Editor’s note: SteveU’s individual rankings (originally Foot Locker Favorites) began appearing on DyeStat.com eight years ago and are continuing with DyeTrack.com. The rankings have always been based on distance-running accomplishments to date, with an emphasis on XC and 3200/2M track results, rather than a projection of how the Foot Locker Finals or NXN Finals will turn out (predictions run later in the season). As the season progresses, weight is shifted from overall career credentials to most recent accomplishments. With the transition between the closing of DyeStat.com on ESPN to the launch of DyeTrack.com, no preseason top 25 was published. The initial 2012 ranking, however, included unpublished preseason assessments (in parentheses, after each athlete’s name). Also, the first list was 20-deep, but the new list extends to the normal 25.

Now, let’s look at some of the season’s top storylines to date:

New York question marks

There’s some serious individual drama going down with the boys Eastern States race at the Manhattan Invitational this weekend, what with Foot Locker defending champ Edward Cheserek and top NXN returnee Nick Ryan debuting for the season. And, granted, the girls Eastern States doesn’t have quite that same level of anticipation. But it will be very interesting to see how Jillian Fanning and the other F-M girls do, and the Varsity ‘A’ race, featuring one Mary Cain, will also bear watching.

Fayetteville-Manlius (Manlius, N.Y.) coach Bill Aris decided back in the summer that he was going to relieve his powerhouse varsity units of major invitational duty during September, and up until Manhattan, so the seniors could make their college visits and have otherwise uninterrupted training for a campaign that will likely end in December. Saturday will show what kind of shape they’re all in. While Fanning is “only” the #3 NXN returnee, she is also the defending champion here and don’t forget: she was ranked #1 in the country for awhile last fall – unbeaten until Portland.

A few other things to consider about Fanning’s debut. First, while the field in the Eastern States race is strong, it’s not truly stellar compared to some in the past. There are no other top 25 individuals in the field. Elk County Catholic PA jr Kennedy Weisner, who had an impressive win at McQuaid (16:46 for 3M) but also lost recently to an in-state rival, is probably the most likely to challenge Fanning – besides Fanning’s own teammates. And that’s the other thing. Will Fanning be way out ahead of her teammates, like last year, or will it be more like an F-M team from previous years and will girls like Hannah Smith, Annika Avery or others be right there? Finally, Fanning has not only not raced in XC yet, but her track campaign was very low key compared to the previous year, adding to the intrigue about what kind of fitness she’ll come out with.

Fanning vs. Cain would be fascinating, but Cain will be in the “A” race, where she will have some competition early, but likely be racing the clock at the end – as she was last year. She had an outstanding fall of 2011, including a NY Feds title and sixth in the NXN finals. But let’s be honest, she’s “one of the best” in a given year in cross country, while in the 1,500 meters, she’s the jaw-dropping national record holder. Can Cain, if and when she gets some good competition this fall, get to a higher level, closer to her middle-distance prowess? Her 14:31.1 in this meet last year ranked fourth overall behind the top three in the Eastern States race. It will be interesting to see if she closes that gap at all or can even emerge with the best girls time of the meet.

Chasing Sarah

Meanwhile, there’s Sarah Baxter, who will likely remain #1 until someone knocks her off her perch. Last fall, she settled things in Portland with her move in the third mile and, given the quality of that best-ever NXN girls’ field, nailed down the #1 spot for the fall. Nothing that happened in track really altered Baxter’s status; she was unbeaten above a mile and, with her two 10:08 3,200s, no one could touch her at eight laps (though, let’s be honest, Cayla Hatton would have been tough at 3k or 5k, head to head). Baxter clearly comes into this fall as the gal to beat.

If you were thinking this summer about girls who might challenge Baxter for national supremacy this fall, chances are the first few girls on your list wouldn’t have included another Golden Stater. But indeed, it could be Buchanan senior Hagen Reedy – 7th at NXN last fall – who gives the Simi Valley senior the toughest go. The two have already met, in September at the Woodbridge Invite, and Baxter prevailed by five seconds. That was so early for both harriers, though, that it won’t mean much come November. Reedy kind of laid down the gauntlet last week, at least indirectly, when she ripped a 16:59 in the Clovis Invite. That’s the 5,000 meter Woodward Park course, basically Reedy’s home course and also the state meet layout. Reedy won the D1 state meet on Woodward last fall in 17:27, while Baxter won the D2 race in 17:08. As a frosh in 2010, Baxter won D2 in 16:57 (#3 all-time on the course). Now Reedy’s Woodward best is within two seconds of Baxter’s.

Reedy will not come down to Mt. SAC to face Baxter next weekend. However, Simi Valley is D1 this year and you can pencil in state meet Saturday, November 24, for the next Baxter-Reedy showdown. It should be something special.

Washington Warriors

As is the case for the boys, the quality of girls’ cross-country in the Evergreen State continues to be astonishing and the top individuals (and teams) bear watching for any national level fan. The difference is, while the top dogs on the boys side have basically turned over due to graduation (except for Andrew Gardner), the song remains the same for the girls. Glacier Peak’s Amy-Eloise Neale and North Central’s Katie Knight have four NXN top-ten finishes between them and if they stick with that route for the post-season again, they should increase that total to six. Neale, up to US#2, seems to be running better than ever this fall and #7 Knight is not far behind. Unfortunately, they haven’t raced each other yet, but fans will remember how they traded blows last fall in a friendly, but extremely competitive rivalry.

Then not far behind them, is young gun Alexa Efraimson of Camas, who impressed last fall in getting to Portland, but then really opened eyes this past spring during her freshman track season when she ran 4:23 for 1,500 meters and 4:42 for a mile. She had the challenge of racing Neale and then Knight on consecutive weekends at the Stanford and Richland invites, and came up with two very solid runner-up finishes.

With three of the top eight ranked runners for both boys and girls, Washington stands at the top for high-quality prep harriers.

Bos rises in Michigan

At season’s start, a lot of folks had West Bloomfield (Mich.) senior Erin Finn first or second on their pre-season watch list – and deservedly so, given her status as the 2011 Foot Locker runner-up and that she set a USR indoors for 5,000 meters this past March.

But a fellow Foot Locker returnee from the other side of the state is challenging not only for state supremacy, but also for national props. Grand Rapids Christian senior Julia Bos had beaten Finn before, but at the Foot Locker Midwest meet (Bos was second to Finn’s third), the top priority is just to qualify. Finn was then second to Bos’s 10th at FL Finals, and Finn also generally had better track credentials.

At September’s Spartan Invite, however, Bos pulled away from Finn in the third mile for an impressive 17:20 to 17:35 win. Finn was not at her best that day and she’s been unbeaten since, though unfortunately not tested by any of the state’s best. Bos has racked up a handful of sub-17:30s, though, and last weekend crushed the course record at Portage to continue to confirm she’s top-end national class. The two won’t meet, unfortunately, at state – Finn is D1 and Bos D2. Whether Finn can even the score for the fall remains to be determined, but Michigan – which has had four Foot Locker finalist for girls each of the past two years – definitely has two girls who will be shooting for the podium either in San Diego or Portland.

Looking ahead to nationals

It was clear going into the fall that while talents such as 2011 Foot Locker champ Molly Seidel and NXN runner-up Haley Pierce had graduated, there were a huge number of girls coming back from both national meets. Twenty-one of last fall’s finalists in San Diego were back for 2012 (including seven of the top 10), while 20 of the top 30 finishers from Portland returned (including six of the top seven).

But the reality is that while the scene at NXN in December could look very much like 2011, the Foot Locker Final is almost certain to have a considerably different cast at the top – thanks, unfortunately, to injuries and other factors that have hindered those harriers.

West Genesee (N.Y.) junior Laura Leff (third in 2011) and Presbyterian Day (Macon, Ga.) senior Grace Tinkey (sixth and a 3-time finalist) both saw their track seasons wiped out due to injuries. Leff returned with a 7th-place finish in the AAA race at McQuaid Sept. 29, but Tinkey has still not raced. Meanwhile, 17th-place finisher Olivia Ortiz (Lakewood Ranch, Fla.) has been rehabbing from a broken femur since early summer and 19th-place finisher Nikki Hiltz (Aptos, Calif.) is out for the season after a superb spring.

Finally, Oakmont (Roseville, Calif.) senior Karlie Garcia (fifth in 2011) and Franklin (Wis.) junior Alexandria Fons (15th) have both struggled and been well off national-class form so far this fall.

The bottom line: Three of those top four Foot Locker returnees and six of the first 12 coming back are going to have a very tough time getting back to San Diego. Looked at differently, there’s lots of opportunities for rising stars, girls who might switch, or girls who just missed getting to Balboa in 2011.

The potential NXN finals picture is much different. The top six returnees from that 2011 showdown are all currently ranked in the top nine and, should they chose to go for it, should be back on the starting line in Portland December 1. Baxter, Knight, Neale, Cain, and Reedy (all mentioned earlier in the story) all have major invitational wins under their belts, and Fanning is making her debut this weekend as the Eastern States favorite at Manhattan.

And it doesn’t stop there. Others who finished further down the list – Efraimson, Taylor Driscoll, Maria Hauger, Alli Cash, to name a few – could be pressuring the higher returnees for spots in the top 10 or even top 5.

The positive thing about both scenarios is that there will be intriguing storylines and drama for fans to follow as both nationals begin their qualifying in November.

Here’s the rankings (previous in parentheses)

1. Sarah Baxter (1)
Simi Valley (Calif.), Class of 2014
2011 XC: 1st D2 state (1st overall), 1st NXN Finals
Analysis: Baxter’s slate since Woodbridge has been light. Presumably, she’s preparing for defense of her back-to-back Mt. SAC titles next week.
2012 races to date:
9/20-1st Marmonte Lg Tri 17:46.63 3M
9/15-1st Woodbridge 16:12 3M
9/8-1st Fastback Shootout 11:00.2 1.9M

2. Amy-Eloise Neale (2)
Glacier Peak (Snohomish, Wash.), Class of 2013
2011 XC: 1st NXN NW, 5th NXN Finals
Analysis: Neale seems to be running just about as well or better than she ever has. She’s improved her times at most courses, with her big Stanford victory and last weekend’s Hole in the Wall Invite triumph being the latest high points. She was not particularly pleased at some of her races last year and while there were some outstanding performances, to be sure, she wasn’t as consistent at the highest level as she’d like. But this fall so far, she’s been lights out.
2012 (major) races to date:
10/6-1st Hole in the Wall Inv 17:10.4 5k
9/29-1st Stanford Inv Seeded 16:52 5k
9/22-1st Bellvue Invite 17:04.5 5k
9/15-1st Sundodger Invite 16:31.12 4.92K
9/8-1st Sehome Invite 10:54.93 2M

3. Hagen Reedy (4)
Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.), Class of 2013
2011 XC: 1st D1 state (4th overall), 7th NXN Finals
Analysis: Reedy is continuing to show form befitting a national top-5 runner. Her time at Clovis was reported to be in the top 5 in course history – and this is the state-meet course we’re talking about.
2012 races to date:
10/6-1st Clovis Invite 16:59 5k
9/15-2nd Woodbridge Invite 16:17 3M
9/8-1st KHS Invite 10:36.79 2M

4. Julia Bos (5)
Grand Rapids Christian (Mich.), Class of 2013
2011 XC: 2nd FL Midwest, 10th FL Finals
Analysis: Bos now has impressive victories in Michigan’s two biggest invitationals, first being 2011 Foot Locker runner-up Erin Finn at the Spartan on Sept. 14, and then smashing a 17-year-old CR in dominating at Portage. The girl whose Portage CR Bos broke, Sharon Van Tuyl, was 4th at Foot Locker Finals back in the mid-90s.
2012 (major) races to date:
10/6-1st Portage Invite 17:19.1 5k
9/29-1st Carson City Invite 17:37.3 5k
9/22-1st Cougar Falcon Invite 17:21.9 5k
9/14-1st MSU Spartan Invite 17:20 5k
9/8-1st Christian Schools Inv 17:59.92 5k
8/25-1st Benzie/Pete Moss Inv 17:26.7 5k

5. Mary Cain (3)
Bronxville (N.Y.), Class of 2014
2011 XC: 3rd NXN NY, 6th NXN Finals
Analysis: Cain will be racing at Manhattan again this year but, unfortunately, it once again will not be in the Eastern States race. And while it will be interesting to compare her time to whatever wins the Easterns, it may not be until the state meet or post-season that we really get an idea if being a 1500-meter USR-holder is going to translate into national champion level XC running..
2012 races to date:
10/6-1st St. Anthony’s Inv 18:45.3 5k
9/22-1st Warwick Wave 17:59.8 5k
9/15-1st Villa Bears Inv 14:42.2 4k

6. Ashley Erba (6)
Warsaw Comm. (Ind.), Class of 2013
2011 XC: 1st state, 28th FL Midwest
Analysis: Since she figuratively traded blows with rising Indiana star Anna Rohrer – losing to her at the New Prairie Invite and beating her at the Culver Invite – Erba has rolled on with another invite win and her sectional.
2012 races to date:
10/6-1st Culver Sectional 17:29.7 5k
9/29-1st Northern Lakes Conf. 17:17.14 5k
9/22-1st Culver Acad. Inv. 17:13.7 5k
9/15-2nd New Prairie Inv. 17:25.1 5k
9/8-1st Northrup Bruin Inv 17:43.2 5k
8/25-1st Dekalb Classic 18:12.32 5k
8/18-1st Huntington North Inv 17:30.4 5k

7. Katie Knight (7)
North Central (Spokane, Wash.), Class of 2013
2011 XC: 2nd NXN NW, 3rd NXN Finals
Analysis: Knight hasn’t had a chance to clash with her primo rival Amy-Eloise Neale yet, but it’s a reasonable point of comparison that Neale and Knight both defeated young Camas star Alexa Efraimson in major races a week apart – Neale by 12 seconds and Knight by six. Said Knight win came at Richland, where she may have had her best run of the season.
2012 (major) races to date:
10/6-1st Richland Invite 17:16.53 3M
9/22-1st Firman Invite 17:59.46 5k
9/19-1st GSL #2 tri-meet 19:22.43 5k
9/12-1st GSL #1 tri-meet 18:18 5k
9/8-1st Tracy Walters Inv 17:47 3M

8. Alexa Efraimson (HM)
Camas (Camas, Wash.), Class of 2015
2011 XC: 3rd NXN NW, 14th NXN Finals
Analysis: After an auspicious freshman XC season in 2011, Efraimson really made jaws drop in track where she ran bests of 2:08.92 800, 4:23.41 1,500, and 4:42.41 (4th adidas Dream Mile). This fall she’s closed the gap on Evergreen State queens Neale and Knight, but is still #3 in the state. However, she’s definitely risen nationally, especially after her runner-up finish at Stanford
2012 (major) races to date:
10/6-2nd Richland Invite 17:22.87 3M
9/29-2nd Stanford Invite 17:04 5k
9/14-1st Pier Park Invite 18:01.5 5k
9/7-1st Hudson Bay Inv 18:00 5k

9. Jillian Fanning (9)
Fayetteville-Manlius (Manlius, N.Y.), Class of 2013
2011 XC: 1st NXN NY, 4th NXN Finals
Analysis: Fanning is expected to make her long-awaited debut this weekend and it’ll be a doozy: An attempted defense of her Eastern States title at the Manhattan Invitational.
2012 races to date: None

10. Jordyn Colter (HM)
Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.), Class of 2015
2011 XC: 1st Liberty Bell, 2nd Nike Pre Nats, 1st 5A state
Analysis: It you wanted to see Colter get a serious competitive test after her monster clocking at Liberty Bell, your wish came true at Stanford. Her 17:05 was just 13 seconds behind US#2 Amy-Eloise Neale and a tick behind Alexa Efraimson. Very, very strong.
2012 races to date:
9/29-3rd Stanford Invite 17:05 5k
9/14-1st Liberty Bell 17:00.60 5k
9/7-1st Cherry Creek Inv 17:31 5k
8/31-1st Cheyenne Mtn Stampede 19:17.6 5k

11. Sophie Chase (11)
Lake Braddock (Burke, Va.), Class of 2013
2011 XC: 2nd FL South, 11th FL Finals
Analysis: Through the fourth of five September Saturdays, Chase didn’t really have anything fresh on her resume. That’s changed in a hurry the past two weeks with her victories at Maymont and Nike South. It was somewhat unfortunate for her that many of the top Texas girls ran the McNeil Invite instead of Nike South, but both of her wins were by decisive margins each time against strong, if not spectacular fields.
2012 races to date:
10/6-1st Nike South Inv 17:40.40 5k
9/29-1st Maymont Festival 17:54.38 5k
9/18-1st Lake Braddock Relays 8:14 1.5M leg

12. Maria Hauger (18)
Shakopee (Minn.), Class of 2013
2011 XC: 1st NXN HL, 5th FL MW, 24th NXN Finals, 21st FL Finals
Analysis: With a very, very nice victory in the mammoth Griak Invite, Hauger more than made up for her lone defeat on the year. She had come in with three wins and a loss to Clare Flanagan, but at Griak she not only beat Flanagan (7th), but also Kansas superstar Alli Cash and several other outstanding harriers from around the region.
2012 races to date:
9/29-1st Roy Griak Invite 17:50 5k
9/22-1st Apple Valley Eagle Inv 13:58.4 4k
9/14-1st Lakeville Applejack Inv 13:37.6 4k
9/6-2nd Gerry Smith Invite 14:13.3 4k
8/31-1st St. Olaf Showcase 14:02.8 4k

13. Erin Finn (8)
West Bloomfield (Mich.), Class of 2013
2011 XC: 3rd FL Midwest, 2nd FL Finals
Analysis: Since her upset loss to Julia Bos, Finn has been unbeaten, but hasn’t really turned in an upper national class mark or faced anyone to really challenge her. That may not change now until the state meet.
2012 (major) races to date:
10/6-1st Oakland County Champs 18:18 5k
9/28-1st Waterford Mott Classic 18:10.7 5k
9/14-2nd MSU Spartan Inv 17:35 5k
9/11-1st OAA White Jamboree 18:09.4 5k
9/8-1st West Bloom/Broth. Rice Inv 18:11.71 5k
8/28-1st Mustang Invite 17:39.0 5k

14. Alana Hadley (17)
Ardrey Kell (Charlotte, N.C.), Class of 2015
2011 XC: 10th FL South, 34th FL Finals
Analysis: Hadley’s 17:16 at the adidas meet, same course as Great American (and NXN SE), is looking better and better, given that Maggie Drazba’s winning GA time was 17:27. Hadley tested herself against an even tougher collegiate field in the UNC meet. Fans eagerly await her foray into the postseason again. It seems clear she’ll improve on her 34th at Foot Locker from 2011, or something similar if she heads to NXN.
2012 races to date:
9/28-12th UNC Charlotte Invite 21:52 6k
9/14-3rd adidas Challenge (college/open) 17:16 5k

15. Alli Cash (12)
Shawnee Mission West (Kan.), Class of 2013
2011 XC: 5th NXN HL, 40th NXN Finals
Analysis: Cash waged a good battle for the Griak title. Hauger was just a little better on that day. She’ll be that much more competitive when it comes time for NXN Heartland.
2012 races to date:
9/29-2nd Roy Griak Invite 17:55.4 5k
9/22-1st Rim Rock Farms 13:59.22 4k
9/15-1st Baldwin Invite 13:16 4k
9/3-1st Greg Wilson Inv 13:46.7 4k

16. Anna Rohrer (15)
Mishawaka (Ind.), Class of 2015
2011 XC: DNQ for state, 19:14.1 best
Analysis: Since she exchanged first- and second-place finishes with Erba last month, it’s been training and cruising for Rohrer as she patiently awaits her next chance to prove herself against Erba and other top Hoosiers (and the post-season).
2012 races to date:
10/6-1st South Bend Sectional 17:33.2 5k
9/29-1st Northern Indiana Conf. 17:38 5k
9/22-2nd Culver Acad. Inv. 17:32.1 5k
9/15-1st New Prairie Inv 17:14.1 5k
9/8-1st Northridge Inv 17:56.9 5k
8/18-1st Viking Stampede 17:46 5k

17. Taylor Werner (16)
Ste. Genevieve (Mo.), Class of 2016
2011 XC: None (freshman)
Analysis: Similar to Rohrer, Werner made her big splash against her state’s finest and now has to patiently make her way to state and the post-season for more chances to prove herself. In the meantime, she’s continued to win impressively without really being tested.
2012 races to date:
10/6-1st Potosi Invite 17:30 5k
9/22-1st Hancock Invite 18:00.2 5k
9/15-1st Paul Enke Invite 18:28.7 5k
9/8-1st Forest Park Festival 16:59.3 5k
9/4-1st Jim Marshall Invite 12:29 2.2M

18. Maggie Drazba (HM)
St. Mary’s (W.V.), Class of 2013
2011-12 XC: 1st State, 13th FL South, 2nd USATF Jrs
Analysis: Jacob Burcham isn’t the only national class star from West Virginia. Drazba just missed the post-season last fall, but wowed harrier fans when she took 2nd amidst a field of mostly collegians at the USATF Juniors in February. She continued to progress in track, running 4:51.88 1,600, 4:53.67 mile (7th NBNO), and 10:27.42 for 3,200. Now this fall, she’s made a very big statement with her Great American ROC victory.
2012 (major) races to date:
10/6-1st Times Invite 19:05.69 5k
9/29-1st Great American ROC 17:27.9 5k
9/22-1st Bearcat Invite 19:47 5k
9/8-1st Chick Fil A Invite 18:01 5k
9/1-1st GEICO Classic 18:30.22 5k

19. Karis Jochen (HM)
A&M Consolidated (College Station, Texas), Class of 2013
2011 XC: 2nd NXN South, 9th FL South, 31st NXN Finals, 12th FL Finals
Analysis: Jochen moved up the national class ranks last fall as she put together a fine season of races while doubling NXN and Foot Locker. The spring found her 3rd in her two biggest 3,200 races at state and Texas Relays, with a 10:31.23 best. This fall, her racing schedule has been light, but high quality with her McNeil win coming against Maddie McLellan and several other top Texans.
2012 races to date
10/6-1st McNeil Invite 17:29.6 5k
9/22-1st Cedar Park Invite 17:28.11 5k

20. Hannah Long (HM)
Eureka (Mo.), Class of 2015
2011 XC: 2nd Class 4 state, 11th FL Midwest
Analysis: An outstanding freshman fall in 2011 for Long ended with the nearest of misses at Foot Locker Midwest. She had a middle-distance focus in track, running 2:13.97 for 800, 4:53.45 for 1,600 (3rd Kansas Relays) and 4:56.99 to win the Festival of Miles. This fall, she met up with another frosh prodigy at Forest Park, #17 Taylor Werner, but still had a big PR. She added a big national credential with her runner-up at Great American, too.
2012 races to date:
10/6-1st Suburb. West Conf. 18:08.57 5k
9/29-2nd Great American ROC 17:30.0 5k
9/13-1st Parkway Central Inv 18:34 5k
9/8-2nd Forest Pk Festival 17:07 5k
8/31-1st Fleet Feet Kickoff 11:34 2M

21. Makena Morley (HM)
Big Fork (Mont.), Class of 2015
2011 XC: 3rd FL West, 9th FL Finals
2012 races to date: Morley really impressed last year by emerging as a frosh in a state without a lot of competition and taking third at FL West and ninth in San Diego. Her track season was somewhat under the national radar, as she ran 2:16.77 for 800, 5:01.33 for 1,600 and 10:44.46 for 3,200. This fall, again she’s had little competition in Montana, but has improved her 2011 bests at most venues, including relatively major wins at Mountain West and Capital City.
2012 races to date:
10/6-1st Capital City 7 of 7 Inv 16:50 3M
9/29-1st Mountain West Inv 17:07 3M
9/22-1st Polson Invite 17:31 3M
9/15-1st Ronan Invite 17:14 3M
9/10-1st Flathead Invite 17:47.87 3M

22. Kaylee Flanagan (14)
Lake Park (Roselle, Ill.), Class of 2013
2011 XC: 4th NXN MW, 10th FL MW, 18th NXN Finals, 31st FL Finals
Analysis: After four fast, powerful victories, Flanagan had a “bad day” at Wheaton North in a race won by Courtney Ackerman, where the Lake Park senior faded to 12th. Her creds are good enough to keep her ranked, presuming she’ll bounce back.
2012 races to date:
9/29-12th WN Falcon Classic 17:22.7 3M
9/22-1st Palatine Invite 16:49 3M
9/15-1st Richard Spring Invite 16:20.3 3M
9/8-1st Lake Park Lancer Inv 16:27.7 3M
9/1-1st Fenton Earlybird Inv 16:56 3M

23. Alex Davis (HM)
Plainview (Ardmore, Okla.), Class of 2013
2011 XC: 3rd NXN South, 37th NXN Finals
Analysis: Nation class talent doesn’t emerge often in Oklahoma, one of the few states still running 2M or 3,200 for girls, but Davis has proven herself and is getting better. After her NXN success, she was good in track, but didn’t quite break through nationally with 5:03.69 mile (5th Golden South) and 10:45.46 3,200 PRs. This fall, however, she’s beaten her 3,200 best in the state’s biggest invite (Cowboy Jam) and killed her 5k PR against good comp at Marcus II.
2012 races to date:
10/5-1st OBU Pre-State Meet 10:58 3200m
9/29-1st OSU Cowboy Jamboree 10:48.79 3200m
9/22-1st Marcus II Invite 17:23.5 5k
9/14-1st Edmond Dog Pack 17:53.5 5k
9/1-1st Marcus I Invite 11:12.8 2M

24. Taylor Driscoll (HM)
Saratoga Springs (N.Y.), Class of 2013
2011 XC: 10th NXN NY, 22nd NXN Finals
Analysis: Significant improvement this fall has made Driscoll arguably the most impressive and consistent #1 for this national power since Hannah Davidson five years ago. She ruled the Queensbury meet, then had a very close and strong third at Great American. As a junior, she was solid and showed signs of this potential in XC, then in track she ran 2:12.06 for 800, 2:53.46 for 1k (indoor), 4:38.00 for 1,500, and 10:08.72 for 3k (indoors).
2012 races to date:
9/29-3rd Great American ROC 17:31.9 5k
9/22-1st Queensbury Inv 17:37.7 5k
9/19-1st Section II Mega Dual 17:23.15 3M

25. Bethanie Brown (HM)
Waterville (Maine), Class of 2013
2011 XC: 6th State, 5th New Englands
Analysis: Brown was solid last fall (off form at state, but good at New Englands), but when she ran 10:29.04 for fourth in the NBNI 2M, she started to make a national impact. Outdoors, she had an epic 4:50.39 1,600 / 10:31.19 3,200 New Englands double, then ran 17:11.14 for 7th in the NBON 5,000. Her fall schedule has been light so far – except that at the Maine Festival of Champs, she took down the meet record of one Abbey Leonardi, the 3-time Foot Locker Finalist.
2012 races to date:
9/29-1st Maine Fest of Champs 17:56.69 5k
9/21-1st KVAC Lg at Cony 18:42.92 5k
9/7-1st KVAC Lg at Waterville 18:35 5k
8/31-1st KVAC Lg at Bangor 17:41.6 3M