Athletes in the Class of 2026 were not messing around in their first year of high school competition.
Girls from the rising sophomore class not only won state titles and registered impressive marks for the class, but also earned top finishes in events against more senior competitors.
With a full year under their belts, we rank the top athletes with recruiting potential as they now go forward into their remaining three years of high school competition.
We ranked our athletes based on a tiered rating system, current MileSplit50 and MileSplit track and field and cross country rankings, state records, historical results and performances over national competition. We leaned heavily on current data.
You can find previous rankings (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025) at the bottom of the page.
Check below for the full rankings for the girls Class of 2026. For any questions or thoughts on our recruiting rankings, email signings@milesplit.com.
Disclaimers: Please note that times, marks and national rankings used in the making of this list were strictly based on wind-legal times, unless noted otherwise. Keep in mind, we rank athletes based largely on personal best times or marks and less on head-to-head matchups or championships won, though we have considered both of those variables.
CLASS OF 2026 GIRLS RECRUITING RANKINGS
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RANK | ATHLETE | SCHOOL | EVENT | BIO |
| 1 | Western (FL) | Sprints | As the class leader in both the 200m and 400m this outdoor season, Skyler Franklin has shown she can be a threat both within Florida and on the national level. The Western (FL) rising sophomore clocked bests of 23.42 (-1.4) in the 200m and 52.52 for 400m over the spring and earned premiere top finishes in the Brooks PR 400m (second place) and New Balance Nationals Outdoor 400m (third place). She even ranks third in the class for the 100m with a best of 11.59 (+1.4), making her a very well-rounded candidate. | |
| 2 | Cesar Chavez (AZ) | Sprints | Usoro has had a season to remember out of Cesar Chevez in Arizona, losing only three finals the entire season across the 100m, 200m and 400m. And not only did she figure out how to win in just her first season of high school competition, but she logged notable marks en route to those gold medals, including class runner-up marks in the 100m (11.54) and 200m (23.87). Usoro also won an all-divisions state title in the 100m as a freshman. | |
| 3 | Oscar Smith (VA) | Hurdles | We've had our eyes on Lavender since she was breaking age group records as a middle schooler, so naturally she's continued that success in her first year of high school. The hurdles star from Oscar Smith (VA) leads the class for the 100mH (13.81 wind-legal) and also owns one of the top marks in the 300mH (42.87). The VHSL Class 6 100mH and 300mH state champion has already shown she's a force in the hurdles. | |
| 4 | Boerne Champion (TX) | Distance | It's not too often that you see a sub-10 2-mile for a freshman. Well, that's exactly what Elizabeth Leachman was able to accomplish in the event this outdoor season as she went 9:57.65 for third at Nike Outdoor Nationals, which is a freshman class record and a 2023 U.S. No. 6 mark for all grades. And not only does she rank among the best in the class for that event, but she also ranks within the top five for the 1,600m (4:47.28) and 3,200m (10:17.81). | |
| 5 | Ellie McCuskey-Hay | St. Ignatius College Prep (CA) | Sprints | With a stellar 11.52 (+1.6) 100m mark that earned her a second-place finish at the CIF Track & Field Championships in May, McCuskey-Hay is the solid 100m leader for the Class of 2026. But she also has range outside of the 100m discipline, holding experience in the heptathlon as the third-best multis athlete for the grade this outdoor season at 4,177 points for the heptathlon. |
| 6 | La Jolla (CA) | Distance | Dailey has stepped up to the plate as one of the top all-around distance athletes in the Class of 2026. The class leader for the 1,600m at 4:42.29 and 16:34.80 3-mile runner from cross country, Dailey has earned her spot this year among the distance elite across all grades. Notable national finishes include a 4:44.47 mile performance at Brooks PR for seventh place, a top 15 placement at Champs Sports XC Nationals in December and a 2:09.23 sixth-place effort in the 800m at Nike Outdoor Nationals. | |
| 7 | North Cobb (GA) | Hurdles/Multis | Not only does Robinson lead the class this season in the 300mH with an impressive 41.21 mark from the Wingfoot Night of Champions, but she's also one of the top multis athletes in the class with a 4,254 best on the season. | |
| 8 | Tampa Catholic (FL) | Throws | Simpson is the top combined thrower in the country for rising sophomores as she leads the class in both the shot put (46-1.5) and discus (143-3). Out of Tampa Catholic (FL), Simpson has thrown at least 44 feet in the shot put five times this season and been undefeated in the event this outdoor season. | |
| 9 | Winslow Township (NJ) | Jumps | Brawner leads the class in the triple jump with a 39-10.25 (+1.9) jump from New Balance Nationals Outdoor where she won the freshman division. She truly made her mark at NBNO, taking third in the freshman long jump (18-6.75), second in the freshman high jump (5-3.25) and sixth in the freshman 100mH (15.35). | |
| 10 | Niwot (CO) | Distance | Ritzenhein has already proven to be a force in the distance events this year. After a breakout 17:38.40 5K effort for 18th overall at Nike Cross Country Nationals as a freshman, Ritzenhein kept the momentum going during track season. She is the class leader for 3,000m thanks to a 9:41.75 run from The Penn Relays in April and also earned many key wins on the national stage, including a 10:29.42 3,200m win at the Music City Track Carnival and a state championship win in the same event at the Colorado State Championships. | |
| 11 | Churchill (OR) | Pole Vault | With a PR of 13-6.25 from Nike Outdoor Nationals, Kleinke leads the Class of 2026 in the pole vault and has been shown extreme consistency in the event all year long. The rising sophomore out of Churchill (OR) has vaulted over 13 feet three times this season, including her Nike Nationals effort and a 13-4.75 clearance to win an Oregon 5A state title in just her first year of high school competition. | |
| 12 | Guilderland (NY) | Mid-Distance | If you're looking for someone with range, look no further than Vellekoop. The rising sophomore from Guilderland (NY) can do anything from the 400m up to the 3,000m, but where she truly excels is the middle distances. Vellekoop leads the class in the 800m with a PR of 2:07.80 from the NYPHSAA State Championships and also holds strong marks of 4:35.27 for the 1,500m and 10:07.18 for 3,000m. | |
| 13 | Eastlake (CA) | Distance | Williams leads the class in the 3,200m with a stellar 10:11.01 fourth-place performance at the CIF State Championships. And it was this track season where she seemed to truly find her groove in the distance events, running under 10:30 for 3,200m five times and also setting a personal best in the 1,600m (4:46.26) to rank among the top five in the class for the event. | |
| 14 | Minisink Valley (NY) | Jumps | She contested every jumps event this outdoor track season, but where Michelitch has truly had national success is in the high jump. With a best of 5-9 this season, she leads the Class of 2026 in the event and nears that elusive 6-0 barrier. Micheltich won a NNYPHSAA state title in the event with a 5-9 clearance, and has cleared the bar at that height twice this season. In total, she has gone 5-6 or higher 10 times this spring. | |
| 15 | Bullis School (MD) | Hurdles | Hopkins has clocked the second-best 100mH time for the class this season with a 13.82 (1.2) from the PUMA East Coast Invitational. On the national stage, she took sixth in the 400mH at New Balance Nationals Outdoor, showcasing her range. | |
| 16 | Tatnall (DE) | Jumps | With a near-20-foot best this season of 19-8.5 (1.3), Montgomery leads the Class of 2026 in the long jump. In total, she has jumped over 19 feet four times this spring, and has also competed in other events from the hurdles to the sprints. | |
| 17 | Cedarburg (WI) | Mid-Distance | Trinity-McKenzie could very well be one of the next up-and-coming 400m-800m talents. She's the second-fastest 800m runner in the class at 2:08.62 and also has sub-57 speed in the 400m. But don't count her out in the more distance-oriented events, either. She's gone 10:59.17 for 3,200m to show that she can certainly move up in distance if need be. | |
| 18 | Cedar Crest (NJ) | Sprints | An impressive 53.28 400m personal best from the Colgate Women's Games ranks Howard as the second-fastest quarter miler in the class of 2026. She's also shown that she can win, earning a PIAA state title in the 400m and finishing the outdoor season undefeated in the event at the state level. | |
| 19 | Chiles (FL) | Hurdles | Swart leads the class in 400mH, running 1:02.27. But she also has skill in the 100mH with a best of 14.04 (0.9). Swart won the freshman girls 100mH at New Balance Nationals Outdoor earlier this month. | |
| 20 | Pennsauken (NJ) | Sprints | With sub-54-second speed in the 400m, Wynn is already making her mark in New Jersey and beyond. The Pennsauken rising sophomore won NJSIAA group titles in both the 400m and 100m and went on to win the 400m as well at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions. Not only does she have quarter-mile speed, but has clocked 11.82 in the 100m and 24.38 for 200m. | |
| 21 | West Warwick (RI) | Sprints | Raye clocked season bests of 11.64 (+1.6) for 100m and 23.58 (+1.5) for 200m to win the freshman girls division races at New Balance Nationals Outdoor, times that rank among the top five fastest marks for the Class of 2026. She won all but one of her 100m races this season. | |
| 22 | Notre Dame Academy (NY) | Mid-Distance | Kleisch is third in the class for the 800m at 2:08.89 at the Glenn D. Loucks Games. She also has a 57.97 400m personal best from the Staten Island Championships. | |
| 23 | Montverde Academy (FL) | Hurdles | Could Duncan be Montverde Academy's (FL) next rising star? Duncan clocked 1:02.44 for the 400mH this season at the FHSAA 2A Region 2 Championships and took fourth at the state championships. That puts her among the top three 400m hurdlers for the class; she also took eighth in the state championship final for the 100mH. | |
| 24 | Humble Summer Creek (TX) | Hurdles | Lloyd has already put herself in the sprint discussion in Texas, ranking among the top four in the class for 400m with a best of 54.04. The Humble Summer Creek rising sophomore took third place at the UIL 6A Championships in the 400m, which is no easy feat for any athlete in Texas, let alone an underclassmen. | |
| 25 | Gregory-Portland | Pole Vault | Grimes ranks as one of two athletes in the class to hit the 13-foot mark in the pole vault this spring, clearing 13-0 on the nose at her area championships in Texas. The bronze medalist from the UIL 5A Championships cleared at least 12-6 four times this season, and she's even competed well in a variety of other events, including the long jump, 100mH and 200m. | |
| 26 | Landry Academy (VA) | The younger sister to NCAA 800m champion Michaela Rose is the second-best triple jumper in the class at 39-2.5, which won her an adidas Outdoor Nationals title. Her next-best event is likely the 400m where she has gone 55.77 this outdoor season. She has even contested the 400mH and the long jump. | ||
| 27 | Montverde Academy (FL) | Sprints | Dickinson ranks as one of the top combined 200m-400m racers in the class, clocking 24.02 for 200m and 54.74 for 400m. | |
| 28 | Watertown (SD) | Throws | With a best of 42-3.75 from the Ruth Marske Invitational, Kranz sits at U.S. No. 2 for the Class of 2026 in the shot put. The Watertown (SD) talent took sixth at the SDHSAA Class AA Championships and earned five wins in the shot put this spring. | |
| 29 | Denton Braswell (TX) | Distance | With a 17:15.50 5K best from the cross country season, Wingard emerged as the class leader for the event in the fall. Since then, the Denton Braswell (TX) rising sophomore has clocked 4:57.66 for 1,600m and 10:37.40 for 3,200m. She also has clocked 7:01.54 for the steeplechase, which won her a Texas Relays title. | |
| 30 | Humble Atascocita (TX) | Jumps | Maxwell is the third-best triple jumper in the class at 39-1 (-0.4). That earned her sixth place at the UIL Class 6A Outdoor Championships. She also shows promise in both the 100m and long jump events. | |
| 31 | Fleming Island (FL) | Jumps | Shavers ranks among the top five in the class for the triple jump with a 38-8.25 (+2.0) from the FHSAA Outdoor Championships. | |
| 32 | Cedar Crest (PA) | Throws | As the Class of 2026 leader in the javelin, Schneider has thrown 145-10 this season. But what makes Schneider a top potential recruit isn't just her javelin skill, but her potential in other events as well. Perhaps the multis are in her future as she has jumped 5-4 in the high jump, clocked 5:17.88 for 1,600m and logged 2:23.98 in the 800m. | |
| 33 | Spring Grove (PA) | Hurdles | Bahn dipped under 43 seconds in the 300mH, clocking 42.62 to win her first PIAA State Championship. She's also clocked 14.48 in the 100mH and even 2:16.52 for 800m to show off her range across disciplines. | |
| 34 | Oaks Christian (CA) | Sprints | At 24.13 (+2.0), Rodriguez is one of the top 200m runners in the class. She's also gone 54.41 for 400m and 11.96 in the 100m to round out her sprint range. | |
| 35 | Fort Wayne Carroll (IN) | Jumps | Sinish is one of a few athletes in the class to jump 5-8 this season, and one of the only ones to jump at least 5-7 in four competitions. | |
| 36 | West Bloomfield (IN) | Sprints | Tatum clocked a wind-legal 23.93 to take second in a fast freshman final at New Balance Nationals Outdoor earlier this month. But she not only showcased her 200m speed, but put on display her 400m talent at NBNO with a 55.28 win for freshmen in the event. | |
| 37 | King's School (WA) | Throws | 168-1 makes Beard the class leader in the hammer throw this year. That helped Beard to a great performance on the national stage at Nike Outdoor Nationals, winning the championship division. | |
| 38 | Miami Northwestern (FL) | Jumps | As one of the few athletes to jump over 19 feet in the long jump this season ,she holds a wind-legal season best of 19-6.25 to rank among the top in the class. | |
| 39 | Creekside (FL) | Distance | As a top five athlete in the class for the mile and 3,200m, Johnson has established herself as a top talent in Florida and beyond. Johnson clocked 4:52.66 at the RunningLane Track Championships in May and swept both the 1,600m and 3,200m at the FHSAA 4A Championships as a freshman. | |
| 40 | Cambridge Christian (FL) | Distance | Black has made her mark all year in the distance events, clocking top five class marks in the 1,600m (4:48.83), mile (4:54.60) and 800m (2:10.78). The Cambridge Christian (FL) ace also ran 17:55.10 for 5K and holds a best of 17:15.50 at the distance. | |
| 41 | Grassfield (VA) | Sprints | A top 200m-400m sprinter for her grade, Rambo has gone 24.69 for 200m and 54.26 at the 400m this outdoor season. The latter won her the freshman 400m at New Balance Nationals Outdoor for one of her first outdoor national wins of her career. Rambo also won the 400m at the adidas Track Nationals during the indoor season. | |
| 42 | Wayne (OH) | Sprints | White holds a 100m PB of 11.76 (+1.9) from her regional championships in Ohio to rank among the top short sprinters in the class. She also is a strong 100m hurdler with a best of 14.12 (-0.6) from her divisional championships. | |
| 43 | Woodford County (KY) | Distance | The multi-time AAU Junior Olympics national age group record-holder ranks third in the class this season in the mile at 4:53.15. The Woodford County (KY) rising sophomore earned runner-up in the 800m and 1,600m at the KHSAA 3A State Championships in June and took home elusive freshman division wins in the 800m and mile during the indoor season at New Balance Nationals Outdoor. | |
| 44 | Bremen (GA) | Jumps | With a 5-8 season best, Derringer is the second-best high jumper for the Class of 2026. She's jumped at least 5-6 a total of seven times this season and took home Georgia Class 3A and Wingfoot Meet of Champions wins. | |
| 45 | Westlake (GA) | Sprints | One of the top combined short sprinters for the class, Kinard has gone wind-legal 11.80 in the 100m and 24.24 for 200m this spring. | |
| 46 | Humble Summer Creek (TX) | Hurdles | Phillips impressed in the 300mH this season, clocking a 42.81 best and took ninth in the event at the UIL Outdoor Championships. She's also clocked 56.42 for 400m this season, showing she can still get the job done without barriers in her way. | |
| 47 | Discovery (GA) | Sprints | Green, who moved to Georgia from Illinois this past year, logged season bests of 54.58 for the 400m and 24.37 in the 200m to rank among the top long sprinters in the class. | |
| 48 | Christ Presbyterian | Multis | The class pentathlon leader took fourth in the event at the Tennesee State Championships with a best of 3,193. | |
| 49 | Archbishop Wood (PA) | Mid-Distance | Hamilton is one of a few in the class to go sub-2:10 in the 800m this season, clocking 2:09.35 at New Balance Nationals Outdoor. The star underclassmen out of Archbishop Wood (PA) has gone 2:10 or faster four times this season in the half mile and has also gone 57.45 in the 400m and 5:02.63 for 1,600m. | |
| 50 | Aberdeen Central (SD) | Throws | Hermansen is the third-ranked shot put thrower in the class at 42-2.75. She threw at least 40 feet in the event a total of four times this season and is one of just a few throwers in the class to even eclipse 40 feet this year. |
HONORABLE MENTION
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Note: The honorable mention rankings are ordered based on event discipline, though in no particular order.
RANK | NAME | SCHOOL | EVENT |
| HM | Mason (OH) | Distance | |
| HM | Bellevue (WA) | Distance | |
| HM | Muskego (WI) | Distance | |
| HM | Bleckley County (GA) | Distance | |
| HM | Ohio Speed Academy (OH) | Distance/Steeplechase | |
| HM | Terry Sanford (NC) | Mid-Distance | |
| HM | Midlothian Heritage (TX) | Sprints | |
| HM | Atkins (NC) | Sprints | |
| HM | Durant (OK) | Sprints | |
| HM | Dr. Phillips (FL) | Sprints | |
| HM | Bishop McNamara (MD) | Sprints | |
| HM | Weld Central (CO) | Throws | |
| HM | Crescent (SC) | Throws | |
| HM | OR | Throws | |
| HM | Hoffman Estates (IL) | Hurdles | |
| HM | IMG Acadmey (FL) | Hurdles | |
| HM | Sunnyslope (AZ) | Hurdles | |
| HM | Chantilly (VA) | Jumps | |
| HM | Greater Atlanta Christian (GA) | Jumps | |
| HM | Mason County (KY) | Jumps | |
| HM | Archbishop Ryan (PA) | Jumps |
CLASS OF 2026:
Boys Class of 2026
Girls Class of 2026
CLASS OF 2025:
Boys Class of 2025
Second Version (June 21, 2023)
First Version (Nov. 28, 2022)
Girls Class of 2025
Second Version (June 29, 2023)
First Version (Nov. 28, 2022)
CLASS OF 2024:
Boys Class of 2024
Third Version (June 20, 2023)
Second Version (Jan. 8, 2023)
First Version (May 28, 2021)
Girls Class of 2024
Third Version (June 28, 2023)
Second Version (Jan. 8, 2023)
First Version (May 28, 2021)
CLASS OF 2023:
Boys Class of 2023
Fifth Update (November 14, 2022)
Fourth Update (June 3, 2022)
Third Update (Nov. 2, 2021)
Second Update (March 25, 2021)
First Version (August 27, 2020)
Girls Class of 2023
Fifth Update (November 14, 2022)
Fourth Update (June 2, 2022)
Third Update (Nov. 1, 2021)
Second Update (March 24, 2021)
First Version (August 27, 2020)
CLASS OF 2022:
Boys Class of 2022
Fourth Update (Dec. 15, 2021)
Third Update (May 5, 2021)
Second Update (Sept. 25, 2020)
First Version (February 27, 2020)
Girls Class of 2022
Fourth Update (Dec. 16, 2021)
Third Update (May 5, 2021)
Second Update (Sept. 25, 2020)
First Version (February 27, 2020)
CLASS OF 2021:
Boys Class of 2021
Third Update (Last updated, Nov. 11, 2020)
Second Update (May 1 2020)
First Version (Nov. 5, 2019)
Girls Class of 2021
Third Update (Last updated, Nov. 11, 2020)
Second Update (May 1, 2020)
First Version (Nov. 5, 2019)
CLASS OF 2020:
Boys Class of 2020
Second Update (Last updated, Nov. 13, 2019)
First Version (May 30, 2019)
Girls Class of 2020
Second Update (Last updated, Nov. 13, 2019)
First Version (May 30, 2019)
CLASS OF 2019:
Boys Class of 2019 (Last updated, Dec. 19, 2018)
Second Update (Mar. 21, 2019)
Girls Class of 2019 (Last updated, Dec. 19, 2018)
Second Update (Mar. 21, 2019)
CLASS OF 2018:
Boys Class of 2018 (Last updated, Nov. 9, 2017)
Re-Ranking The Class of 2018 (July 20, 2021)
Girls Class of 2018 (Last updated, Nov. 9, 2017)
Re-Ranking The Class of 2018 (July 21, 2021)
Athletes in the Class of 2026 were not messing around in their first year of high school competition.
Girls from the rising sophomore class not only won state titles and registered impressive marks for the class, but also earned top finishes in events against more senior competitors.