Jack Michalak of Belen Jesuit and Madison Muller of Riverview lead Florida's eleventh graders. The top 10 junior boys and girls, with four juniors in the statewide girls' top five.
Florida juniors, high school 5K, cross country season through October 8, 2026
Four of the top five girls in Florida are juniors. Madison Muller of Riverview is No. 1 statewide and has won all five of her races. Emma Balaban of IMG Academy was 15th of 324 in the COROS Race of Champions at the Great American XC Festival in North Carolina on October 3. Arabella Duffell of Lake Nona and Katherine Eudaly of Plant are third and fourth.
Belen Jesuit's Jack Michalak leads the boys. He was 19th in that same Race of Champions in 15:15.5, ahead of Matthew Ishee, Andrew Sides and his teammate Nicholas Veloso. The fastest 5K by a Florida junior is still Fletcher Rodbro's 14:54.0 at the IMGA XC Summit Challenge.
Our September junior list is here.
A missed meet never counts against anyone, and we use data plus our own eyes, so we will miss one or two along the way.
About the times: every runner is listed with a time they actually ran. The number in parentheses is what we think that run is worth on the Cecil Field course in Jacksonville, the same scale as our weekly rankings, so a fast course and a slow course can be compared. When two runners on a list have raced each other, the finish decides it, and a loss stands until they meet again.
Junior Boys Top 10
1. Jack Michalak, Belen Jesuit (Miami) 3A - 15:01.7 at the Southern Showcase (15:27.2)
Ran 15:01.7 for third of 250 at the Southern Showcase and 15:15.5 for 19th of 340 in the COROS Race of Champions at the Great American XC Festival. He beat Ishee, Sides and Veloso in North Carolina, and he is fifth statewide.
2. Matthew Ishee, Nease (Ponte Vedra) 4A - 15:54.0 at Cecil Field
Thirty-seventh in the COROS Race of Champions in 15:35.4, ahead of Sides and Veloso. He ran 15:13.2 for 15th of 383 at the Roy Griak Invitational in Minnesota. He is seventh statewide.
3. Andrew Sides, Buchholz (Gainesville) 4A - 15:49.0 at Cecil Field
Won the elite race at the Katie Caples Invitational in 15:53.0 and ran 15:39.8 for 45th in the COROS Race of Champions, behind Ishee. He is eighth statewide.
4. Nicholas Veloso, Belen Jesuit (Miami) 3A - 15:51.7 at the Southern Showcase (16:17.2)
Fifty-fifth in the COROS Race of Champions in 15:47.3 and 32nd at the Showcase in 15:51.7. He is ninth statewide.
5. Fletcher Rodbro, IMG Academy (Bradenton) - 14:54.0 at the IMGA XC Summit Challenge (15:01.2)
Won the IMGA XC Summit Challenge in 14:54.0, first of 74, the fastest 5K by a Florida junior this year, then was 15th at the Showcase, behind Michalak and ahead of Veloso. He did not finish the COROS Race of Champions on October 3. A DNF is not a loss, but one finish since September 5 is not enough to put him ahead of the four above him.
6. Dylan Macias-Buenrostro, Mariner (Cape Coral) 3A - 16:35.3 at the Fort Myers XC Invite (15:31.4)
Three wins in five races, most recently the Riverdale Invite on October 3 in 16:08.1. He was second at the Fort Myers XC Invite and ran 15:38.5 for fourth at the North Port Invite.
7. Liam Ilea, Tavares 3A - 16:00.6 at the Whispering Pines Invitational (15:46.5)
Second of 153 in the Race of Champions at the flrunners.com Invitational on October 3 in 16:14.2, behind Will Moss. He won the Coach Joe McKinney Classic and the Weeki Wachee Invitational.
8. Brantley Rigdon, Bolles (Jacksonville) 2A - 16:04.0 at Cecil Field
Sixteenth of 549 at the Florida Horse Park Invitational in 16:12.6, ahead of Michalak that day, and 19th at Cecil Field. He beat Ishee in the grade race at Bale-N-Trail on September 26, but Ishee stays ahead of him on our published statewide list.
9. Nicholas Garcia, Columbus (Miami) 4A - 16:43.1 at King of the Hill (16:09.2)
Won King of the Hill, first of 339, and was fourth in the Race of Champions at the Spanish River Invitational in 15:53.4, two seconds ahead of Kayaan Ghaffar.
10. Kayaan Ghaffar, Gulliver Prep (Miami) 2A - 16:10.5 at the Florida Horse Park Invitational (16:15.7)
Sixth in the Spanish River Race of Champions in 15:55.7, behind Garcia, and 14th at the Horse Park.
Next up: Donovan Carmichael (West Florida, 3A) was third at the Argonaut Invitational. Owen Tucker (Gulf Breeze, 3A) won the Azalea City Classic and beat Carmichael twice. Luke Janke (Fleming Island, 3A) was third in the Bale-N-Trail elite race in 15:56.3. Jack Kline (Cornerstone Classical, 1A) and Aaron Ches (Bolles, 2A) are next. Landon Watkins (Sickles, 4A), sixth at the Horse Park, has not raced since September 12.
Gear
Balega Hidden Comfort
A thin, no-show running sock that does not bunch in a spike. Cheap enough to buy a few pairs for the end of the season.
Check price on AmazonAs an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Junior Girls Top 10
1. Madison Muller, Riverview (Sarasota) 4A - 17:52.6 at the Wellen Park XC Invite (17:39.6)
Five races, five wins, the latest at the Venice Invitational on October 3. Her fastest is 17:33.1 at the North Port Preserve Pursuit. She is No. 1 statewide.
2. Emma Balaban, IMG Academy (Bradenton) - 17:14.1 at the IMGA XC Summit Challenge (17:22.8)
Won the IMGA XC Summit Challenge in 17:14.1, the fastest 5K by a Florida junior this year, and won the championship race at the Southern Showcase, first of 160. On October 3 she was 15th of 324 in the COROS Race of Champions at the Great American XC Festival. She and Muller have not raced.
3. Arabella Duffell, Lake Nona (Orlando) 4A - 17:38.5 at the St. Cloud Invitational (17:50.5)
Won the elite race at Cecil Field and the St. Cloud Invitational in 17:38.5, then was second of 271 in the championship race at PR'ville in Alabama in 17:33.5.
4. Katherine Eudaly, Plant (Tampa) 4A - 18:40.3 at the West Hillsborough Invite (18:03.7)
Four races, four wins, including Jim Ryun and the elite race at the North Port Invite in 17:37.3. She has not raced since September 19.
5. Stella Krueger, Episcopal (Jacksonville) 2A - 19:05.3 at the Florida Horse Park Invitational (19:09.5)
The 2A state champion at 3200 meters in May. She was 82nd in the COROS Race of Champions in 19:13.9, ahead of Sydney Johnson, and tenth of 411 at the Florida Horse Park Invitational. She is ninth statewide.
6. Lainee Mercer, Springstead (Spring Hill) 3A - 19:11.3 at the Ragin' Storm XC Challenge (18:36.1)
Won the Wild Bulldog Invitational on October 3 in 18:24.7, ahead of Lydia Vincent and Emma Poekert. She was fourth at the Horse Park, ahead of Krueger.
7. Emma Wilkinson, Lakeland Christian 1A - 18:28.3 at the St. Cloud Invitational (18:40.3)
Second of 181 in the Race of Champions at the flrunners.com Invitational on October 3, second at St. Cloud behind Duffell, and second at the Raider Open behind Muller. She is second in 1A.
8. Selah Vignier, West Shore (Melbourne) 2A - 18:36.3 at the Rockledge Raider Classic (18:43.5)
Second at the Rockledge Raider Classic in 18:36.3, eighth at Cecil Field, and a win at the Kowboy XC Invitational.
9. Camila Giles, Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) 3A - 18:37.2 at the Buchholz Bobcats Classic (18:38.1)
Won the Buchholz Bobcats Classic in 18:37.2 and was second at the Katie Caples Invitational in 18:35.0, ahead of Krueger. On October 3 she was 37th of 407 in the race of champions at the Nike XC Town Twilight in 18:37.1.
10. Sydney Johnson, IMG Academy (Bradenton) - 18:01.0 at the IMGA XC Summit Challenge (18:09.7)
Second at the IMGA Summit in 18:01.0 and sixth at the Showcase. Krueger beat her in North Carolina.
Next up: Ella Valentina Valenzuela (Bishop Moore, 3A) was second at the Hagerty Invitational. Emma Poekert (Cypress Creek, 3A) has run seven races. Harmony Holland (Niceville, 4A), Peyton Cerasi (Matanzas, 4A), who won the DeLand Invitational, and Nicole Lewis (Doral Academy, 4A), who won the Pine Crest meet, are next.
Reader supported
Free to read, no paywall. If these lists help your runner or your team, you can buy the crew a coffee.
How we ranked them
- Junior only (Class of 2028), and high school 5Ks only. We checked every runner's grade against the result files.
- Every 5K is weighed against how that course ran, the same way as our weekly rankings, with Cecil Field as the yardstick. A runner's whole season counts, the most recent race the most, and a race a runner won never counts against them.
- Where runners are already placed on our published week 7 statewide or class lists, that order holds here too.
- A head-to-head loss stands until the two runners meet again. Races on September 12 and earlier no longer order anyone, though their times still count. When results go in a circle, the newest race decides. Where no race settles it, the season figures do.
- Results through October 8, 2026. Meets outside Florida count only for Florida runners. Only runners who have raced this fall are ranked, and a missed meet is never held against anyone.
The other grades: sixth grade, seventh grade, eighth grade, freshmen, sophomores, seniors. This week's statewide lists are in the rankings section, and every result is in the Florida XC results database.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the fastest junior cross country runner in Florida? expand_more
Through October 8, 2026, Fletcher Rodbro of IMG Academy has the fastest 5K by a Florida junior boy (14:54.0) and Jack Michalak of Belen Jesuit is No. 1 on our list. Emma Balaban of IMG Academy has the fastest by a junior girl (17:14.1), and Madison Muller of Riverview, unbeaten in five races, is No. 1.