Top 10 Incoming Freshman Girls
Maggie Irwin, Oxford High School
RANK | TIME | ATHLETE | TEAM | GRADE | MEET | PLACE |
1 | 19:01.34 | ELLA RANKIN | Hartfield Academy | 2026 | 2021 Watson High School Meet | 7th |
2 | 20:04.41 | LILLY OVERBY | Simpson Academy | 2026 | Mississippi XC Meet of Champions | 5th |
3 | 20:18.90 | MAGGIE IRWIN | Oxford High School | 2026 | MHSAA 6A Cross Country Championships | 11th |
4 | 20:23.10 | LAYLA WARREN |Simpson Academy | 2026 | Mississippi XC Meet of Champions | 11th |
5 | 20:29.68 | RYLEE BLANCHARD | Lewisburg High School | 2026 | Mississippi XC Meet of Champions | 12th |
6 | 20:30.93 | EMILY WILLIAMS | East Rankin Academy | 2026 | Mississippi XC Meet of Champions | 13th |
7 | 20:32.22 | BRILEY SPEIGHTS | Columbia Academy | 2026 | Mississippi XC Meet of Champions | 14th |
8 | 20:38.17 | ABBEY SANDERS | Tupelo High School | 2026 | MHSAA 6A Cross Country Championships | 14th |
9 | 20:40.36 | JAYDEN WARE | Saint Patrick High School | 2026 | MHSAA Region 5-6-7 XC Championships | 1st |
10 | 20:53.82 | ALEX LEE | St. Augustine | 2026 | 2021 Watson High School Meet | 7th |
CROSS COUNTRY RANKINGS: Full List of Incoming Freshman Girls
The Rundown:
Another Mississippi cross-country season approaches, and the class of 2022 has graduated... And with that, the class of 2026 will be looking to replace them.
With that being said, we decided to look at some of the top incoming freshmen that could make an impact on their respective team rankings, as well as in their respective classification as a whole.
Starting with Ella Rankin of Hartfield Academy, she has obviously already made a huge impact in MAIS 6A as an eighth-grader, winning the 2021 MAIS 6A Cross Country state title, as well as the 2022 MAIS 6A 3200m state title.
Ella Rankin winning the 2021 MAIS 6A Cross Country State Title
All that is left to say with Rankin is that as long as she stays healthy, she will surely continue her reign of dominance over this class, and maybe eventually the state of Mississippi as a whole, for quite some time.
Simpson Academy rising freshmen Lilly Overby and Layla Warren have an enormous amount of potential to make an impact on their team, as there is a very real chance that they will the top two runners on that team.
To get a further understanding and deeper analysis of how they could impact Simpson this upcoming cross-country season, click on the article below!
READ NEXT: Miss. High School Girls XC Preseason Team Rankings: No. 3
Warren and Overby are also some good examples of how they have already impacted MAIS 5A, as they are two of the top two distance runners in that classification. They showcased that fact at the 2022 MAIS 5A Track and Field Championships when both Warren and Overby took the top two spots in both the 1600m and 3200m.
RESULTS: 2022 MAIS 5A Track and Field Championships
As a matter of fact, MAIS 5A is very well-represented in this list, as Emily Williams of East Rankin Academy and Briley Speights of Columbia Academy are also on the Top 10 list presented at the top of the page.
Like Warren and Overby, Williams and Speights also earned medals at the 2022 MAIS 5A Track and Field Championships - Williams placed second in the 400m, and Speights was 2nd in the 800m.
Williams also placed third overall at the 2021 MAIS 5A Cross Country Championships.
Jayden Ware of Saint Patrick High School is yet another one that can continue the momentum that she has already created as an eighth-grader at the MHSAA 3A level, as she is coming off of a bronze medal in the 3200m at the 2022 MHSAA 3A Outdoor Championships, as well as a fourth-place finish at the 2021 MHSAA 3A Cross Country Championships.
Alex Lee of St. Augustine, the 2021 MAIS 3A Cross Country Runner-up, is one to watch in the future, though it has been rumored that she could potentially transfer out.
Finally, Maggie Irwin of Oxford High School, Rylee Blanchard of Lewisburg High School, and Abbey Sanders of Tupelo High School are all coming off of All-MHSAA 6A finishes in cross country, with Irwin finishing in 11th, Blanchard in 13th, and Sanders in 14th.
Sanders also made the 2022 MHSAA 6A Track and Field Championships, where she went on to place eighth in the 3200m.
Abbey Sanders (No. 6) and teammate Emma Scruggs (No. 3)
Irwin, Blanchard, and Sanders have already had successful careers and, but will undoubtedly be near the top of MHSAA 6A as they progress into upperclassmen.