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Southeast Region Girls Early Season Rankings 2025Published by
Two Standout Tennessee Teams Hold Down Top Spots Heading Into The Season By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor Girls NXR Southeast Preview The power in the Southeast for girls cross country is in Tennessee this year, where Brentwood and Webb School of Knoxville both have teams that should be in the top 10 nationally. A week ago, it seemed like Webb School would be the regional favorite with its stellar returning trio of Carolina Areheart and wins Calysta and Jazzlyn Garner, all of them Division 1 caliber college prospects. Early results from Brentwood show that the Bruins have better depth and may be able to squeeze seven in front of Webb's fourth. Lauren Banovac, a senior, leads a group that will be tough to beat in the Southeast. A year after Raleigh (Cardinal Gibbons NC) and Brentwood finished 12th and 13th at Nike Cross Nationals (Webb School missed an auto qualifer by one point and was not chosen for an at-large berth), the Southeast may have a strong argument for a third team this year. James Robinson VA returns its top six, led by juniors Karina and Alexandra Bird. Padua of Delaware and West Springfield of Virginia round out the top five but there are a few others within striking distance. Creekside FL and other top Florida teams face a new wrinkle this year because their state meet is on the same day as NXR Southeast. A selection committee will include Florida state meet performances for consideration as it decides the at-large teams. Both teams have strong lineups returning, but for the moment they are not the early favorites for the two automatic berths. Junior Averi Lowen of Bowdon GA is the reigning individual champion in the Southeast meet. Areheart was second and senior Elaina Pierce of Charlottesville VA was fifth. 1. Brentwood TN. The Bruins served notice at the MSCCA Voyles Classic that they are a national threat and looking to improve upon last year's 13th place at Nike Cross Nationals. At The Hermitage in Tennessee, senior Lauren Banovac led seven Brentwood runners into the top 15 and all of them finished the 5,000-meter layout in under 18:40. Sophomore Emma Haga, senior Lia Banovac, juniors Nigella Smith and Talya Williams, sophomore Sydney Day, plus freshman Anna Katherine Truesdale add depth without much drop off. 2. Webb School of Knoxville TN. Senior Carolina Areheart and twin sisters Calysta Garmer and Jazzlyn Garmer could very well be the best trio in the country this fall. But the sport calls for five and there is a lot of room between that front three and team's next best. Right now, that's juniors Emma Cissa and Ariana Vargas. If those two can develop over the season, Webb could have enough to win the region. 3. James Robinson VA. The Rams got the season off to a great start last weekend at the Monroe Parker Invitational, putting four runners in the top eight to win the team title. The top six are all back from last year's fifth-place finish at NXR Southeast. Juniors Karina and Alexandra Bird, senior Ariana Lopez, sophomore Petra Gruendel give the team a high quality quartet and seniors Emily Morosco and Charlotte Movsessian, and juniors Ciara Jensen and Isabella Willard give the team four options at No. 5. 4. Padua DE. Senior Anna Bockius leads a Pandas team that fnished seventh at NXR Southeast and returns six members of the top seven. Sophomores Paige Ballinger, Vera Cincilla and Leah Campbell, and seniors Mary Drost and Teresina DeAscinas can all help the team out if they can work to close the gap behind Bockius, who was 11th at the regional meet and won state titles last spring in the 800 meters and 1,600 meters. 5. West Springfield VA. The Spartans return three girls who ran under 18 minutes at last year's NXR Southeast, where the team finished fourth. The standout is junior Allie Horner, the track team's 4x800 and DMR anchor and a 10:30 3,200-meter runner. She sat out of West Springfield's first meet last Saturday and the team finished third, behind James Robinson and WT Woodson. At full strength, the Spartans should be a top-five team in the region with senior Rickelle Bush, junior Reagan Leone and sophomore Anna Johnson leading the charge. WATCHLIST More news |
