Brianna Motycka beat Colette Heffernan at New World and is the new No. 1 girl. Zamari Blumenberg still leads the boys, and Liam Jopling of Ruckel joins the ten. Our week 9 middle school top 10s, ten days before FLYRA state.
Florida middle school cross country rankings, week 9, season through October 19, 2026
Brianna Motycka is the new No. 1 middle school girl in Florida. She won the middle school race at New World on Saturday in 10:28.0, seven seconds ahead of Colette Heffernan, the first loss of Heffernan's fall. Alice Ilea was third. On the boys' side the top eight did not change. Zamari Blumenberg and Javier Parker both ran the boys' Elite race at New World against high school varsity runners, and Blumenberg finished eight seconds ahead.
Liam Jopling of Ruckel is the one new boy in the ten. His 10:00.9 win at the Kristine Lynn Invitational in September came into our results this week with most of the FLYRA qualifier meets, and he won the Okaloosa County championship on Thursday. The FLYRA state meet is October 30 and 31 at Holloway Park, and most of the runners below have now run their qualifier.
About the times: every runner is listed with the time they actually ran. The number in parentheses is what that run projects to at the state meet. For a 5k, it is the 3K we project from it.
Boys Top 10
1. Zamari Blumenberg, Holy Trinity Episcopal (Melbourne), 8th grade - 17:21.2 for 5K at Astronaut (projects 9:24.1)
Ran 16:47.0 at New World on Saturday, the fastest 5k of his fall, 168th in the boys' Elite race. Parker was 187th in 16:55.0, so Blumenberg holds the top spot on the head-to-head as well as the projection. Second in the Blue Invitational at Great American on October 3. He has raced only for the Holy Trinity varsity, and whether he runs FLYRA is up to him and his school.
2. Javier Parker, Doral Academy, 8th grade - 16:56.1 for 5K at Pine Crest (projects 9:30.5)
Ran 16:55.0 at New World, eight seconds behind Blumenberg, a week after his 16:46.9 at Snake Bite. He won the middle school race at Spanish River in September in 9:55.6, ahead of Liam Piper and Alejandro Sancerni. The rest of his season has been varsity 5ks for Doral Academy.
3. Drake Matyka, East Lake Middle School Academy, 8th grade - 10:19.3 at Jim Ryun (projects 9:41.8)
Won the Roc race at flrunners on October 2 in 9:47.7, ahead of RJ Destremps, Tommy Schulte, Luke Lomoriello, Warren Wilson and Joao Cardoso. He also beat Destremps at Running on the Range in September. He has not raced since flrunners, and a missed week does not cost him a place. His 9:14.0 win at the Todd Howsare meet counts for place only, because that course ran short.
4. RJ Destremps, Hillsborough Harriers, 8th grade - 10:08.4 at Jim Ryun (projects 9:30.9)
Won the Bay Area Middle Schools Championship on Saturday in 9:58.3, 32 seconds clear of Noah Chandler. That is his third sub-10:00 3K of the fall. He sits behind Matyka because Matyka beat him at flrunners and Running on the Range. His opening-day win at Jim Ryun is still the best projection of any boy who races 3K.
5. Tommy Schulte, Naples Elite, 8th grade - 10:19.3 at Jim Ryun (projects 9:41.8)
Third at flrunners in 9:54.5, ahead of Lomoriello. He won North Port and AVE in September and beat Maxwell Claypool and Piper at AVE. He has not raced since October 2. He has run for Naples Elite three times and Gulfview Middle School once, so he could go either way at FLYRA.
6. Luke Lomoriello, Hobbs Middle School, 8th grade - 10:17.3 at Jim Ryun (projects 9:39.8)
Fourth at flrunners in 10:04.2, behind the three boys above him. His 9:42.6 to win the Gulf Coast Stampede in September is one of the fastest middle school 3Ks run in Florida this fall. He has not raced since October 2.
7. Maxwell Claypool, WIND Runners, 8th grade - 10:36.5 at Jim Ryun (projects 9:59.0)
Ran 18:29.7 for 35th in the varsity 5k at Lee County Under the Lights on Friday for Canterbury. The week before, he won the 305 Classic, 12:07.0 for 2.1 miles, for WIND Runners. He was second to Schulte and ahead of Piper at AVE, which keeps him directly above Piper. He has raced for both the club and his school, so he could go either way at FLYRA.
8. Liam Piper, Southwest Florida Christian Academy (Fort Myers), 8th grade - 18:40.5 for 5K at Fort Myers (projects 9:49.5)
Five varsity 5ks for Southwest Florida Christian, including 18:30.7 in the Roc race at FLRunners on October 3. He was also second to Parker in the middle school race at Spanish River and third at AVE. His 5k at Fort Myers on September 12 projects best.
9. Liam Jopling, Ruckel Middle School, 8th grade - 10:00.9 at Kristine Lynn (projects 9:52.7)
New to the ten. He won Kristine Lynn on September 19 in 10:00.9, a result that reached our database this week. He also won the Okaloosa County championship on Thursday, 10:59.1 for two miles, with Ruckel teammates second and third. He won Nights of Thunder in September. Sixth in the public school race at state last year. He has not raced anyone above him this fall.
10. Warren Wilson, Sifted Sports, 8th grade - 10:46.9 at Seffner Christian (projects 10:02.5)
Fifth at flrunners on October 2 in 10:07.2, one place ahead of Joao Cardoso. He won the middle school race at our Run Florida XC Invitational in September and the Indian River meet in August. His second place at Seffner Christian projects best.
Just missed: Joao Cardoso (NEXT), who finished behind Wilson at flrunners. Colton Jobe (The Villages Charter), who won the Red Sea Central Florida championship on Sunday in 10:30.3 and was third at New World. Alejandro Sancerni (Somerset Academy) was ninth last week on a varsity 5k from early September. His 3Ks since then, ninth at Spanish River behind Landon Avila and 11:09.5 at Scheck Hillel, trail Jobe and Jace Lewis, and when results disagree we go with the most recent ones. Amari Isom (No Excuses RC) won the New World middle school race in 10:21.0, ahead of Gabriel Garback and Jobe.
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Girls Top 10
1. Brianna Motycka, Liberty Pines Academy, 8th grade - 10:28.0 at New World (projects 10:26.5)
Won New World on Saturday in 10:28.0. Heffernan was second in 10:35.0, Ilea third and Amelia Flood fourth. It was the first time Motycka and Heffernan have raced each other this fall. She has also beaten Ilea at Nights of Thunder and flrunners. She won the club race at state last year for No Excuses and has raced for Liberty Pines Academy this fall.
2. Colette Heffernan, No Excuses RC, 7th grade - 10:44.2 at Cecil Field (projects 9:59.8)
Second at New World in 10:35.0, her first loss in five races. Her opening run at Cecil Field is still the best projection of any middle schooler in the state, and she won the Horse Park, Bale N Trail and JAC. She drops one spot because Motycka beat her. A seventh grader. She ran for Landrum Middle School at state last year and for No Excuses this fall.
3. Charlotte Roy, All Saints' Academy (Winter Haven), 8th grade - 18:28.5 for 5K at St. Cloud (projects 10:27.7)
Tenth in the girls' Elite race at New World in 18:00.0, the fastest 5k by a middle schooler on this list. Her 18:28.5 at St. Cloud in September projects a little better. All four of her races are 5ks for All Saints', so she has not met the 3K girls above or below her.
4. Alice Ilea, Tavares Middle School, 8th grade - 11:05.9 at Jim Ryun (projects 10:28.4)
Third at New World, then won the Red Sea Central Florida championship on Sunday in 10:51.0 with Tavares teammates in the next three places. She also won the Lake County championship on Wednesday. That is 17 races and 13 wins. The only girls who have beaten her are Heffernan and Motycka. Last year's public school state champion.
5. Taylor Geraghty, Holy Trinity Episcopal (Melbourne), 8th grade - 18:34.3 for 5K at Great American (projects 10:30.9)
Nineteenth at New World in 18:28.0, nine places behind Roy. Her win in the Blue Invitational at Great American on October 3, 18:34.3, is the run that projects best. She also won the 1A-2A race at Spanish River.
6. Amelia Flood, No Excuses RC, 8th grade - 11:23.0 at Cecil Field (projects 10:38.6)
Fourth at New World and the winner at Eagles on the River on October 13 in 11:05.0, with Madelen Finch second both times. Her 11:23.0 behind Heffernan at Cecil Field is still one of the best projections on the girls' list.
7. Esther Dobbin, Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High, 8th grade - 19:59.7 for 5K at Astronaut (projects 10:48.8)
An eighth grader on the Cocoa Beach varsity. She ran 19:59.7 for sixth at Astronaut and 19:25.7 at St. Cloud, and was third in the varsity race at Harmony on October 3. She has not raced a middle school race, so she has not met anyone here.
8. Zoie Hart, Emerald Coast Middle School, 8th grade - 11:27.2 for two miles at the Panhandle Athletic conference meet (projects 10:51.7)
Won the Stingray Panhandle championship on Saturday in 11:13.3, with Emerald Coast teammates Corbyn Fellers and Callie Skinner second and third, and the Panhandle Athletic conference meet on October 6, 11:27.2 for two miles. She has not raced the girls around her. Her most recent race projects better than either of theirs, so she moves up one spot from last week.
9. Valentina Sarcos, Palmer Trinity (Miami), 8th grade - 11:43.0 for two miles at Superfly (projects 10:56.0)
Won the Youth Fair championship on Friday, 13:22.0 for 2.1 miles, and the South Florida middle school conference meet on October 13. That makes nine races and seven wins. Her two-mile run at Superfly, 11:43.0, projects best. She beat Camila Boucher at Spanish River, which keeps her ahead of Boucher here.
10. Camila Boucher, Boca Warriors Track Club, 8th grade - 11:11.3 at Nights of Thunder (projects 11:03.0)
New to the ten. She won the Friday race at flrunners in 11:11.8, ahead of Emily Del Mazo, and was second to Sarcos at Spanish River. Her 11:11.3 for fourth at Nights of Thunder projects best. She has not raced since October 2.
Just missed: Emily Del Mazo (WIND Runners), whose projection is better than Boucher's but who finished second to her at flrunners. She won North Port and AVE in September. Sophia Underwood (Liza Jackson Prep), who won the Okaloosa County championship on Thursday. Madelen Finch (No Excuses RC) was sixth last week. Flood has now beaten her twice since then, at Eagles on the River and New World, so she falls behind Flood and the girls above her on projection.
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How we ranked them
- Florida middle schoolers only, grades 6 through 8, every middle school race in the results database through October 19. Two-mile, 2.1-mile, 3,200-meter and 2,900-meter races are converted to 3K. Fifth graders are on the elementary lists only.
- Middle schoolers who race high school 5ks are in. Each 5k is leveled for its course the way our high school lists do it, then turned into a 3K figure using the middle schoolers who have raced both distances this fall. A kid with both keeps the better one.
- Each course gets a reading from the kids who ran it this fall and the state meet last November, and small samples are pulled toward the statewide average. Some races count for finishing order only. Oak Park, the Todd Howsare middle school race and the third Volusia County meet ran short, and the first ACC meet read a minute faster than anywhere else. This week the 1.5-mile races join them: the Gold Coast conference meet and the third ACC meet's JV races are too short to project to 3K.
- When two ranked runners have met, the most recent finish puts the winner directly above the loser, and that stands until they meet again. Meetings from September 12 and earlier no longer bind.
- When results disagree, the most recent ones decide. A runner who has never raced the runner ranked just above, and whose latest race projects better than that runner's latest race, moves up past them.
- Only 2026 races count. A runner who has not raced this fall is not ranked, and a missed week never counts against anyone.
The same season split into the four FLYRA state divisions: middle school top 10s by division. Teams: week 9 middle school team rankings. Every result is in the Florida XC results database.