Natalia Gaona-Zelaya won New World in 17:02 and moves to first, four girls broke the course record, and Madison Muller takes her first loss.
Florida girls cross country, through nine weeks: August 21-October 17, 2026
Nearly every runner on this list raced the same Elite race at the New World Fall Spectacular in Jacksonville on Saturday, so this week the grass did most of the ranking. Where two runners met there, that result orders them. Our weekend recap has the full meet.
Natalia Gaona-Zelaya of Wiregrass Ranch won New World in 17:02. She is six for six and moves to first. Annabella Tomasic was two seconds behind her, Emma Balaban third and Arabella Duffell fourth, and all four ran under the course record of 17:14 from 2024. Madison Muller, first on this list since week 3, was fifth in 17:16, her first loss of the season. Alba Antunez-Perez, Lyla Hallick and Sofie Stam followed in that order. Katherine Eudaly and Camila Giles did not race and hold their places.
Every time is weighed against where it was run, using runners who raced both that course and last November's state meet, with Cecil Field as the yardstick. A runner is ranked on her whole season, with the most recent race counting most, and a race she won never counts against her. We use the data and our own eyes, and we will get one or two wrong along the way. The boys' list is here.
1. Natalia Gaona-Zelaya, Wiregrass Ranch, Sr., 4A
Won New World in 17:02, 12 seconds under the course record, and beat every girl on this list who raced. Six starts, six wins: Ragin' Storm, Whispering Pines, the Horse Park, Astronaut, the Stampede Sprint (17:34.6) and New World. She has lost to nobody this season.
2. Annabella Tomasic, Bishop Moore, So., 3A
Second at New World in 17:04, two seconds behind Gaona-Zelaya and ahead of Balaban, Duffell and Muller. It was her third straight race under 17:30, after wins at Katie Caples in 17:24.0 and the Hagerty Invitational in 17:24.8 in September.
3. Emma Balaban, IMG Academy, Jr.
Third at New World in 17:10, her first loss to a Florida girl this season. Fifteenth of 324 in the Race of Champions in Cary on October 3, the first Florida girl across, and winner of the Southern Showcase and the IMGA Summit (17:14.1).
4. Arabella Duffell, Lake Nona, Jr., 4A
Fourth at New World in 17:13, her best of the fall, ahead of Muller. Second of 271 in the Championship race at PR'ville in Huntsville on September 26 in 17:33.5. Won Cecil Field and St. Cloud.
5. Madison Muller, Riverview (Sarasota), Jr., 4A
Fifth at New World in 17:16, a season best and her first loss after five straight wins. She was first on this list from week 3 through week 8. The four girls who beat her on Saturday are above her. Won the Raider Open in 17:35.2 and Wellen Park in 17:52.6.
6. Katherine Eudaly, Plant, Jr., 4A
Did not race. Won the North Port Invite in 17:37.3 on September 19 by 46 seconds, with Lydia Vincent third; four wins in five starts. She has not met anyone else on this list this season, and a month without a race does not cost her a place. She was fifth last week, one place behind Duffell, and stays directly behind Muller.
Recovery
Recovery between the big meets.
The championship meets are close. Hyperice Normatec 3 compression boots are what a lot of college and pro runners sit in after a hard race, and more high school programs are buying a team pair for the stretch from late October to state.
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7. Alba Antunez-Perez, Spanish River, Sr., 4A
Sixth at New World in 17:50, the fastest race of her season, ahead of Hallick and Stam. Won Snake Bite on October 10 and her own school's Race of Champions on September 18. Thirty-second in the Race of Champions in Cary.
8. Lyla Hallick, Vanguard (Ocala), So., 3A
Seventh at New World in 17:55, 15 seconds under her previous best this fall. Won the Craig Speziale Invitational on October 3 and the Rockledge Raider Classic in September.
9. Sofie Stam, Bolles, So., 2A
Ninth at New World in 17:56, a second behind Hallick, and the fastest 2A girl in the race. Eleventh of 136 in the Eastern States Championship at Manhattan the week before. Led Bolles to second as a team, ahead of every other Florida team in the series.
10. Camila Giles, Bishop Kenny, Jr., 3A
Did not race. Second at Katie Caples on September 19 in 18:35.0, behind Tomasic and ahead of her teammate Jillian Jakab, and 37th of 407 in the Nike XC Town Twilight Race of Champions on October 3. A missed week is not scored, and she holds tenth. Bishop Kenny ran New World without her.
Just missed
Lydia Vincent (Zephyrhills, Sr., 3A) was tenth at New World in 17:58, but Eudaly beat her at North Port and Lainee Mercer beat her at the Wild Bulldog Invitational on October 3, and neither result has been reversed. Lainee Mercer (Springstead, Jr., 3A) won the GCAC Championship in 18:37.0 on Thursday. Charlotte Roy (All Saints', 8th grade, 1A) was 11th at New World in 18:00. Selah Vignier (West Shore, Jr., 2A) and Nicole Lewis (Doral Academy, Jr., 4A) were 12th and 13th in 18:10. Avery Hartley (Bartram Trail, So., 4A) was 14th in 18:14, and Jillian Jakab (Bishop Kenny, Sr., 3A) 17th in 18:19.
Reader supported
Free to read, no paywall. Every pair of the state's top 60 girls gets checked before this list goes up, with 24 new meets this week. If it helps your team or your kid, you can buy us a coffee.
Method notes
- A head-to-head loss stands until the two runners meet again. Where results form a loop, the most recent meeting decides. New World is the newest meeting for eight of the ten, and every pair among the top 60 on the season board was checked.
- Head-to-heads from September 12 and earlier no longer order runners; the times still count in the season figure. A missed week is not scored: a runner who did not race holds the place the season earned until someone beats them. Eudaly holds sixth and Giles tenth on that rule. Neither has lost to anyone ranked below her.
- New World reads 62 seconds fast against last year's state meet, measured on 214 girls who ran both. The times printed are the times run.
- Out-of-state runners at New World are left out of the course readings and the rankings. Florida runners' places among the full field are printed as they finished.
- 24 meets from October 11 to 17 are new in the numbers. Not rated: Clearwater Central Catholic (the girls' reading is 76 seconds fast, the boys' 2), Walton County Home Meet 1 and Trenton, plus meets with too few runners to measure.
- High school races can include middle school runners at private schools, and they are ranked like anyone else. IMG Academy is an FHSAA Independent; its runners are ranked.
Every result behind this list is on the site in the rankings section. Last week: the week 8 girls list.
Featured image: Natalia Gaona-Zelaya of Wiregrass Ranch leads the Girls Elite field early at New World, October 17, 2026. Photo by Darrin DeTorres.