* Ava Lindsey holds the fastest 5k cross country mark among incoming freshmen for the 2023 fall season.
Photo Credit: John Olson/MileSplit South Carolina
- - -
This fall may mark their first season competing on the cross country course as high schoolers.
But the list of incoming freshmen girls for the high school cross country season is star-studded and includes state champions and a world record-holder.
Returning with the top time among the class of 2027 for 5k is Greenville Hurricanes' (SC) Ava Lindsey, who clocked 17:34.18 last season and went on to win a state champion in South Carolina as just as eighth grader. Six other athletes return with times under 18 minutes for 5k, and for the 3-mile, Lucy Cramer leads the way with a 17:44.61 mark from last October.
But the rising freshman making perhaps the most anticipated debut will be Sophia Rodriguez of Dallastown (PA), who owns world age group track records for the 2-mile (10:12.33) and 5,000m (16:22.30). Last season as a middle schooler, R...