The Top Six Athletes To Watch At The Wingfoot XC Classic

* Marist's Ruby Little has won the Wingfoot XC girls race two straight years

Photo Credit: Alison Markham/MileSplit

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Get ready for a rock-star level race this weekend just north of Atlanta. 

The Wingfoot XC Classic will go down for the ninth time in its history at Sam Smith Park in Cartersville with just over 5,300 athletes set to compete. 

The top sections, the championship races, are no doubt going to offer the highest-level of racing from the high schoolers. 

We've done our homework and we've tracked the top six candidates to watch out for on both sides.

Check back on MileSplit as we provide coverage over the weekend of The Wingfoot XC Classic. 

Tommy Latham, Marist (GA)

Class of 2025

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The man is off to a torrid start. He's registered two straight performances under 15 minutes, winning the AT&T Starr's Mill Panther meet on Sept. 2 before clocking a career-best 14:41.01 at the Southern Showcase to finish fourth last weekend. 

Next up is Wingfoot XC at Sam Smith Park. 

Latham was third here last year, falling behind Joe Sapone and Max Hardin in the final 1K, but he did finish in 15:14.10, which is top 10 all-time on the course (No. 8 exactly). 

Can he put together three straight sub-15 minute performances? That would be asking a lot, especially considering only two boys have ever broken that mark on this course. But if anyone can do it, it's probably Latham at this point. 

Claire Stegall, Nolensville (TN)

Class of 2025

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Stegall may be underrated as a cross country runner at this point in her career, but she's got some real chops. A year ago, she broke 18 minutes a total of five times, including a personal best of 17:08.18 at the Voyles Classic. Her season led her to a state title in Tennessee and a pretty good performance at the Garmin RunningLane XC Championships before she had to step off the course. 

That means Stegall could very well go after the course record of 17:17 here, which is held by Kelsey Chmiel, who last accomplished that feat in 2016 while competing for Saratoga Springs (NY). 

Stegall will have to do some work early to make it happen, but her strength is speed, and she certainly has that ability in spades.

She ran 2:09 for 800m, 4:41.40 for 1,600m and 10:57.57 for 3,200m outdoors. She is a top recruit, and will be one of the best middle-distance runners for juniors this year. 

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TOP GIRLS TIMES ALL-TIME AT SAM SMITH PARK

Ruby Little, Marist (GA)

Class of 2024

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All things considered, Little enters as the runner to beat. She's won the girls championship section the past two seasons, clocking identical winning times of 18:08.50 and 18:08.50 in consecutive seasons. 

That means Little, a University of Arkansas commit, will enter her third season understanding the Sam Smith Park course like few others can, which gives her a certain advantage. 

She opened up her season on Sept. 2 at the AT&T Starr's Mill Panther meet and clocked a time of 17:52.70, dropping 24 seconds off her best at the same course year-over-year. 

So Little is as fast as she's ever been, and she'll get the greatest challenge she's faced yet in the championship here at Wingfoot. 

Graham Myers, Fleming Island (FL)

Class of 2024

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Traveling all the way down from Florida, Myers should be in the front-pack hunt. He sports a personal best of 15:17.80 for 5K and was a third-place finisher at the Florida Class 3A cross country championships last year. 

Myers already has three races under his belt, including a top 10 finish at the Cecil Field Summer Classic, and two top five nods at the Florida Horse Park Invite (15:28) and the Katie Caples Invitational (15:56). 

The boys championship at Wingfoot XC will give Myers reason to go after that personal best. 

Katelynn Dollar, Creekview (GA)

Class of 2024

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Dollar skipped Wingfoot last year, but she's no stranger to Sam Smith Park. She ran on this course as a sophomore and finished ninth overall in 18:58.70. 

That experience will serve her well, especially considering Dollar has blossomed since then into one of her state's top runners. 

She was fourth at her Georgia Class 6A championships a year ago and opened her season with a win on Sept. 9 in 18:42.88. Just last week, she finished fourth in the girls section at The Southern Showcase, producing her first sub-18 time since 2021 on the same course. She ran 17:58 on Sept. 16. 

Luke Thompson, Brentwood Academy (TN)

Class of 2024

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The moment is here for Thompson to shine, and Wingfoot XC will present a great opportunity for him -- and his team -- to make a statement. 

Thompson opened up his campaign with a second-place finish at the Voyles Classic in 15:12.96, a result that came up just seven-tenths shy of the winner, Miles Ramer. 

That was an impressive effort from Thompson, and also a winning one because it led to Brentwood Academy's big win over rival Brentwood by just five points. 

Brentwood Academy owns the fifth-best average in Tennessee at 16:13.75 and will be in contention to go after the championship team title here. 

The boys race could be tactical depending on a few factors. If that ends up being the case, expect Thompson to be in the hunt for a title. 

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THE TOP BOYS TIMES ALL-TIME AT SAM SMITH PARK

Related Links: 

Throwback: The best finish in Wingfoot XC history

Wingfoot XC Classic meet page