After several Mississippi athletes delivered early-season breakout performances last week, the rankings began to take shape. This week, though, those rankings were flipped as many of the state's top returners opened their seasons over the weekend.
With only one of the top five returning boys yet to race this season, we now have a much clearer picture of how the state's best stack up. From dominant wins to massive personal bests, this weekend gave us our strongest look yet at the athletes who could define the 2026 cross country season.
Eli Seaton Opens at 15:58, and the Coastal Mississippi Wildcats Earn a Perfect Score at the Port City Classic
After finishing the 2025 season with a personal best of 15:38, Eli Seaton of Pascagoula High School entered 2026 as the second-best returner in the state. He opened his season this weekend at the Port City Classic and immediately showed the state that he had been busy during the offseason.
Through the opening stages of the race, Seaton was followed closely by Gage Bezoski of Sumrall and a chase pack led by Owen McMahon of Biloxi. That group would not hold together for long, though. By the halfway point, Seaton had pulled away considerably, stringing out the rest of the field behind him. At the finish, it was Seaton all day, with no one else in sight. He crossed the line in 15:58 for the win and began his season at the top of the Mississippi rankings.
Another notable performance in this race came from Tucker Hines of Gulfport High School. Roughly a half-mile into the race, Hines was sitting in 13th place. He steadily picked his way through the competition, however, and found himself in fifth as he approached the two-mile mark. During the final mile, he continued to pass competitors and ultimately finished second overall in 16:09. The performance was a personal best by nearly a full minute.
On the girls' side, it was pure dominance once again from the Coastal Mississippi Wildcats. Out of the gate, eighth-grader Chloe Parker took control and led from start to finish. She guided her team to a perfect score as the Wildcats claimed each of the top six finishing spots. They averaged 19:51 with a 1:25 spread -- no other team in the state seems to have an answer for this squad just yet. In the cross country team score rankings, the Wildcats lead the state with 54 points, while the second-place team sits at 211.
David Lee and Perry Hearst Go Head-to-Head, and Grace Hoeniges Dominates at the Southern Heatwave Classic
At the Southern Heatwave Classic, we got to watch two powerhouse runners battle it out. David Lee, a junior from Madison Central, and Perry Hearst, a sophomore from German town, entered this season as the fourth- and fifth-ranked returners in the state. Based on their results from the 2025 cross-country season, this race was bound to be a close one.
Out of the gate, Lee and Landon Morgan of Pearl came through the first mile side by side. As the race unfolded, Hearst joined the lead pack, and the three were running shoulder to shoulder through the two-mile mark. Lee began to pull away during the final mile before making a slight wrong turn, which left him in a kicking battle with Hearst. In the end, Lee was able to pull away once more and crossed the line with a winning time of 16:05. Hearst followed closely behind in 16:11.
Neither athlete competed on this course last year, but these opening performances were still much quicker than what either runner produced to begin 2025. For both Lee and Hearst, this year's opener was nearly 30 seconds faster than their respective 2025 season-opening performance.
On the girls' side, Grace Hoeniges delivered one of the most outstanding performances in the state last weekend. The senior opened her season the previous week on a tough course in Flowood, running 21:04 for the win. She finally got the chance to hit her stride on the Quarry course at the Southern Heatwave Classic, and her performance there blew her previous marks out of the water. Hoeniges won by 24 seconds and crossed the line in 19:05. Not only is that the second-fastest time in the state right now, but it is also a massive indicator of what could be ahead for her.
Last year, Hoeniges ran 19:21 on this same course at roughly the same point in the season. She ended her 2025 campaign with a personal best at the MHSAA Championships, just as she had in 2024. If history tells us anything about the way she progresses through a season, it is not crazy to believe that 19:05 is only the beginning of what Hoeniges can do. I would not be surprised to see her dip below 19 minutes soon.
Autry Foster Cruises to the Win at NMPHC
The NMPHC Cross Country Classic saw the third-best returner in the state, Autry Foster of Lewisburg High School, take to the grass for the first time this season. Foster is one of the most exciting prospects in Mississippi after establishing himself as one of the state's top runners last year as a freshman. After making a name for himself during the 2025 cross country season, the 2026 campaign represents his opportunity to cement himself as a dominant force in the state.
Last year, this race served as a breakout moment for Foster. He entered the 2025 season with a personal best of 16:41 and immediately dropped that mark to 16:20 at NMPHC. Once again in 2026, this meet showcased just how much progress he made during the offseason.
Foster took control of the large-school boys' race and never gave anyone else much of an opportunity to challenge him. He crossed the line in 16:11.42, winning by more than 19 seconds over Corinth junior Silvestre Lopez, who finished second in 16:30.58. DeSoto Central senior James West rounded out the top three with a time of 16:40.44.
Although Foster's opener was not a personal best, it was nearly 10 seconds faster than he ran at this same meet last season. That is a meaningful improvement for a runner who went on to lower his personal best all the way to 15:42 later in 2025. If Foster follows a similar progression this fall, 16:11 could be the first step toward another major breakthrough.
Behind Foster's individual win, DeSoto Central claimed the large-school boys' team title with 74 points and a 17:33 average. Arlington finished second with 93 points, while Caledonia took third with 113. Lewisburg placed ninth as a team, but Foster and sophomore Dylan Blanchard gave the Patriots an impressive one-two punch by finishing first and fifth, respectively.
The large-school girls' race produced one of the closest battles of the weekend. Caledonia junior Addie Shepherd held off Lafayette freshman Hazel Dawson to earn the win, crossing the line in 19:52.25. Dawson finished just behind her in 19:59.85, while Bartlett junior Naomi Horn took third in 20:14.20.
Shepherd's victory also helped lift Caledonia to the team title with 74 points. Bartlett finished only 13 points back with 87, and Lewisburg rounded out the top three with 95.