As her senior season begins, she's a national championship contender.
Last fall she earned a series of 5K wins across the state, including the Lucas Lovejoy XC Fall Festival. Conde De Frankenberg was the second-best cross country runner this year at the state championships with a 17:45 performance.
Gearing up for national competition, she competed at both Nike Cross Nationals and the Champs Sports Nationals. In Portland, she finished sixth and will return this season as the second-fastest runner from the 2022 race.
In San Diego, Conde De Frankenberg was able to finish 13th overall.
Despite having an injury during the spring, Conde De Frankenberg will return this cross country season ready to earn more titles for her resume.

3. Payton Godsey
Oaks Christian (CA)
- - -
Godsey broke through in a big way last year.
The runner from Westlake Village, California, won her first CIF State Cross Country Championships title with a lifetime best of 17-minutes flat in the 5K race.
Godsey showed her resilience when she faced muddy and rainy conditions at the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships and she won the 5K title in 17:28, earning a six-second margin on the rest of the field.
Outdoors, Godsey finished second in the 3,200m at the CIF Track and Field Championships.
She produced personal bests of 2:11 in the 800m, 4:44 in the mile and 9:57 in the 3,200m throughout the season.

2. Bethany Michalak
Air Academy (CO)
- - -
Michalak turned things up late in 2022.
After she finished sixth at the Colorado Class 5A State Championships and had a fourth-place finish at the Nike Southwest Regional, she toed the line Nike Cross Nationals and finished as the third-fastest competitor with a 16:55, earning a 161 speed rating for her efforts.
This fall, Michalak is the fastest returner at 5K by nearly 22 seconds.
The Air Academy senior was the runner up at the Colorado State Championships in the 1,600m and 3,200m. Michalak concluded her spring with a mile personal best and the fifth-fastest time in the nation from Brooks PR Invitational she clocked a 4:37 for third.

1. Ellie Shea
Emerging Elite (MA)
- - -
Shea competed in just two high school cross country races last fall, but each one was a dominant one and a stepping stone toward a memorable season.
She debuted with a time of 17:10 at the Champs Northeast Regional and then she finished as the runner-up at Champs Sports Nationals at Balboa Park with a 16:55 personal best. She earned a 165 speed rating from that performance, which was the third-highest rating of the year.
Her fall season didn't end there.
She qualified for and then competed at the World U20 Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia, where she led the U.S. team to a third-place team finish, finishing 10th in the world with a 21:48 6K. With Shea leading the way, the U.S. team finished on the podium for the first time ever.
From there, Shea won a 5K title and claimed a third-place finish in the 2-mile at New Balance Nationals Indoor.
During the outdoor season, Shea won the USATF U20 title in the 1,500m and 3K with 4:19 and 9:46 performances, respectively, before finishing second overall at the NACAC U23 Championships in Costa Rica with a 4:14 season best in the 1,500m.
Shea owns personal bests of 4:37 in the mile and 9:53 in the two mile and ranks among the top 5 all-time at those distances in high school.

milesplit.com

The Top 10 Senior Girls To Watch In Cross Country

Olivia Ekpone

We rank the top rising senior girls taking to the cross country course this fall season.

Link:www.milesplit.com/articles/337002/the-...

The Top 10 Senior Boys To Watch In Cross Country

10. Adam Burlison
Lubbock Coronado (TX)
- - -
Burlison could very well be the breakout star of the 2023 cross country season.
Why?
Let's just say the Texan has had one heck of a competition season since his win at the Nike South Regional last November.
The football-turned-distance-runner clocked a 5k PR of 14:57.98 last fall and finished 56th at Nike Cross Nationals, but everything that has happened since then on the track points to a potential breakthrough on the course very soon.
Outdoors, Burlison, who ran for Grapevine his junior season, won both the 1,600m and 3,200m at the UIL Texas Class 5A State Championships in 4:08.64 and 8:54.47 and would end his season with a stellar 4:03.85 mile performance at the RunningLane Track Championships, finishing behind only Devan Kipyego.
That alone indicates that he may have more in store for the 5k in the coming months.

9. Byron Grevious
Phillips Exeter Academy (NH)
- - -
Expect Grevious to make a big impact on the course toward the end of the season.
The Phillips Exeter Academy (NH) star typically doesn't open up his season until October, but when his debut does come, he'll be a top talent. Last year as a junior, he won half of the four races he contested and earned stellar finishes on the national stage -- second place at Nike Northeast Regionals and 12th at Nike Cross Nationals in 15:00.90 for 5k.
American Fork's Daniel Simmons was the only other junior that finished ahead of Grevious at NXN.
That success continued on the track, both indoors and outdoors, as Grevious clocked 8:51.00 at New Balance Nationals Indoor and 14:24.04 for 5,000m at Nike Outdoor Nationals, a performance which also earned him a win.
His 5K personal best of 14:41.94 was set back in 2021 competing in the historic showdown at Garmin RunningLane, but Grevious will challenge the sub-15-minute barrier each time he steps on a course in 2023.

8. Paul Bergeron
Westford Academy (MA)
- - -
Placing 15th at the Champs Sports National Championships last December, Bergeron emerged as one of the top performers on the day from the Class of 2024.
But that shouldn't have come as much of a surprise, as he put together a consistent cross country campaign in 2022 while representing Westford Academy (MA).
Bergeron set a 5K best of 14:43.74 last season and finished in the top three every race he ran minus Champs Sports Nationals. One of his best performances came at the Champs Sports Northeast Regional, taking third in 15:30.80 for a 193 speed rating.
He also holds a strong track resume with PRs of 4:10.62 for the mile and 8:51.88 in the 2-mile.

7. Jake Liebert
Wando (SC)
- - -
One of the fastest cross country racers in South Carolina history will look to add another state title and top national finishes to his resume in his final year of high school competition.
Liebert clocked a 5K season best of 14:54.60 in 2022 for fourth at The Southern Showcase, which earned him his second-straight South Carolina AAAAA state title. He would also compete at RunningLane and take sixth overall to end his season.
But if the end of his outdoor season was of any indication of his current fitness, Liebert could quickly blow past his bests from 2022. He placed third in the 2-mile at New Balance Nationals Outdoor in 8:47.47 and also set a 4:11.04 1,600m best to win a AAAAA state title in the event.

6. Cameron Todd
Brebeuf Jesuit Prep (IN)
- - -
Todd was a relatively-underrated talent heading into Champs Sports Nationals last December.
He finished third at the Indiana State Cross Country Championships and fourth at the Champs Sports Midwest Regional.
But that's when the Brebeuf Jesuit Prep star became a much bigger name.
Earning sixth-place in 15:13.00 -- the top performance from a junior at Champs in 2022 -- Todd quickly cemented himself as an athlete to watch in the Class of 2024.
Since then, he's gone 8:55.93 for the 2-mile outdoors and clocked a mile PR of 4:09.96, both of which came at New Balance Nationals Outdoor.
He'll enter the fall with a 14:57.30 5K PR from the Nike XC Town Twilight Invitational last October.

5. Drew Griffith
Butler (PA)
- - -
The Notre Dame commit will have the chance to dominate in Pennsylvania this fall.
Griffith won all but two 5K races last year as a junior, including a key win at the Champs Sports Northeast Regional and a course record-breaking effort at the 29th Annual Carlisle Invitational. Griffith's time from Carlisle -- 14:49.30 -- ranked ninth-fastest among juniors in 2022.
But where Griffith's star power truly emerged was at Champs Sports Nationals, where he raced his way to eighth-place in 15:14.40, making him one of only three juniors to place in the top 10.
Griffith's track season that included an 8:48.01 2-mile effort indoors and a 4:07.24 indoor mile mark should give him the confidence needed to take command of his senior track season.

4. Clay Shively
Wichita Trinity Academy (KS)
- - -
The fastest Kansas distance runner since Jim Ryun could be the cross country athlete to watch this season.
Shively, the eighth-fastest returner junior at 5K with a PR of 14:47.40, didn't compete at a national cross country championship last fall. In fact, he ended his season on a high note, winning a Kansas Class 3A state title for the first time in his high school career.
But that shouldn't mean that he isn't on your radar in 2023.
Indoors, Shively broke the legendary Ryun's mile record of 4:07.20 with a 4:04.95 mile effort at the Arkansas Invitational, which was a record that had stood for nearly 60 years.
On the outdoor track, Shively continued to make state history with a 4:01.47 mile PR at the HOKA Festival of Miles and a 8:50.75 mark at the Shawnee Mission South Relays, both of which rank among the fastest performances ever from a Kansas high schooler.
The fastest guy since Ryun certainly has a nice ring to it, and Shively could improve upon that reputation this fall.

3. Patrick Koon
Leon (FL)
- - -
Setting numerous course and meet records throughout Florida last year, Koon was the man to beat in 2022.
That remains the same this fall. Not only did the Leon (FL) talent win all but one of his races in 2022, but he logged one of the fastest 5K times by a junior -- 14:43.00 -- which came in a win at the Southern Showcase.
Koon clocked three sub-15-minute performances for 5K last season, including a 14:50.00 course record at the FSU Invitational and a 14:56.70 effort for a state title at the FHSAA 3A state meet.
He'll enter his senior cross country season as the third-fastest returner at 5K and a legitimate contender for an individual national title.

2. Landon Heemeyer
Rocky Mountain (ID)
- - -
One of the top returners from last year's Champs Sports Nationals, Heemeyer will have a chance to rise up the cross country ranks from the get-go.
As a junior last year, Heemeyer won an Idaho Class 5A state championship in a 5K personal best of 14:38.79, which ranked him at U.S. No. 11 last season. He had his biggest breakout out performance of the season, though, in his very last race with a ninth-place run at Champs.
Outdoors, Heemeyer earned sixth at Nike Outdoor Nationals in the 2-mile with a PR of 9:01.80 and also clocked 8:59.57 for 3,200m at the Nike/Jesuit Twilight Relays.
But where Heemeyer's true dominance seems to lie is on the cross country course. As an experience senior, he has a chance to make an impact early on in both Idaho and on the national scene.

1. Daniel Simmons
American Fork (UT)
- - -
The Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Player of the Year from last year will return to the course as a senior and he will be a favorite to win a national title.
Simmons was a star for American Fork (UT) last fall as a junior, placing second at Nike Cross Nationals and winning all but two races he contested throughout the course of his season.
He set a 5K season best of 14:44.80 at the Nike Southwest Regional, and that performance ranked him among the top racers in the country.
His momentum carried on through both the indoor and outdoor track seasons as he clocked a U.S. No. 3 all-time 13:59.96 indoor 5K at New Balance Indoor Nationals and then logged a top five all-time 8:34.14 3,200m effort at the Arcadia Invitational during the outdoor season.
Simmons will hope to lead American Fork (UT) to victory from a team standpoint on the cross country course as well.

milesplit.com

The Top 10 Senior Boys To Watch In Cross Country

Ashley Tysiac

We rank the top senior boys competitors heading into the 2023 cross country season.

Link:www.milesplit.com/articles/337003/the-...

Grapevine’s Burlinson is transferring out of that school. This will make them harder to qualify for NXN even if Jesuit LA chooses not to do NXR

You left Aden Bandekwala off this list- big mistake.

HS Racing has already begun!
Even the top teams!

Southlake Carroll 1 mile race

tx.milesplit.com

Southlake 1 mile 2023 - Complete

MileSplits official Complete formatted results for the 2023 Southlake 1 mile , hosted by Carroll High School in Southlake TX.

Link:tx.milesplit.com/meets/540916-southlak...

Southlake Carroll boys results
Leonard - 10 - 4:18
Alvarez - 12 - 4:18
Troutman - 12 - 4:22
Severson - 11 - 4:27
Van De Berghe - 12 - 4:27
Cords - 11 - 4:33
Haskell - 12 - 4:33

Notable guys missing
Bullard (11) - was in their top 7 last year.
Golomb (12) - 4:24 in the 1600

This will be a guy to watch out for in the Heartland region

milesplit.com

Micah Blomker Found A Sense Of Peace After Winning 3K At AAU

Cory Mull

Long distance running can often feel like a test. Sometimes, it\'s a never-ending test.

Link:www.milesplit.com/articles/337272/mica...

He also placed high at Griak 2021