Everyone wants to be the fastest runner on their team... And we definitely aren't saying that it shouldn't be that way.
However, a very important member of a cross country squad is its No. 5 runner, and the table on the next page proves just that.
A team is only as good as its No. 5 runner, and a team is only as strong as its weakest link. It is always good to have a good low stick or a 1-2 combo up front, but every well-rounded team has to have a strong No. 5 to hold them down.
In 2021, Brookhaven High School ended the year as the No. 1 boy's team in the state... And had the fastest No. 5 runner in Collin Kellum with a PR of 16:50.86.
Ocean Springs High School, who had one of the most dominant state meet performances in Mississippi High School Cross Country history, had well and away the fastest No. 5 in Addison Rainey with a PR of 20:06.03
Simply put, the faster one's No. 5 runner is, ...
