2. Brie Oakley, California
Brie Oakley, a graduate of Grandview (CO), was the Gatorade National Cross Country Runner of the Year in 2016 after winning NXN, and remained one of the most prolific runners the country for 2016-2017.
With that resume came a five-star appeal as she entered the ranks of the University of California, Berkeley. But Oakley has lived up to her potential so far, helping the Golden Bears to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA West Region.
Oakley was the second runner across the line for FloXC No. 17 California, following Bethan Knights in 11th place. The region was arguably the most competitive nationally, with Oakley posting the best overall time among all freshmen with a 6K mark of 19:45.2.
She was also coming off a 12th-place finish at the Pac 12 championships on October 27 and was 26th at Nuttycombe, finishing in 20:19.40.