TSR's 2024 Preseason High School XC Top-25 Team Rankings: Just Missed & Honorable Mentions (Girls)

Donald Speas
Aug 6, 2024
4 min read

Rankings & analysis by Donny Speas, additional edits & commentary via Garrett Zatlin

Let's get started! Over last week or two, we've put out plenty of rankings for the top individual distance runners in the collegiate ranks. Now, it's time for the team standings to take center stage, starting with our high school girl's "Just Missed" and "Honorable Mention" names.

It should also be noted that for our preseason rankings (although not necessarily during the season), we limit our "Just Missed" group to five teams and our "Honorable Mention" group to 10 teams.

JUST MISSED (in no particular order)

Hilliard Davidson Wildcats (OH)

I feel like the state of Ohio can often be overlooked when it comes to high school cross country. Admittedly, the teams from the Buckeye State are usually not as strong as other perennial powerhouse states in the Midwest region, but this year’s Hilliard Davidson squad can certainly mix things up in 2024. They did, after all, finish 6th at the NXR Midwest meet last year and only lose one athlete from their top-seven.

The Wildcats are led by the lethal 1-2 duo of Erica Kaulen and Celia Schute, both of whom placed inside the top-40 at the NXR Midwest meet and had solid track seasons. Schute, in particular, had an impressive track season, dipping under the five-minute barrier for the first time (for 1600 meters) and running a fantastic 800-meter personal best of 2:08.

The best part is that Schute and Kaulen are both juniors, meaning that Hilliard Davidson will have no shortage of opportunities to book their ticket to the national meet both this fall and next fall.

Saratoga Springs Blue Streaks (NY)

Ok, let’s start with the elephant in the room.

The Saratoga Springs Blue Streaks lose their top-three runners from last year, including multiple-time All-American, Emily Bush. Additionally, only have a returning 5k average of 19:26 which, in their defense, excludes the times from the Section Two XC Championships, a race that may have been slightly short. That average is among the slower side compared to the other teams listed in these rankings.

And yet, we simply can't shake the idea of Saratoga Springs not being nationally competitive (in some capacity) this fall.

That’s mainly due to the faith that I have in the Blue Streak’s coaching staff and the wealth of experience that they've amassed over their numerous (successful) trips to NXN. They’ve continually found ways to achieve greatness on the national stage year after year. And frankly, I just struggle to believe that this program won't find a way to stay competitive.

So for now, I think the Blue Streaks seem like a good fit for our "Just Missed" category.

Oyster River Bobcats (NH)

It’s not very often that you hear about an elite cross country team hailing from the state of New Hampshire (in fact, during my time writing for TSR, I think this might be the first time that I’ve ever mentioned the Granite State).

Of course, when you place 4th at the NXR Northeast meet, average 18:34 for 5k and return your entire scoring lineup, then some people (including ourselves) are bound to start paying attention.

The Bobcats are led by senior MacKenzie Cook who has gained plenty of national meet experience, albeit on the track, having finished inside the top-20 at New Balance Nationals a whopping four times across various events. That is always a good sign for a still-rising low-stick.

In fact, a good chunk of this team holds national meet experience. The quartet of Cook, Neely Roy, Madelyn Cook and Haley Kavanagh placed 8th in the 4xMile-relay at New Balance Outdoor Nationals this past June. On paper, this feels like a very safe team with a high floor -- and that's a good thing.

Holland West Panthers (MI)

2024 looks like an “all or nothing” year for the Holland West girls as four out of their top-six projected scorers are entering their senior years of high school. Luckily for the Panthers, they are home to one of the most talented athletes in the Midwest region. I am, of course, talking about senior Helen Sachs who won the 2022 NXR Midwest title and has run 10:20 for 3200 meters.

Needless to say, if Sachs can regain her 2022 form, then the Panther’s ceiling will be raised dramatically. One other key Panther athlete to keep an eye out for is junior Ava Porras who strung together some solid wins and clocked an 18:08 personal best over 5000 meters during her 2023 fall campaign.

While Porras and Sachs form a solid top-duo, they will need at least one more of their teammates to join them as a lead scorer if Holland West wants to have a chance to qualify for the national meet.

Mount Si Wildcats (WA)

The Mount Si girls are one of the teams who I'm most curious about as we approach the upcoming cross country season. The first thing that stands about the Wildcats is that they have one of the best low-stick duos in the country in the form of the Cossey twins. Those lead scorers have both run under 5:00 (1600), 10:45 (3200), 18:00 (5k XC) and were both in the top-five at the Washington 4A State XC Championships.

Then, you get to the back half of the lineup where they have multiple athletes who only participate in cross country and therefore have no track times. That makes it challenging to figure out and gauge what their current fitness is like.

Finally, keep an eye on sophomore Ryan McClellan who appears to be the best runner to split the gap between these two distinct groups within Mount Si’s lineup. All in all, if the Mount Si Wildcats all click on the right day, then we could easily be talking about them as the surprise team of the year.

HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no order)

East Aurora Blue Devils (NY)
Flower Mound Jaguars (TX)
Assumption Rockets (KY)
Champlain Valley Union Redhawks (VT)
Lincoln Cardinals (OR)
Sioux Falls Christian Chargers (SD)
Lucas Lovejoy Leopards (TX)
Cherry Creek Bruins (CO)
St Francis Lancers (CA)
American Fork Cavewomen (UT)