A Breakdown Of The AAU XC Girls Championship Race


* Cory, Bryan and Olivia pick their favorites for the AAU XC Championships from the latest episode of On the Line

- - -

On Saturday, expect some top-level action at the AAU XC Championships at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida. There are six different brackets of age groups at this meet -- and the older age brackets are separated by two waves separating teams and unattached runners -- including a six and under division. The 15-18 division could have a former high school national champion in the field. 

Over the last few weeks, several nationally-ranked individuals have entered this championship.

Below, we preview the major individuals to watch on Saturday. 

View: Final: AAU Cross Country National Championship Entries, The Top Boys to Watch at the AAU National Championships and the meet information.  


Schedule of Events: 

8:30am - National Anthem 8:40am - 17-18 Girl 5K (wave 1)
9:00am - 17-18 Girl 5K (wave 2) 
9:30am - 17-18 Boy 5K (wave 1)
9:50am - 17-18 Boy 5K (wave 2)
10:20am - 13-14 Girl 4K
10:50am - 13-14 Boy 4K
11:20am - 11-12 Girl 3K
11:50am - 11-12 Boy 3K
12:20pm - 9-10 Girl 3K
12:50pm - 9-10 Boy 3K
1:20pm - 7-8 Girl 2K
1:40pm - 7-8 Boy 2K
2:00pm - 6 & Under Girl and Boy (combined) 1K
2:15pm - Parent/Coach Run 3K
2:30pm - Open/Masters Run 5K



Girls 6 and Under (Link to Entries)

- - -
The 6-and-under girls will compete in a 1,000m run. A few of the top finishers from last year's competition will be returning this year.


Top Title Contenders:


  • Abigail Riley (NY): Riley of VO2 Max Track Club placed fourth at this meet last year in 4:30. 
  • Makenzie York (CA): York competed at the AAU Western Regional and took the victory in the 1K in 4:22.
  • Emery Donner (GA): Donner finished 13th last year in 5:27.13. 
  • Milania Brok: Brok crossed the finish line in 5:33.70 for 15th place last year.
  • Nine of the 11 runners competing from the Western Regional meet in Nevada are scheduled to compete this weekend. Renata and Alicia Vargas are the two athletes not registered.


Girls 1,000 Meters 6 and Under
=========================================================================== Athlete Yr Team Time =========================================================================== 1 Mackenzie York 6U Pacific Coast Shock .. 4:22 2 Lauren Fader - San Diego Waves XTC 4:47 3 Itzel Hernandez - Valley United Track .. 4:56 4 Jacqueline Lopez Whittier Warriors Tr.. 5:01 5 Crystal Campos - Lightning Youth Runn.. 5:06 6 Aniyah Hogains - Valley United Track .. 5:08 7 Sofia Rodriguez - Valley United Track .. 5:30 8 Stella Silva - Valley United Track .. 5:36 9 Renata Vargas - Lightning Youth Runn.. 5:39 10 Olivia Weinraub - Lightning Youth Runn.. 5:58 11 Alicia Vargas - Lightning Youth Runn.. 6:30



Girls 7-8 2K Entries (Link to Entries)

- - -

Top Title Contenders:

* Bella Vu competed at the 2020 AAU Junior Olympics in the 1500m


  • Brooke Johnson: Johnson placed second in last year's 6 & under division at the AAU National Championships for cross country. She crossed the line in 4:19.64. 
  • Miriam Wajid (NY): Wajid finished third last year in the 6 & under division in 4:28.04. 
  • Nahla Cochran (FL): Cochran placed second at the 2020 AAU Junior Olympics in the 1,500m. She crossed the finish line in 5:53.78. 
  • Bella Vu (FL): At the 2020 AAU Junior Olympics, Vu earned All-American honors in the 1,500m. She finished the race in 6:42.54 for sixth place overall. 
  • Rylee McGovern: McGovern earned All-American honors at the 2020 AAU Junior Olympics when she finished seventh overall in 6:50.93 for 1,500m. 



Girls 9-10 3K (List of Entries)

- - -

Top Title Contenders:


  • Ava Johnson: Johnson is the defending champion in this event. She won the gold medal last year by 11 seconds. 
  • Azra Gercek (CA): A year ago, Gercek finished the course in 12:21.64 for the bronze medal.
  • Aumire Sthran (TX): At the 2020 AAU Junior Olympics, she won the nine-year-old age group in the 1,500m. She set a new personal best of 5:46.50. She also placed third in the 1,500m race walk. 
  • Kristen Theobald (CA): Theobald finished behind Sthran for the silver medal at the AAU Junior Olympics in the 1,500m. She shaved 32 seconds off her previous personal best at the national championships. In 2019, Theobald placed 11th at the USATF National Junior Olympics XC Championships and set a personal best of 8:35.00 for 2K. 
  • Molly Cramer (LA): Cramer won the 1,500m at the AAU Junior Olympics in a personal best of 5:17.87. At the same meet, she earned the silver medal in the 800m by setting a lifetime best of 2:39.73. 



Girls 11-12 3K (List of Entries)

- - -

Top Title Contenders:

* Layla Fuller at the FLYRA MS State Cross Country Championship


  • Summer Wilson (CA): At this meet a year ago, Wilson placed second in 11:33.09.
  • Claire Reburn (FL): Reburn won the 2020 AAU Junior Olympic title in the 3K as she crossed the finish line in 11:18.73. During this year's cross country season, she ran a season best for 3K in 12:17.97 at the FLrunners Invitational. Earlier in the season, she won the FHSAA 1A District meet in 20.43.50 for 5K. 
  • Victoria Zea (FL): At the 2020 AAU Junior Olympics, she placed third in the 3K and fourth in the 1,500m. Zea competed at the FLYRA MS State Championships and ran a personal best of 11:59.45 for 3K during this year's cross country season. 
  • Layla Fuller (FL): Fuller ran a 12:44.14 at the Seminole County MS Cross Country Championships to win the title. She earned the bronze medal at this championship last year in 11:37.97.



Girls 13-14 4K (List of Entries)

- - -

Top Title Contenders:

* Sadie Engelhardt dominated at the 2020 AAU Junior Olympics in the distance events

- - -

  • Sadie Engelhardt (CA): Engelhardt had a busy AAU Junior Olympic meet this summer. She broke a 34-year-old national record in the 1,500m and also won the 3K earlier in the day in 10:05.34, just three seconds off breaking another record. This meet will be her first time competing since the summer.
  • Arielle Mckenzie (CA): Mckenzie of the Pacific Coast Shockwaves placed fourth last year at the AAU XC Nationals in 15:09.77 in the 4K race. 
  • Tauren Mitchell (CA): Mckenzie's teammate placed fifth last year at this meet in 15:18.10. 
  • Bethany Michalak, Air Academy (CO): Arguably the top freshman girls runner of 2020, Michalak has won all seven of her races across the fall, including a Colorado Class 4A win over Prok. 
  • Mia Prok, Niwot (CO): Prok set a US No. 1 for freshmen at the RunningLane XC National Championships on Nov. 21, posting a time of 16:56.97. She's lost two head-to-heads with Michalak.
  • Chiara Bonomi (CA): Bonomi earned a handful of medals at the 2020 AAU Junior Olympics this summer. She won the 3K in a personal best of 10:30.57 and earned a silver medal in the 1,500m. Bonomi placed fifth at this year's AAU Western Regional. The Los Gatos TC runner ran 15:21.00 for 4K. 



Girls 15-18 5K (List of Entries)

- - -

Top Title Contenders:


* Lauren Ping of Desert Vista has been leading the Thunder to a successful season


  • Lauren Ping, Desert Vista (AZ): Won the AIA State Cross Country Championships in 17:13. She ran a season 5K best of 16:57.20 at the Desert Twilight XC Festival, where she placed second. She's in the unattached wave. 
  • Hannah Ielfield, South Lewis (NY): The University of Mississippi signee ran a personal best of 17:52.30 for 5K at the 12th Rock Northeast Cross Country Club Championships. This was her first sub-18-minute performance in her career. 
  • Caroline Wells, Winter Springs (FL): Wells remained undefeated all season. She won her first individual state title at the FHSAA Class 3A Cross Country Championships in 17:16.50. Last weekend, she competed at the Apalachee Regional Park and broke the course record by a second. 
  • Riley Stewart, Cherry Creek (CO): Stewart hasn't finished worst than second place all season. She won the Colorado Classic XC meet in a lifetime best 17:02.00, which is the 18th fastest time of the season. Stewart also defended her Colorado State Championship title. She's in the team wave. 
  • Audrey Dadamio, Birmingham Seaholm (MI): Dadamio was third overall at the RunningLane XC National Championships on Nov. 21 in 17:03.37 and also won the MHSAA Division I state championships and the MITCA Meet of Champions in ensuing weeks in November. 
  • Cameron McConnell, Cherokee Trail (CO): The junior ran four sub-18-minutes for 5K this cross country season. Her fastest time of the year was when she placed second at the Colorado Classic XC Meet in 17:10.00, which ranks her 21st in the country this year. McConnell placed second at the Colorado State Cross Country Championships in October. 



* Zofia Dudek won the 2019 Foot Locker National Championships and is scheduled to compete at the AAU XC National Championships this weekend

- - -

There's also surprising entry in the 15-18 division.

The 2019 Foot Locker National Champion and MHSAA state champion, Stanford University freshman Zofia Dudek, ran a personal best of 16:45.00 last year, and is she's registered to compete this weekend.

The Ann Arbor Pioneer graduate and Cardinal runner also won the 3K at the 2019 European U20 track and field championships for Poland. 


Other Names to Watch:


Related Links: