* Leah Starkey (85) used a surge down the homestretch to win her first NJSIAA Meet of Champions title
Photo Credit: tspimages/MileSplit New Jersey
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With less than a month left in the 2025 cross country season, the nation's top girls are continuing to rise to the occasion and take care of business, no matter the stakes.
Over the weekend, we saw fast times and dominant wins at NXR Midwest and Northwest, as well as a few state championships, only signaling what's to come between now and the end of the year.
The National Performer of the Week poll will close at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, November 20, and the winner will be announced shortly after.
Check out this week's five NPOTW nominees!
*Athletes cannot be nominated for National Performer of the Week in back-to-back weeks*
This Week's Nominees:
Leah Starkey, Ocean Township (N.J.): If there was somehow any doubt remaining that Starkey was the best runner in The Garden State, she put that to rest with her first cross country NJSIAA Meet of Champions title. It didn't come easy, but her ninth win of the season came after a duel with Union Catholic's Paige Sheppard, who challenged Starkey until the very end. Ultimately, the sophomore did what she needed to do, winning in 17:15 to Sheppard's 17:17. With a few regional meets potentially on deck for the New Jersey native, expect her to be at the front of whichever one she chooses.
Emma Hoffman, Otsego (Mich.): After nine consecutive wins throughout the Michigan ranks, Hoffman notched her best finish at NXR Midwest, 10 spots better than her finish a year ago. Hoffman covered the historic LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in 16:54.02, securing her spot on the starting line at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland next month. Hoffman has had as good a season as you can hope for as a senior, one that included a state title and seven sub-17 performances since September 20.
Hallie Heemeyer, Rocky Mountain (Idaho): Although it was the first time she didn't break the tape during her senior campaign, the BYU commit can't be too disappointed, considering she successfully punched her ticket to next month's Nike Cross Nationals. The recently crowned Idaho state champ dipped below 17:00 for the second straight week and third time this fall, clocking 16:53.7 in her runner-up finish at NXR Northwest. The senior also led her Grizzly teammates to an automatic qualifier for NXN, finishing 12 points back of regional champion Sehome (Wash.).
Sloan Wasserman, John Jay-Cross River (N.Y.): After finishing runner-up as a junior, the future Boston College Eagle took the win in her final trip to the New York State Championships, winning the Division B Girls title in 17:06 for a nine-second margin of victory. Her one-point performance also more than helped the Wolves pick up a comfortable team title over South Jefferson, 46-76. Wasserman's win marked her eighth of the year as she added to her undefeated streak. She'll look to win her first NY Federation Championship title next week in Wappinger Falls, New York.
Gioia Coudriet, Galena (Nev.): The sophomore didn't waste any time winning her first NIAA 5A state title, running 17:54 as she took down the field at Rancho San Rafael Park by over a minute. Coudriet's second season at the high school level has had a number of bright spots, including a sixth-place finish at the ASICS Clovis XC Invitational, and now her fourth top-three finish at any NIAA State Championship and her first title. Coudriet's in-state season also ends with her moving up to No. 4 on the state's all-time 5k list and the fastest girl the state has seen since 2005.
NPOTW's Previous Winners:
Week 1: Sophia Szolosi, Athens (Ohio)
Week 2: Addison Kegel, Billings Central Catholic (Mont.)
Week 3: Brianna Reilly, Harrisburg (S.D.)
Week 4: Sienna Anderson, Summit (Tenn.)
Week 5: Jazzlyn Garner, The Webb School of Knoxville (Tenn.)
Week 6: Kaitlyn Carr, Smithville (Ohio)
Week 7: Leila Hailey, Rockvale (Tenn.)
Week 8: Macy Wingard, Denton-Braswell (Texas)
Week 9: Summer Wilson, Irvine (Calif.)
Week 10: Braelyn Combe, Santiago Corona (Calif.)
Week 11: Maddie Gullickson, Wayzata (Minn.)
Week 12: Calysta Garmer, The Webb School of Knoxville (Tenn.)