* Elin Latta is one of the top up-and-coming distance runners in the country
Photo Credit: Chris Langford/MileSplit Texas
- - -
We aren't even all the way through September, yet this cross-country season is already exceeding any expectations that were placed on it.
From the rolling hills and switchbacks of the Missouri Southern Stampede to the flatter and more forgiving course at the Trinity/Valkyrie Invitational, there were breakthrough performances all over the country.
This last week, a pair of freshmen and a pair of sophomores kept their cool in talented fields, leaving with huge personal bests and a lot of confidence.
COROS MILESPLIT 50 RANKINGS:
Here's the third edition of Future Stars for the 2024 season.
DOMINIC MATTHIAS
Moore (Okla.)
Class of 2028
A pair of runner-up finishes in your first two high school races isn't too shabby by any means! Matthias, a freshman who's quickly made a name for himself, knocked off nearly a minute from his previous personal best. At the Missouri Southern Stampede in Joplin, Mo., Matthias took second in a field loaded with upperclassmen, running 15:18.14. The youngster already sits atop Oklahoma's Class 6A landscape, exactly eight seconds faster than the nearest competitor. It didn't take long for Matthias to leave his mark on Oklahoma history, as he's already the fastest freshman in Oklahoma history, and No. 15 in the all-time freshman record books.
ELIN LATTA
South Texas Heat Homeschool (Texas)
Class of 2028
In the fourth race of her debut cross country season, Latta broke 18:00 for a third-straight time, this time running a huge personal best of 17:23. At the McNeil Invitational in Round Rock, Texas, Latta was runner-up in a field of nearly 250 girls and had a 14-second gap on the third place finisher. This is her fourth top-two finish, and her third runner-up performance this season. Latta sits comfortably right now at No. 7 on Texas' leaderboard and also happens to be the No. 2 sophomore in the country.
JP NEWMAN
Montgomery Bell Academy (Tenn.)
Class of 2027
After breaking 16:00 just three times last season as a freshman, the Tennessee-based sophomore has already run under that barrier twice, clocking 15:29.35 and 15:14.16 for back-to-back personal bests. Newman's most recent improvement came in a field of 352 athletes and 43 teams at the Trinity/Valkyrie Invitational. In his first trip to the 'Bluegrass State', Newman held his own with the big dogs, finishing 11th overall. Newman also helped lead his Big Red teammates to a fourth-place finish. For now, he sits No. 5 in the entire state of Tennessee and is the No. 8 sophomore in the country.
After a breakthrough season on the track last spring, Bercuvitz has quickly become one of the top contenders that New York has to offer. In both of her races this fall, Bercuvitz created huge gaps on the field, winning by a combined 2:43. Most recently, the sophomore lowered her personal best all the way down to 17:22.6, already over a minute quicker than the best time of her freshman year. With plenty of racing left this season, Bercuvitz is already No. 8 on the all-time sophomore list for New York and is the No. 5 sophomore in the country this season. She also has a 14-second lead on the next fastest girl in New York's Class A.