3. Jessica Cartwright - Hernando High School
- Last Ranking: #2
- Last Performance: 19:15 5k, 10th place finish at the 2021 Watson Invitational Meet
- Next Race: Desoto County Cross Country Championships
Keeping a spot in the top 3 and running her 3rd sub 19:20 5k in a row is Saltillo Invite Champion, Jessica Cartwright of Hernando. Like I've stated in previous All-State Articles, an athlete's whole entire season goes into the rankings. And while I'm sure Cartwright would have liked to do a little better on Saturday, a Top 10 finish in the deepest field in Mississippi history isn't too shabby. If a 19:15 is an off day for Cartwright, then she'll be dangerous at State or All-State if she is on.
2. Brookelyn Morgan - Tupelo High School
- Last Ranking: #3
- Last Performance: 19:00 5k, 6th place finish at the 2021 Watson High School Meet
- Next Race: French Camp Classic
Coming in at #2, the highest she has been ranked all season, is the freshman phenom from Tupelo High, Brookelyn Morgan. Morgan just keeps on inching closer and closer to the sub-19 5k barrier, running 19:00.4 for a solid 6th place finish at Watson, and the 1st Mississippian to cross the line. Morgan did her thing up front set the pace early and made the race what it was, and paid off with another 5k PR in her season. If she keeps racing like the way she did at Watson, sub-19 is surely coming for the young star.