2022 Miss. XC Preseason Rankings: How accurate were we?

Related Links: 

Most Improved Mississippi Cross Country Girls from last season

Most Improved Mississippi Cross Country Boys from last season

Monday Morning Recap: RunningLane XC and Magic City

2022 Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships Results

2022 Magic City Invitational Results

Each summer, MileSplit Mississippi takes a go at predicting each Mississippi classification's individual and team winners. Now that the 2022 Mississippi Cross Country season has officially come to an end, we decided to see just how accurate we were. 

In some classifications, such as MAIS 2A Boys, MAIS 3A Girls, MAIS 5A Boys, MHSAA 1A Girls, MHSAA 3A Boys and Girls, and MHSAA 4A Boys, we were spot on. 

Others... Well, not so much!

Some classifications have studs that ran the show to defend their titles, such as Dallas Stricker, Lindsey Hogue, Charley Rose, Jack Hewes, Hannah Sanders, and Gabe McElwain. In contrast, others, such as Jonas Cox, Stratton Terrell, and Jeb Hamilton, came as a big surprise. 

*Jack Hewes (Saint Patrick) at the MHSAA 5-6-7 Super Regionals

Photo credits: Chris Webber 

Still others, such as Addison Rainey, JaQuavion Bryant, and Anna Caroline Crouch, we knew were very talented and capable of doing so, but still shocked the Mississippi Cross Country scene with their impressive resume and polished if it off with an individual title to their name. 

In team predictions, we were 16 for 24, which is two-thirds correct. For our predictions to be as far out as they were, we'll take it!

Programs like Regents of Oxford, Saint Patrick High School, Hattiesburg ForerunnersCorinth High School, and Saltillo High School currently have a good grip on their classification that we could see coming from a mile away. Other classifications that are very competitive, such as MHSAA 6A Boys and Girls, we got right, while others, like MAIS 5A Girls, were a little too close to call!

Some of the biggest surprises in the team results were Canton Academy winning MAIS 4A Girls, Christian Collegiate Academy winning MAIS 4A Boys, West Union High School winning MHSAA 1 Boys, and last but not least, East Union High School sweeping MHSAA 2A. 

It was yet another year Mississippi experienced growth in the sport; the harder it is to predict each classification, the more competitive we become. 

For each individual and team prediction and winner, as well as a link to each classification's prediction article and the final result, look no further than the table below!

INDIVIDUAL PREDICTION

INDIVIDUAL WINNER

TEAM PREDICTION

TEAM WINNER

WAY TOO EARLY RANKINGS

RESULTS

MAIS 2A GIRLS

Abigail Durkin (Regents of Oxford)Mary Charles Beckett (Regents of Oxford)Regents of OxfordRegents of OxfordLINKLINK

MAIS 2A BOYS

Dallas Stricker (Heritage Christian)Dallas Stricker (Heritage Christian)Regents of OxfordRegents of OxfordLINKLINK

MAIS 3A GIRLS

Lindsey Hogue (Benton)Lindsey Hogue (Benton)St. AugustineSt. AugustineLINKLINK

MAIS 3A BOYS

Jayce Wimbish (Prairie View)Micah Glorioso (Providence)Providence Classical AcademyProvidence Classical AcademyLINKLINK

MAIS 4A GIRLS

Charley Rose (Kirk)Charley Rose (Kirk)Central Holmes Christian SchoolCanton AcademyLINKLINK

MAIS 4A BOYS

Jake Harrington (Lamar Christian)Stratton Terrell (Tri County)Lamar Christian SchoolChristian Collegiate AcademyLINKLINK

MAIS 5A GIRLS

Layla Warren (Simpson)Layla Warren (Simpson)Simpson AcademyEast Rankin AcademyLINKLINK

MAIS 5A BOYS

Sidney Stegall (Heritage Academy)Sidney Stegall (Heritage Academy)Cathedral Unit SchoolCathedral Unit SchoolLINKLINK

MAIS 6A GIRLS

Ella Rankin (Hartfield)Ella Rankin (Hartfield)Jackson Preparatory SchoolMadison Ridgeland AcademyLINKLINK

MAIS 6A BOYS

Elliot Davis (Prep)Jonas Cox (MRA)Presbyterian Christian SchoolMadison Ridgeland AcademyLINKLINK

MHSAA 1A GIRLS

Lucy Littlejohn (French Camp)Lucy Littlejohn (French Camp)French Camp High SchoolFrench Camp High SchoolLINKLINK

MHSAA 1A BOYS

Bounds Simmons (TCPS)Chandler Ray (Falkner)Tupelo Christian Prep SchoolWest Union High SchoolLINKLINK

MHSAA 2A GIRLS

Eliza McCarley (Baldwyn)Ally Murphy (Myrtle)Walnut High SchoolEast Union High SchoolLINKLINK

MHSAA 2A BOYS

Gabe McElwain (Walnut)Gabe McElwain (Walnut)Walnut High SchoolEast Union High SchoolLINKLINK

MHSAA 3A GIRLS

Emily Ireland (Saint Andrew's)Emily Ireland (Saint Andrew's)Saint Patrick High SchoolSaint Patrick High SchoolLINKLINK

MHSAA 3A BOYS

Jack Hewes (Saint Patrick)Jack Hewes (Saint Patrick)Saint Patrick High SchoolSaint Patrick High SchoolLINKLINK

MHSAA 4A GIRLS

Hannah Sanders (Mooreville)Hannah Sanders (Mooreville)Corinth High SchoolCorinth High SchoolLINKLINK

MHSAA 4A BOYS

Parker Legoff (Corinth)Lukas Dykes (Mooreville)Corinth High SchoolCorinth High SchoolLINKLINK

MHSAA 5A GIRLS

Maine Lund (Lafayette High School)Anna Caroline Crouch (Saltillo)Saltillo High SchoolSaltillo High SchoolLINKLINK

MHSAA 5A BOYS

Mohamed Zaqief (Saltillo)Parker Shannon (Saltillo)Saltillo High SchoolSaltillo High SchoolLINKLINK

MHSAA 6A GIRLS

Jessica Cartwright (Hernando)Addison Rainey (Ocean Springs)Ocean Springs High SchoolOcean Springs High SchoolLINKLINK

MHSAA 6A BOYS

Jaheim Bridges (Tupelo)JaQuavion Bryant (Pearl)Pearl High SchoolPearl High SchoolLINKLINK

HOMESCHOOL GIRLS

Alyssa Frost (Hattiesburg Forerunners)Sydney Moudy (Hattiesburg Forerunners)Hattiesburg ForerunnersHattiesburg ForerunnersLINKLINK

HOMESCHOOL BOYS

Henry Richardson (Hattiesburg Forerunners)Jeb Hamilton (Tupelo Spartans)Hattiesburg ForerunnersHattiesburg ForerunnersLINKLINK