* Union Catholic sophomore Paige Sheppard is one of the five POTW nominees
Photo Credit: TSP Images/MileSplit
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Not all of the big shots were competing this last weekend, but girls around the country showed up and showed out from the Pacific Northwest all the way to the East Coast.
The National Performer of the Week poll will close at 1 p.m. CT on Friday, Sept. 20, and the winner will be announced shortly after.
Take a look at five of the top-performing girls from last weekend.
COROS MILESPLIT50:
This Week's Nominees:
Ella Hagen, Summit (Col.): For the first time since her freshman year, Hagen was the one to break the tape at the Liberty Bell Invitational, winning in 16:54 for the current Colorado state lead. Hagen was one of two girls under 17:00, pulling away from runner-up Delaney Reuter for the early-season win. Hagen's season best was nine seconds off of her lifetime best of 16:45.1, which she ran at this same meet as a sophomore.
Ryin Miller, Seaman (Topeka, Kan.): After becoming the fourth Kansas girl to ever break 17:00 last week, Miller annihilated the state record of 16:45.75 that had been set in 2016 by Cailie Logue. Miller solo'd a 16:32.62 as she won by nearly three minutes, becoming the first girl in Kansas history to break 16:40. She's now the 26th fastest high schooler of all time.
Paige Sheppard, Union Catholic (N.J.): In her sophomore season opener, Union Catholic's star lowered her personal best all the way down to 17:14 at the Battle at Ocean County Park. In her first race of the year, she is now the third-fastest sophomore in state history, and just seven seconds shy of the class record.
Chloe Huyler, Lakeridge (Ore.): Make that two wins in a row for the Oregon standout, as Huyler improved on her season opening time of 17:21, stopping the clock at 17:12.7. Huyler was in no man's land for much of the race, putting together a 36 second win over her twin sister Hannah, who was runner-up in 17:58. The Lakeridge duo led their team to a 35 point team win over Tigard, 58-93.
Libby Castelli, O'Gorman (Sioux Falls, S.D.): In her first race at Yankton Trail Park this season, Castelli was the first to take down the middle school pairing from Harrisburg. Winning in 17:18.6, the experienced senior did what it took to win, notching a new personal best in the first race of her senior campaign.