* Norah Hushagen (2139) has six wins this season
Photo Credit: Teresa Brubaker/MileSplit Minnesota
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As more states dive deeper into the postseason, a few stars worked out the kinks ahead of the most important time of the year.
From the electric VA XC Showcase to a few postseason meets throughout the Midwest, October's penultimate weekend of racing was a good one.
The National Performer of the Week poll will close at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, Oct. 24, 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.): For the third time this season, Cheeseman was the first girl across the finish line, this time doing so at the VA XC Showcase, running a season-best time of 16:48.7. The Virginia commit held off a talented field and was one of just three girls sub-17, and the only one quicker than 16:50. Cheeseman sits atop the Tennessee rankings, and is in a prime position to win her fourth straight cross country state title.
Helen Sachs, Holland West Ottawa (Mich.): Seven races and seven wins is the name of the game for the Notre Dame-bound senior, as Sachs posted her fourth sub-17 effort on the year at the OK Red Conference Championships. Sachs had just over a minute between her and the chase pack, and a dominant team finish helped the Panthers take home the team title as well. Sachs is the second-fastest Michigander, and is eyeing her second state title on the grass.
Norah Hushagen, Forest Lake Area (Minn.): What's better than winning your sixth race of the year? Doing it while running the fastest time of your career. Hushagen took home the win at the Suburban East Cross Country Championships, clocking 17:04.1 for her first trip under 17:30 this fall. The senior put together a 17-second gap on the runner-up, and was integral in the Ranger's team title. As we near the end of October, Hushagen is the fastest girl in Minnesota.
Paisley Taylor, Meridian (Idaho): After finishing runner-up at the Nike - 17th Annual Twilight XC Invitational, Taylor picked up her fourth win of the season at the Bugtown Invite. Taylor broke the tape in 17:00.12, nearly becoming the second Idaho girl to ever break 17:00. Taylor still became the No. 2 performer in state history, and her performance over the weekend was the fastest the state has seen in over three years.
Victoria Garces, Midland Dow (Mich.): After a solid junior campaign, Garces is undefeated through four races as a senior, most recently winning the SVL XC Championships notching, the first sub-17 performance of her career. The senior went 1-2 with her freshman sister Emilia Garces, as the duo clocked 16:59.5 and 17:53.0, respectively. Midland Dow also snagged the team title over Bay City Western (Mich.), 47-70.
NPOTW's Previous Winners:
