Mississippi cross country was back in full force this weekend, with teams from nearly every corner of the state taking to the course. Between head-to-head battles featuring some of Mississippi's best runners, breakout performances from young athletes, and teams making major jumps in the early season rankings, there was plenty to take away from another busy weekend of racing. 

With the season still just getting started, these early meets are beginning to give us a better idea of which athletes and teams could make some noise this fall. Here are some of the biggest performances and storylines from across the state.

Rylee Fullwood and Izzy Craft Duke It Out at Victors Kickoff at the Quarry

In a star studded matchup, two of the best runners in the state went head to head at the Victors Kickoff at the Quarry. Matching up on the grass were Rylee Fullwood from Magnolia Heights, a sophomore who has opened her season with unprecedented improvement, and Izzy Craft from Simpson Academy, who entered this season as one of the top returning athletes in the state.

Early on, it was clear that this race would come down to the two athletes, with no one else in sight. By the halfway point, they were still together and looking strong. In the end, it was Fullwood who held the upper hand, crossing the line with a time of 19:00. The win keeps her steady as the fastest girl in the state and maintains her undefeated streak to start the season.

Right behind her, Craft finished with a time of 19:07 to secure second place. Both girls ran the fastest times recorded on this course in the last two years.

For anyone doubting Fullwood's success after the South Panola XC Opener, this meet should serve as a true eye opener. This time, she was matched up against one of the state's best returning runners, and she held her own all the way to the finish.

Her season is barely getting started, though, and her biggest meet yet is coming up very quickly. On September 5, Fullwood will toe the line against some of the best athletes in the South at the City Auto Memphis Twilight XC Classic. With great competition and what should be much better racing weather, we might get our first real look at just how fast this newcomer can run.

Coen Foster and Shepherd Hardin Secure 1-2 Punch for New Albany at Myrtle Invitational

Several of our northern Mississippi schools opened their seasons at the Myrtle Invitational, and the results did not disappoint. In the boys' race, it was New Albany leading the way, with junior Coen Foster and sophomore Shepherd Hardin taking the top two spots.

Foster secured the win with a time of 16:23, while Hardin followed right behind him in 16:38. Their performances helped New Albany take the team victory with 31 points and an average of 17:52. That team average currently ranks them as the third-fastest team in the entire state.

These were notable personal bests for both Foster and Hardin, although there has been some speculation surrounding the length of the course. Many athletes recorded the race as being less than three miles on their watches, but GPS is not always perfect, especially in the woods. Either way, this was a stellar opener for both boys and gives us a great early look at what to expect from some of these northern squads as the season progresses.

On the girls' side of things, two athletes ran away from the rest of the field. Ally Murphy from Myrtle Attendance Center took the win on her home course in 19:10, the fastest opener of her career and her fastest time ever on this course.

Right behind her was eighth grader Maggie Mask from Tupelo Christian Preparatory School. Mask has been on the rise since her seventh-grade year, and her resume is already outstanding for a middle schooler. She already has 13 total wins in her career, with five of those coming in cross country. And these are not just wins at small meets. Mask has picked up victories at meets such as the MHSAA Middle School Cross Country Classic and the MHSAA State Championships.

Those wins are probably just a small taste of what she is capable of. Her second-place finish at the Myrtle Invitational was a personal best by more than a minute and marked the first time in her career that she broke 20 minutes for 5K. If she is already producing performances like this as an eighth grader, then who knows how fast she could be running by the end of this season, or by the end of her high school career.

Coastal Mississippi Wildcats Put on a Masterclass at the Cory McGee Open

It is not uncommon to see young athletes take the reins of a team, but what the Coastal Mississippi Wildcats have put together is almost unbelievable. After finishing last season as the 17th fastest team in the state, this squad was not on many people's radar entering the year. However, they have already made it abundantly clear that anyone not paying attention to the Wildcats might want to start.

At the Cory McGee Open, the Wildcats took the course by storm and nearly put together a perfect day. Leading the charge was eighth grader Chloe Parker, who, according to our records, has competed in no other races. She won the race comfortably with a time of 19:31.

Behind her was one of the top returning athletes in the state, sophomore Ellie Legg, running toe to toe with eighth grader Fiona Fox. The pair both finished in 19:58.41, securing second and third place.

Shortly after those three crossed the line, seventh grader Cora Nelson came through in 20:45 for fourth place, while senior Annelise Parker rounded out their top five in sixth place with a time of 21:54.

The Wildcats still were not finished. Their sixth runner, Rachel Knotts, came through moments later in seventh overall.

For anyone keeping count, that was six Wildcats inside the top 10 at one of the biggest meets on the Mississippi Coast. Their final score came out to just 16 points with a 20:25 team average, only one point away from a perfect score.

At this same meet last year, the Wildcats placed third overall with 88 points and an average of 23:07. In just one year, they dropped nearly three minutes from their team average. That would be impressive at any point in the season, but considering this was their first meet of the year, it makes the performance even more impressive.

If you look at the predicted top returning teams in the state based on last year's times, Clinton, Ocean Springs, and Tupelo lead the way, with Clinton sitting at first with an average of 20:19. Coastal Mississippi sits at 14th on that list.

Fast forward to what has actually happened so far this year, and the Wildcats are currently the fastest team in the state by almost a full minute. It is still very early in the season, but Coastal Mississippi has already given the rest of the state a reason to start paying attention.

Kailey Skaggs and Silvestre Lopez Lead Mississippi at Brooks Tennessee River Classic

Across state lines, several Mississippi teams traveled to the Brooks High School Tennessee River Classic. The meet featured some stout competition, but several Mississippi athletes still managed to turn in standout performances.

The highest-placing Mississippi runner on the girls' side was Kailey Skaggs from Tupelo High School. She finished ninth overall, opening her season with a time of 19:31. At this same meet last year, Skaggs ran 20:32, meaning she returned one year later and improved by more than a minute. She also helped lead the Tupelo girls to a fourth-place team finish out of 17 schools.

On the boys' side, Silvestre Lopez from Corinth led the Mississippi runners with his 14th place finish. He ran 16:41 for a new personal best to start the year. This was also an improvement of almost one minute from his time at this meet last season, giving Lopez a strong start to his 2026 campaign.

Right behind him was Tupelo's David Sanders, a sophomore standout who finished with a time of 16:50. Sanders had an incredible track season, going from 5:12 to 4:35 in the 1600 in just one year. It's clear that he's continued that motivation from track season and is becoming a force on the grass this year. This race was almost a minute-and-a-half personal best for him and was two minutes faster than his time at this same course last year. His recent come-up will also make a major difference for Tupelo this season.

The Golden Wave were already on pace to be one of the top teams in the state without another breakout athlete. With Sanders joining the top five at under 17 minutes, it could be difficult to find a team with a better squad.  For reference, the predicted top scoring teams based on last year's times were DeSoto Central, Oxford, and Tupelo High School. However, that picture has already started to change. 

When Sanders' 16:50 is added to Tupelo's scoring five, Tupelo's projected team average drops by nearly 10 seconds, while their overall score in the statewide rankings improves by roughly 40 points. One race does not decide how the rest of the season will play out, but adding another runner under 17 minutes to a team that was already expected to contend certainly makes the Golden Wave even more dangerous.