A great story is full of key ingredients.
There's a fascinating lead, a compelling hook, the ever-important details, maybe a few twists and turns, and then one-last-blow, a kicker that brings it home.
Over the last calendar year, MileSplit brought you countless stories as we covered the high school cross country and track and field seasons, including the many peaks and valleys and storylines of athletes and teams across the United States.
Today, we feature our best pieces over the last 365 days. Our seventh annual 'Best Writing on MileSplit' series captures the ambitions, hopes, dreams, failures and successes of our country's top athletes and the nation's best teams.
You can find our best work from the calendar year of 2023 below.
FEATURES - PROFILES - MEET COVERAGE/BREAKING NEWS - SIDEBARS/EXPLANATORY - ESSAYS/COLUMNS
The Best Writing on MileSplit Archive: 2022 - 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017
FEATURES [1]
Can A New Coach Extend (Or Recreate) Newbury Park's Legacy?
"If we fail, I'm going to be known as the guy who ruined Newbury Park. I want the kids to succeed, and I don't want to be the guy who let them down. So the pressure's there, but it's also very motivational."
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by Tomoki Chien - MileSplit California
At practice, the first hint that the team might be something special wasn't readily apparent until the varsity squad dutifully locked in on the day's workout without so much as a complaint. Until then, it felt like it might be any other high school team.
This 15-Year-Old Found A Breast Tumor, Then Acted Quickly
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by Olivia Ekpone - MileSplit
November, 2022, is a month and year that will stick with D'Asia Duncan for the rest of her life.
That's because last year at this time, she removed a four-inch tumor from her left breast.
This 8th-Grader's Merits Are Taking Social Media By Storm
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by Ashley Tysiac - MileSplit
1.5 million.
That's how many people have watched a 15-second clip on the MileSplit Instagram page of 8th-grader Sophia Rodriguez running a 4:56 indoor 1,600m back in early February.
The middle-school distance phenom out of Dallastown Area (PA) has evolved into an internet sensation within the high school track and field community, seemingly overnight.
The Cuthbertson Four: This Distance Pack Aims For Dominance
Maybe Walsh didn't realize how special that moment would be years later as those runners eventually became four of the best to ever don Cavalier jerseys.
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by Ashley Tysiac - MileSplit
Ask Cuthbertson High School distance coach Kirk Walsh for photos of his athletes over the course of his decade-long coaching career and the archives are endless.
One photo, though, stands out from the others.
It's a picture of four smiling middle schoolers, small medals hung around their necks. Sisters Justine and Alyssa Preisano link arms with their soon-to-be Cuthbertson teammates Charlotte Bell and Stella Kermes following a local cross country race that saw each of them easily place among the top finishers.
FEATURE: Relay Teams Eyeing Moore Success In CIF Postseason
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by Ryan Blystone - MileSplit California
LONG BEACH -- The names and the years change, but when the CIF-Southern Section's Division championship meet arrives Saturday at Moorpark High School, familiar schools from a familiar league will be competing in 4x100 and 4x400 relay races and they'll get plenty of attention.
"Our league (finals) may be as tough to get out of as CIF," says veteran Poly track assistant coach Keith Anderson, who works closely with Poly's relay teams. "Our kids have to stay sharp. There's no luxury of a letdown at league finals."
Process Has Shaped Max Herman Into Becoming An Elite Thrower
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by Brett Haffner - MileSplit
For Max Herman, success has never been about the flashiness of a new PR.
Neither has it been about being ranked U.S. No. 1 in the weight throw.
It's never been about having a world-class mentor like Daniel Haugh in his corner.
The culmination of five years of hard work, persistence and focused effort has led Herman to become one of the nation's best throwers. He currently sits U.S. No. 1 in the weight throw, having thrown an unbelievable 80 feet, 5.75 inches earlier this January.
A New Chapter For S.C. Track And Field Coach Chris Greene
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by Kevin Melton - MileSplit South Carolina
Distance events are nothing new to Chris Greene.
The former Eau Claire standout turned coach was all too familiar with them competing in mostly the 800-meter races for the Shamrocks. He also dipped his toes in the 1,600 and 3,200 during his high school career.
Cousins. State Champions. The Best Throwers In Kansas.
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by Tim Casey - MileSplit Recruiting Reporter
Fairchild and Marx come from a lineage of throwers. Fairchild began throwing the javelin in middle school after her older sister, Katelyn, took up the event. They traveled to camps and worked at times with Tom Pukstys, who represented the U.S. at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics.
Katelyn Fairchild was one of the top throws recruits in the high school Class of 2021. That year, she had the U.S. No. 2 javelin throw (175-4) and finished 12th at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
FEATURE: Parker, Stanley 400m Rivalry Set For Arcadia Redux
"We always have good battles and we're friends off the track. We wish each other good luck before the race and help each other get better."
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by Mark Gardner - MileSplit California
Granada Hills Charter senior Dijon Stanley is a football player who runs track. Helix Charter's Adren Parker is a track runner who plays football.
They've never met on the gridiron, but this coming Saturday at the Arcadia Invitational they'll square off for the fourth time in the 400 meter dash, with Stanley holding a 2-1 edge.
Each battle between them was decided by just tenths of a second.
PROFILES [2]
Noor's Pursuit: A Young Muslim Woman's Fight For Equality
Noor Abukaram became international news in 2019 after being disqualified from a high school cross country race due to her religious beliefs. She fought back with her voice then, and she hasn't stopped fighting for equality, and especially for young Muslim athletes, ever since.
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by Cory Mull - MileSplit
When high school ended and the next phase of Abukaram's life began, she wasn't quite sure where running fit in her life.
Emotionally traumatic moments had been a source of pain through her final years as a high school athlete. But now, without the security of a uniform, a coach and training instructions, she was forced to find her own place within the sport.
Fidelis Osunkwo: A 'One-Of-One' Runner's Story
"Two years ago, I was on a plane thinking about how my life was changing and how I was going to cope with everything. This week, I was also thinking about the opportunity, but it was how to represent my family, my state, my city, and my public school."
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by Joe Battaglia - MileSplit
Education has always been a priority for the family so making the transition from Catholic boarding school in Uturu to public high school in New York figured to be the biggest challenge.
Osunkwo was confident in his English, but would people be able to cut through his thick Nigerian accent and understand him?
Off The Grid And Then Back On. The Return Of Manny Putz.
"After all that time of not running, I just had so much energy to put onto that course. I planned to just race and see what happened"
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By Maxx Bradley
In his first two years of high school cross country, Onalaska's Manny Putz took The Badger State by storm, winning 12 races against some of the state's best athletes, many of whom had dozens of more races under their belt.
Simply put, he routinely out-classed the best-of-the-best.
Emma Stutzman Is Ready To Step Out Into The Spotlight
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by Bobby Reyes - MileSplit
Two weeks after her high school debut Stutzman ran her first 5K at the Liberty Bell Cross Country Invitational. The result was a 18:36 clocking -- the second-fastest in school history.
"It was one of those moments where you're like, ok we have something very real on our hands here, and it's going to be fun if we do it right," Swartz said.
The Story Behind Emmanuel Perez's Emergence This Season
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by Tomoki Chien - MileSplit California
Emmanuel Perez came out of nowhere. He never ran for a club team, didn't run cross country his freshman year and wasn't even much of an athlete before high school.
"I was a chunky kid back then," Perez said.
That is, in fact, how he earned his nickname "Big Manny," which has been used to distinguish him from Cathedral High School's other top runner, Emmanuel Hernandez, who is dubbed "Little Manny."
Forged On The Ice, Birnbaum Could Be Next Great U.S. Runner
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by Cory Mull
When Simeon Birnbaum won his second Gatorade state Player of the Year award this past spring in South Dakota for his merits in track and field, earning a $1,000 grant to be given to the organization of his choice, he did something a bit unusual.
He decided to give it to his local hockey association.
"Hockey is king in Canada," said Birnbaum, a current Rapids City Stevens High School senior, relaying a bit of his family background. "That's the sport everyone does."
Brody Buffington Has Officially Made A Statement
Buffington has been the high school sprint scene's best kept secret, tucked away in the mountains of Northern Maryland in the 7,000-person town of Thurmont.
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by Ashley Tysiac - MileSplit
Some of the nation's top names in high school sprinting took to the blocks for the 60m at the Millrose Games in February.
Issam Asinga and Micah Larry from the powerhouse program of Montverde Academy (FL). Two of Archbishop Carroll's (DC) best in Marcus Brown and Camren Williams.
But in lane five stood someone a little off the radar: Specifically, the 6-foot-3 and 200-pound guy out of Thurmont, Maryland, sporting a red singlet and hoping to have a chance against a field of established talents.
This Texas State Recruit Turned Into A Major NCAA Talent
Preddie's inclusion will be significant, though. The Texas State men's team has not scored a point at an NCAA outdoor meet since 2011.
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by Tim Casey - MileSplit Recruiting Reporter
Chris Preddie is accustomed to thriving in big meets at the University of Texas in Austin.
As a senior at Little River Academy (TX) last year, he won the long jump and triple jump at the Texas UIL Class 3A state meet. The previous year, he was first in the triple jump and second in the long jump.
This week, Preddie returns to that same Mike Myers track on an even bigger stage.
MEET COVERAGE/BREAKING NEWS [3]
Seton Hall Wins 4x4 After DQ Overturned, Breaks New Jersey Record
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by Jim Lambert - MileSplit
There probably wasn't a team at the New Balance National Championships that experienced more of an emotional rollercoaster ride this weekend in Boston than the Seton Hall Prep 4x400-meter relay squad.
After blasting a NJ record and US No. 4 all-time 3:14.53 and crossing the finish line first to successfully defend their 4x400 title on Sunday, Seton Hall Prep seniors Nicholas DeVita, Russell Webb, Ryan Matulonis and Xavier Donaldson didn't get a chance to immediately celebrate their epic performance together.
Addy Ritzenhein Runs 17:36 To Torch St. Vrain Course Record
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by Bobby Reyes - MileSplit Colorado
Addison Ritzenhein took crisp, business-like strides.
With a mile to go in the girls 4A/5A race on Saturday at the St. Vrain Invitational in Lyons, Colorado, she had company -- Niwot teammate Olivia Alessandrini and Mountain Vista's Peyton Adams trailed just a few steps behind her.
But Ritzenhein's focus was in front of her.
Former Franklin Sprinter Mario Heslop Killed In Car Accident
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by Jim Lambert - MileSplit New Jersey
Mario Heslop, arguably one of the best high school sprinters in New Jersey history during his days at Franklin High School, died in a car accident on Monday, Franklin High School Athletic Director Ken Margolin confirmed on Tuesday morning.
According to a report by Spreeznews.com, Heslop died in the accident on Monday in the area of Somerset Township. He was 23 years old.
Damon Frabotta And The Journey To Pan Am U20 Championships
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by Mark Dwyer - MileSplit Ohio
Frabotta credits the high level coaching he was exposed to and the competitive, dedicated training environment he shared with teammates at Saint Ignatius as contributing forces for the success he's enjoyed in the early stages of his college career and subsequently his qualifying effort achieved at USATF U20s.
"Coach Kyle and Coach Wolf played instrumental roles in preparing me for both the collegiate and national level by the workouts I was given, the structure of my practices and also the guidance I was provided throughout the entirety of the season," Frabotta said.
Chatham Wins 4x800 CoA In Epic Finish At Penn Relays
Chatham is the first U.S. team to win the 4x800 at Penn since Pleasantville (NJ) finished first in 2013, ending Jamaica's seven-year winning streak.
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by Jim Lambert - MileSplit New Jersey
PHILADELPHIA -- Ryan Beegle was running out of track. Ainsley Campbell was running out of gas.
So with the finish line fast approaching at Franklin Field and the scent of blood in the water, Beegle, a senior at Chatham, put his head down and dug down deep to make one final expulsive charge in Friday's 4x800 Championship of America race at the 127th Penn Relays presented by Toyota.
Juliette Laracuente-Huebner Wins Team Title In A Solo Effort
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by Olivia Ekpone - MileSplit
It's one thing to win multiple individual OATCCC D2/3 Indoor state titles and set new state records all in one day.
It's another thing to win the state team title by yourself.
Juliette Laracuente-Huebner had that kind of day on Friday as she accumulated 40 points for Marengo Highland (OH) High School to earn the team title.
Inside Landen LeBlond's Remarkable Weekend
LeBlond, wanting to not disrupt any travel plans, tried to play it off for an hour that she was fine. The biggest race of her life was waiting for her; LeBlond was focused on that.
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by Logan Stanley - MileSplit Arizona
Millennium junior Landen LeBlond put together one of the most impressive efforts from a distance runner in Arizona prep track and field history this past weekend -- but it was almost derailed by a smoothie.
On Thursday evening, LeBlond recorded a massive personal best in the 3200m at the Scottsdale Distance Classic. LeBlond shaved off 16 seconds from her top time, running 10:22.01. That time puts her at No. 6 on the all-time state list.
SIDEBARS/EXPLANATORY [4]
Pittsburg State's Recruiting Wins Continue To Pile On
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by Tim Casey - MileSplit
Ben Barrows, an assistant track and field and cross country coach at Pittsburg State University in Kansas, was thrilled to spend the last weekend of May in Pueblo, Colorado.
That was the site of the NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships, a meet that Pittsburg State's men's team ended up winning for the second consecutive year.
Still, as Barrows coached the team at the nationals, he was also following on his phone the results of another meet 400 miles away.
After all, recruiting is a major part of Barrows' job, too, so he wanted to know what was going on at the Kansas State Outdoor Championships.
Behind The Cost Of Track Recruiting, As An Arm Race Brews
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by Cory Mull - MileSplit
Autumn Wilson arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, on a nearly perfect fall day on September 18, 2021, alongside her father, Frank, ready for what they both would deem, 'Official Visit' weekend.
As the pair walked outside toward ground transportation at the airport, the first small touch arrived: A van from the University of Georgia.
In terms of VIP treatment, this would be as close as you could get in track and field. The university was pulling out all the stops to recruit Wilson, considered one of the top sprinters in the nation. A compensated flight to Atlanta was the first step, followed by the personal taxi. The van would take them -- and four other recruits -- 71 miles east to Athens.
Michael Nworu: 'People Like Me, We Can't Afford To Mess Up'
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by Will Grundy - MileSplit Texas
In track and field, there are certain athletes that come around and you know they have "it."
Whatever "it" is, they just seem to possess the characteristics to stand out and perform on a different level.
ESSAYS/COLUMNS [5]
COACHING LEGENDS: Ken Reeves' Impact Transcends Titles
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by Melody Karpinski
Ken Reeves had a skill for picking out diamonds in the rough.
The cross country coach and physical education teacher at Nordhoff High School could cull talent, and a kid named Javier Ramirez was on his radar.
Ramirez didn't know running was a sport. An undocumented immigrant newly arrived from Mexico, Ramirez loved soccer and running in P.E. class was just something fun to do.
FEATURE: State Runner-Up Hilton Green Is Ready To Raise The Bar
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by Ryan Blystone
Indeed, a high school pole vaulter going 16-5 will turn heads. It was a solid achievement for someone who, in less than a year, improved his PR by nearly five feet, broke and re-broke Buchanan's old record of 15-7, and won the TRAC League Championship (his first 16-5), Central Section Division I title (15-6), CS Masters Meet title (15-11) and reached the CIF State final.
While he was also a solid wide receiver for Buchanan football for two seasons, what he accomplished in pole vault put him on college teams' radar. Green, after visiting Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and UCLA, committed to the University of Oklahoma for track and field this past fall.
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
In Memoriam: Dick Fosbury, A Track And Field Legend
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by Robert Marchetti - MileSplit Contributor
If you are a high jumper, you may want to put a small black band around one of the straps of your uniform top this outdoor season.
You may want to do that to honor a track and field innovator who still impacts the event you compete in today. He invented the style you use in the high jump.
His name was Richard Fosbury, and he passed away on March 12th at age 76 due to lymphoma, the New York Times reported.
Jessica Stratton: How To Overcome Your Fear Of Failure
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by Jess Stratton - MileSplit
I normally carry a great sense of confidence when I line up to race.
I enjoy being competitive and I believe in myself. I don't have to do much self-convincing before a race. But going into each of my races as a senior at the University of Delaware this year, I was feeling a sense of fear that I had never felt before.
Analysis: A Deep Dive Into Weather Patterns In Huntsville
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by Ben Thompson - MileSplit Tennessee
I went to a meet nearly every weekend this fall starting in Mid-August and not once was I worried about my camera equipment getting wet. By the Tennessee State Championship in early November, the lead car was driving so far in front of the runners to avoid kicking up dust, it was hard to determine what purpose they were serving at all.
Thoughts From Three: Some Days, It's Going To Be Hard
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by Jim Vermeulen - MileSplit New York
You don't have to go far in the library of how-to-become-a-distance-runner before you trip over some tome on individualized training or proper mechanics or the latest on how to develop a 'right stuff' mentality. No one's yet come out with The Book of Pain.
I had a runner in an early-season outdoor track 800m event. She had not raced since December -- a complicated tale of small but cumulative issues that ended her indoor efforts mid-season. So, there were lingering questions, and chief among them was how to manage her first race in a long time in a field that contained the previous year's 1500m state champion. We talked about that. I suggested a race strategy that contained both a simple A and a simple B plan. One or the other, we hoped, would work. At the track, I wished her and her teammates in the race good luck and stepped back onto the infield to watch things unfold. Regardless of outcome, it was going to be hard.
Dear Running: I Will Never Take You For Granted Again
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by Cate Peters - Monte Vista High School
Dear Running,
For as long as I can remember, you have always been with me.
Ever since I could stand on two feet, I have been running. I ran circles around my childhood kitchen table. I ran into the wall surrounding my elementary school -- and I have the scar to prove it! I ran laps across the field every day in middle school P.E.
As I grew up, running became so ingrained in my life that I didn't even notice it was there. It played a supporting role to my primary sport.
FEATURE: Athletes, Coaches Weight Options With New 4x800 Relay
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by Mark Gardner - MileSplit California
Shakespeare started all this foolishness with "To be, or not to be? That is the question."
Only for track and field coaches, it's whether or not to load up in the brand new 4x800-meter relay or to stick with the more traditional method of going for awards and points in the 800, 3200 and 4x400 relay.
Really, quite a dilemma.
A great story is full of key ingredients.
There's a fascinating lead, a compelling hook, the ever-important details, maybe a few twists and turns, and then one-last-blow, a kicker that brings it home.