* Emily Beers (far left) with Air Academy (CO) on their first place win at the 42nd Woodbridge Classic this September
Photo Credit: MileSplit/ Raymond Tran
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Cross country fans know that the fifth runner of a team can make or break a race.
No matter how well the top four runners of a team perform, if their fifth runner struggles, a meet could be lost.
The fifth runner is a vital part of a team's success, so we complied a ranking of the fastest fifth runners in the country based on this season's 5k PR.
Emily Beers, a high school junior from Air Academy (CO), tops the list with the fastest fifth-runner 5K time of 17:51.10. Since the start of the season, Beers has aided in the team's first place success at both of their races: Liberty Bell and Woodbridge.
Close behind is Niwot High School's (CO) Cayden Justice, who has clocked a top time of 17:54.20. This past weekend, Justice and the rest of the Niwot girls displayed their strength, collecting a perfect score at the Desert Twilight Invita...
