With most of the major regular-season meets now in the books, the focus begins to shift toward postseason racing at both the state and national levels.
Since mid-August, programs across the country have been finding their rhythm, building depth, and shaping lineups that can contend from the first runner to the seventh.
On paper, the team to beat is Sehome (Wash.), one of the most dominant and complete programs in the nation, blending elite pack running with front-end firepower.
Close behind are Northwest Nelson (Texas), Ann Arbor Pioneer (Mich.), and Heritage (Colo.), all of whom have shown they can hang with the nation's best.
The top-ranked team in the latest COROS MileSplit 50, Lone Peak (Utah), rounds out the top five - joining Ann Arbor Pioneer as the only two programs appearing in the top five of both lists.
Check out the full list of the top 200 girls' teams nationwide.
