* Cardinal Gibbons (N.C.) sophomore Kaitlyn Estep finished sixth at The VA XC Showcase
Photo Credit: Mary Ann Magnante/MileSplit Virginia
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From this point on, the stakes are high no matter where you're racing, and these four underclassmen look to be finding their stride at the perfect time.
Whether it was in the Showcase races at The VA XC Showcase or at a smaller, local meet, these athletes starred.
Check out this week's quartet of future stars!
MOST IMPROVED RANKINGS:
Penn Charter (Penn.)
Class of 2029
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For the second time this season, Skelly threw down a sub-17 performance, this time running 16:44.7 in her third-place finish at The VA XC Showcase. Skelly was the lone freshman to break 17:45 in Mechanicsville, and her big-time run already makes her the fourth-fastest girl in Pennsylvania history, and makes her the fastest freshman in prep history.
Sheridan (Wyo.)
Class of 2029
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Make that four wins for the freshman! At the 4A East Conference Championships, Wyoming's budding star clocked 15:40.9 as he dipped under 16:00 for the fifth time in six races. Balkenbush led his Sheridan squad to a dominant team win, as they put up 27 points and squeezed their entire top seven into the top-16 spots. This season, Balkenbush became the first freshman ever to break 16:00 in state history, and is already the eighth-fastest in state history.
Cardinal Gibbons (N.C.)
Class of 2028
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One of two stars on this list that excelled at The VA XC Showcase was the sophomore out of North Carolina, who nearly broke 17:00, crossing the finish line in 17:04.7. For Estep, this was her fourth time running 17:31 or faster this fall, and a seven-second improvement on her previous personal best. Estep now sits No. 2 all-time amongst North Carolina sophomores, and No. 7 in the state's record books.
Fairless (Ohio)
Class of 2028
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He can't lose! At his OHSAA District meet, Fuller notched a PB en route to his fourth consecutive twin, clocking 15:08 as he dominated the field by over a minute. Fuller has been as consistent as can be this season, running 15:45 or faster in all six of his races, and could be on his way to a sub-15 showing if the stars align. For now, he sits No. 7 in Ohio's sophomore record books, but could become just the fourth second-year to break 15:00.