* Rylee Blade took down a talented field to win the Bob Day Girls Sweepstakes race at the 43rd Annual Woodbridge Classic
Photo Credit: Raymond Tran/MileSplit California
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Like in years past, the third week of competition saw national stars collide at some of the nation's best meets, from the Woodbridge Classic in California to the Roy Griak Invitational in Minnesota.
The National Performer of the Week poll will close at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, Sept. 26, and the winner will be announced shortly after.
Take a look at five of the top-performing girls from last weekend.
This Week's Nominees:
Abby Faith Cheeseman, The Webb School of Bell Buckle (Tenn.): What a week it was for the Tennessee superstar, as Cheeseman picked up the season-opening win in 16:57 at the Meet in the Middle Invitational. Cheeseman led her teammates to a 1-5 finish, notching a perfect score. Cheeseman, who announced her commitment to the University of Virginia last week, officially opens up her title defense as she chases her fourth consecutive Tennessee state title.
Emily Wisniewski, Crescent Valley (Ore.): One of the next stars at North Carolina State, Wisniewski isn't messing around in her last cross-country season in the Pacific Northwest. In her fourth race of the season, Wisniewski clocked 16:55 for a runner-up finish, lowering her season best by 43 seconds. It also marks her first time under 17:00 this fall. The three-time defending Oregon state champion and one of the top returners from NXR is on a mission and looks to be a national contender.
Ella Hagen, Summit (Colo.): Three 5k races into her senior campaign, Hagen looks to be one of the most dangerous runners in the country. With a big-time win at the Liberty Bell Invitational last week, the future Colorado Buffalo didn't look too affected by the six-day turnaround, running away with her second consecutive win at the Roy Griak Invitational. Crossing in 18:02.9, Hagen successfully defended her 2023 title and kept her winning streak alive. Hagen has yet to lose over 5k, and it's not going to be easy for anyone who tries.
Rylee Blade, Santiago Corona (Calif.): New course? Not a problem for the best of the best! The senior standout took roughly 12 seconds off of her previous best, winning the Woodbridge Classic in 15:20.3, a huge improvement. Blade took down one of the toughest fields assembled this season, one that was full of state champions and national record holders. Blade even led the Sharks to a third-place team finish, putting up 141 points. In her final fall season before she heads across the country to Florida State, Blade is firing on all cylinders.
Tsadia Bercuvitz, Ithaca (N.Y.): The youngest nominee of the week comes from 'The Empire State', as the Ithaca sophomore is fresh off of dominating win at the Baldwinsville Invitational. Bercuvitz took home the win in the Large School Girls division, running 17:22.5 to put over a minute between her and the runner-up. After running 19:56 to finish eighth a year ago, it's clear that the sophomore has shifted gears and is competing at a whole new level.
