Hillsborough Harriers

Five-man average 10:30.2 — the best in the state — spread 1:28.2.
RJ Destremps 9:25.8, Wesley Taylor 10:31.8, Ace Hallinan 10:49.1, Landon Healy 10:50.3, Alex Geisel 10:54.0 (P).

The faster average and the loss. Destremps wins the virtual race outright, but a front-loaded 1-2 punch gives back everything at 3-4-5 against No Excuses' wall of orange. Cut the spread in half and the order flips.

Five-girl average 12:32.4, spread 2:00.7, four of five raced.
Bailey Eggleston 11:11.2, Maysen McDonald 12:36.4, Moriah Toles 12:51.0 (P), Lucy Dory 12:51.5, Helene Waters 13:11.9.

Eggleston carries them — the drop from one to two is eighty-five seconds, the widest gap on any top-six team.

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.

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.

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.