Lily Alder of Timpview (Utah) goes from unranked to No. 5 in the latest rankings
Photo: Raymond Tran/MileSplit California
The past two weeks saw an even split from the country, as two different approaches toward the season began to emerge. Many of the country's top returners are continuing in maintenance mode, creating a slow build for a long season that culminates in December. On the other side of the coin, you have plenty of newcomers with newfound fitness ready to put that speed to the test.
The rankings remain the same at the top, but Woodbridge Cross Country Classic provided plenty of discussion on how there could be a challenge to the throne(s). Rylee Blade led a field under the course record on the flat, fast field in California, providing our first big matchups of the season. The course ran roughly ten seconds faster than a year prior, but Blade bettered the time of Jane Hedengren by thirteen seconds, as well as backing it up again head-to-head.
Four California athletes finished in the top six at Woodbridge, but neither nationals are run on a course anything like Orange County Park. Variability may change that finish order come December, and the rest of the country will be involved in the mix. Rim Rock in Kansas this weekend saw the next biggest clash of nationally ranked athletes, as Ryin Miller outleaned two strong athletes out of Salina. It may be the most competitive Kansas has been in over a decade. Michigan also is set to provide a clash of the titans, as Helen Sachs and Jessica Jazwinski build strong résumés. Lastly, Tsadia Bercuvitz impressed on the East Coast with a big course record at the McQuaid Invite, toppling times held by Molly Huddle and Jessica Lawson.
And while we see some outstanding performances, others lie in wait. Elizabeth Leachman is in a heavy training phase. Addison Ritzenhein is on the same progression as she was a year ago. Zariel Macchia is still in transition from her track season that saw her at U20's in late August. And like many other seniors, Abby Faith Cheeseman was finishing up the college recruiting process before big races to come.
Quick Team Check-In
We'll update our team rankings next week. No real big updates, as Flower Mound ran a partial squad to win in Texas. Mountain Vista (Colo.) had the biggest race of the weekend, and will help determine its spot next week, while Bethlehem (N.Y.) overtakes higher ranked Union Catholic (N.J.) at Bowdoin.