65 girls athletes returned to Portland, Oregon this season for their second crack at Nike Cross Nationals - 33 of them ran faster in 2025.
Averi Lowen saw the most improvement, dropping 1:24.60 from her performance a year ago - even after taking a fall near the beginning of the race. The junior from Bowdon qualified to her second straight NXN Championships following a signature victory at the NXR Southeast Regional, dipping under 17 minutes for the 6th time this year.
Coming off one of the biggest victories of her career, Lowen went on to finish 6th at Nike Cross Nationals over the weekend, just three spots away from the nation's fastest podium.
Four other athletes improved upon their time from last season by over a minute, including Macy Wingard, who finished two spots behind Lowen in 8th.
Check out all of the runners who dropped the most time from last season at Nike Cross Nationals.
NOTE: Athletes who have not improved their times year-over-year were not included.
| ATHLETE | 2024 | 2025 | DIFFERENC... |