No Excuses RC tops both middle school lists after sweeping Bale N Trail, the Hillsborough Harriers are a close second on the boys' side, and Naples Christian and the Boca Warriors lead thin elementary races.
Florida middle school and elementary cross country team rankings, season through September 26, 2026
No Excuses RC has the best middle school girls' team in Florida and the best middle school boys' team, and on Saturday at Bale N Trail it showed both: 18 points for the girls, with Colette Heffernan, Amelia Flood and Madelen Finch first, second and third, and 43 for the boys. The Hillsborough Harriers are a close second on the boys' side, and the two have not met. In the elementary 2K, Naples Christian Academy leads the girls and the Boca Warriors lead the boys, and both leads are thin.
These are the top five in each of the four races. The lists are built the same way as our high school team rankings: every runner's season figure, each team's five best in one virtual race with everyone else's, scored like a cross country meet. Team names carry the FLYRA state-meet division they race in: Public, Private, Charter or Club. The individual lists are here.
Middle school girls
1. No Excuses RC (Club) - 68 points
Colette Heffernan 9:59.1, Amelia Flood 10:37.9, Madelen Finch 11:17.0, Piper Austin 11:48.1, Kenley Courson 11:49.1
Heffernan won Bale N Trail in 10:22.9, 49 seconds ahead of Flood, and No Excuses scored 18 against 15 other teams. This is also without Aubrey Motycka, who has raced for Liberty Pines Academy both times this fall but won the Club race for No Excuses last October. With or without her, this is the best five in the state by a distance: 30 points clear.
2. Emerald Coast Middle School (Public) - 98 points
Zoie Hart 11:14.6, Mia Emhoff 11:24.9, Callie Skinner 11:25.2, Corbyn Fellers 11:26.2, Kora Murphy 12:09.6
The pack. Hart, Emhoff, Skinner and Fellers went one through four at the Panhandle pre-conference meet on Sept. 1, 15 points, and the four of them are inside 12 seconds on their season figures. They were second in the Public race at state last fall and have not met any other team on this list.
3. Tavares Middle School (Public) - 148 points
Alice Ilea 10:28.1, Kayla Santos 11:33.6, Lilliana Gutfreind 11:40.7, Meadow Sadlemire 12:12.0, Hope Nesmith 12:22.6
Racing as Tavares or as Red Sea Running Club, which we score as one program, this team has won everything but one: Jim Ryun, the Horse Park, Nights of Thunder, Running on the Range and Run Florida among them. The loss was at Indian River on Aug. 29, 37 to 34 to the Boca Warriors. Ilea is the front; the gap from her to the second girl is what keeps Tavares behind Emerald Coast.
4. Boca Warriors Track Club (Club) - 166 points
Camila Boucher 11:02.3, Arielle Gorlovetzky 11:28.6, Tejasvita Minnamareddy 11:56.4, Jasmarie Hernandez 12:16.7, Olivia Aaronson 12:20.3
The only team to beat Tavares this fall, at Indian River, and winners of the middle school race at the Spanish River Invitational with 29. Tavares has raced nine times since Indian River and is ahead on the figures.
5. Cornerstone Classical Academy (Charter) - 317 points
Haven Smith 11:49.1, Jayne McCarthy 11:55.9, Katelyn Milla 12:06.3, Eliza Arthur 12:50.4, Lucy Sanftner 12:58.1
Last year's Charter champion was second to No Excuses at Bale N Trail, 63 points, second to Bolles at Katie Caples, 29 to 33, and third at the Horse Park. Bale came after Katie Caples, so Bolles (eighth) no longer sits above them.
Next: Imagine Town Center (Club), the Hillsborough Harriers (Club), Bolles (Private), Ransom Everglades (Private) and Nolan Middle School (Public).
Middle school boys
1. No Excuses RC (Club) - 219 points
Elliot Lasota 10:04.0, Cooper Finch 10:20.9, Amari Isom 10:35.7, Johnathon Hartley 10:56.1, Dutch Howanitz 10:57.3
No one in this five is as fast as the Harriers' RJ Destremps, and it does not matter: 53 seconds from first to fifth, and a 43-point win at Bale N Trail on Saturday over 13 other teams. The defending Club champion.
2. Hillsborough Harriers (Club) - 240 points
RJ Destremps 9:30.6, Wesley Taylor 10:36.6, Alex Geisel 10:45.3, Ace Hallinan 10:53.9, Landon Healy 10:55.1
The closest call on the page. The Harriers' five average 10:32.3 to No Excuses' 10:34.8, but Destremps' lead does not buy much in a points race, and No Excuses' three through five are ahead of the Harriers'. The two have not met. The Harriers won Jim Ryun and won Running on the Range on Sept. 19, 33 points to Tavares' 58 and Villages Charter's 70.
3. Ruckel Middle School (Public) - 280 points
Liam Jopling 10:16.0, Cael Rusmisel 10:28.3, Tyler Wade 10:51.8, Benson Porter 10:54.6, Jackson Porter 11:05.7
One race this fall, and it was a statement: 24 points at Nights of Thunder, one-two from Jopling and Rusmisel, 11 points ahead of Tavares. That was Ruckel's only scored team race.
4. Tavares Middle School (Public) - 295 points
Jack Ilea 10:30.1, Gabriel Garback 10:39.3, Joel Cordero 10:51.8, Alexis Hernandez 10:52.2, Alejandro Hernandez 11:00.2
The tightest five on this list, 30.1 seconds from first to fifth, and the defending Public champion. Tavares was second to the Harriers at Running on the Range and second to Ruckel at Nights of Thunder, and it beat Villages Charter at the Range.
5. Villages Charter Middle School (Charter) - 308 points
Colton Jobe 9:59.8, Jace Lewis 10:04.1, Karter James 10:46.1, Eduardo Andrade 10:59.3, Grant Reeves 11:28.7
The best one-two on this list: Jobe and Lewis are both inside 10:05 on their figures. Villages won Seffner Christian by 35 points against 25 other teams and Crystal River last week. It was third at the Range behind the Harriers and Tavares, and its fifth runner is 29 seconds behind its fourth, which is the difference from here to the top three.
Next: Belen Jesuit (Private), second at the Horse Park and ahead of the Harriers, Villages and Tavares that day; Ransom Everglades (Private); WIND Runners (Club); and the Boca Warriors (Club).
Elementary girls
1. Naples Christian Academy (Private) - 72 points
Gracie Freeman 8:07.8, Harriet Straub 9:22.0, Annalise Dube 9:23.1, Ivy Shunk 9:27.1, Charlie Heaps 9:46.4
A perfect 15 at the SAC meet on Sept. 12, with Freeman winning by 74 seconds. Two through five are within 25 seconds of each other, and that depth is why Naples Christian leads a list on which it has not met anyone else.
2. Team FTC Kids (Club) - 86 points
Isabelle Kay 8:27.2, Sofia Gibby 9:15.4, Remi Adams 9:38.9, Harper Payne 10:00.9, Fraances Brooks 10:01.4
Won the elementary girls' team race at the Horse Park, 40 to the Harriers' 44, and won Run Florida on Saturday with 20.
3. No Excuses RC (Club) - 117 points
Vivian Hartley 8:30.8, Linley Dziedziejko 8:40.3, Harper Lafser 8:40.8, Allie Finch 10:38.3, Natalie Cotton 11:09.3
No Excuses' elementary girls have raced only the middle school 3K this fall, at Cecil Field and Bale N Trail. Hartley, Dziedziejko and Lafser count on their times from last fall's state meet, which are still better than their 3Ks work out to; Finch and Cotton count on their Bale N Trail pace.
4. Hillsborough Harriers (Club) - 129 points
Lainey Jessup 8:04.4, Sophia Dolan 8:14.4, Emma Dolan 8:56.7, Josie Taylor 10:53.5, Lacey Connors 11:44.5
The best top three on the list, with Jessup and the Dolans. The Harriers ran four points behind FTC at the Horse Park. Their younger girls are left out of this scoring because the state meet's team race is third through fifth grade, and that leaves the fourth and fifth runners well back.
5. Queen of Peace Academy (Private) - 155 points
Leighton Hitchcock 9:19.5, Zara Biedrzycki 9:45.0, Nore Jane Guiterman 10:37.3, Stephanie Mitch 10:42.2, Ellie Anthony 10:50.4
Second to FTC at Run Florida on Saturday, 49 points, and fourth at the Horse Park.
Next: NEXT (Club), Liza Jackson Preparatory School (Charter) and Hardee Junior High School (Public).
Elementary boys
1. Boca Warriors Track Club (Club) - 45 points
Brody Milek 7:22.3, Gabriel Hirakuri Lehmkuhl 7:30.7, Zander Noal 7:45.0, Samuel Hirakuri Lehmkuhl 8:15.8, Toby Barot 8:24.0
Milek, the No. 1 elementary boy in the state, has raced once this fall, 20th in the middle school 3K at Spanish River in 10:54.0; he counts here at the same pace over 2K. Barot ran that race too. Gabriel Hirakuri Lehmkuhl and Noal give Boca three boys faster than anyone else's second runner.
2. Hillsborough Harriers (Club) - 53 points
Graham Hymes 7:51.2, Oscar Molla 7:54.2, Logan DiCarlo 7:56.6, Noah Hallinan 8:05.9, Tristan Deanna 8:12.2
Twenty-one seconds from first to fifth, and three team wins: Jim Ryun, the Horse Park (20 points) and Running on the Range. The Harriers beat Boca at Jim Ryun on Aug. 22, 29 to 49, but that was the first weekend of the season and both teams have raced since; we no longer hold Jim Ryun's order to anyone.
3. No Excuses RC (Club) - 86 points
Nolan Austin 7:51.6, Hudson Austin 7:52.3, Ben Curet 8:14.9, Cameron Ecklof 8:34.3, Jacob Lekas 8:40.8
The Austins and Curet raced the middle school 3K at Bale N Trail, 25th, 27th and 41st in a field of 212, and count at that pace. Ecklof and Lekas have not raced this fall and count on their times from last fall's state meet.
4. Liza Jackson Preparatory School (Charter) - 173 points
Colton Shidemantle 8:28.8, Brantley Shively 8:36.9, Rocco Sanab 8:57.1, Ashton Iverson 8:58.1, Robert Reuille 9:07.2
Five fifth graders who all ran the middle school 3K at the Gulf Coast Stampede on Sept. 12, 38 seconds apart from first to fifth. They have not run a 2K.
5. Belmont Academy (Charter) - 200 points
Gabe Schwartz 8:16.6, Parker Montemurno 8:47.6, Colton Hammons 8:49.9, Julian Butler 9:01.6, Clayton Hammons 9:38.3
Won the elementary race at Run Florida on Saturday with 38, ahead of FTC (55) and Queen of Peace (56).
Next: Team FTC Kids (Club), Donahue Academy of Ave Maria (Private), which beat Naples Christian at the SAC meet, and St. Paul Lutheran (Private).
How we built this
- Each runner's season figure comes from the individual rankings: every middle school 3K is compared with last fall's FLYRA state results for the same runners, which puts every course in Holloway Park terms. Elementary 2K races are priced against last fall's 3rd-5th grade state race. The times next to each runner above are those season figures, not a time run on a particular day.
- Each team's five best go into one virtual race with every other team's; the next two can displace. A runner counts for the team they have raced for most often this fall. Red Sea Running Club and Tavares Middle School are one program, scored as Tavares. Runners listed as unattached are not scored.
- Middle school is grades 6-8; fifth graders are elementary only. The elementary team race at the state meet is third through fifth grade, so younger kids are not scored here.
- An elementary runner who has only raced up in a middle school 3K counts at the same pace over 2K. On the kids who have run both this fall, that is a conservative reading. A runner who has not raced this fall counts on last fall's state time.
- Where two teams have met and neither has raced since, the result orders them. On this page, every meeting that disagrees with the arithmetic has been raced past by both teams, so the order is the virtual race.
- Finish order only, times not priced: Oak Park Middle School, Todd Howsare's middle school race and the Stampede Sprint elementary 2K.
Every result behind these lists is in the Florida XC results database. The high school team lists: boys and girls.
Logos: No Excuses Running Club; Emerald Coast Middle School; Hillsborough Harriers; Naples Christian Academy; Boca Warriors Track & XC Club.