Six Brooks XC Nationals Golden Tickets Awarded

Brooks XC Nationals will take place at Balboa Park in San Diego, California on December 12th 2026.  The top 10 finishers in the Northeast, South, Midwest and West Regional Championships will qualify for Nationals, but 10 boys and 10 girls will receive a Golden Ticket throughout the year to fill out the National field of 50 athletes. 

These Golden Tickets can be earned off performance throughout the cross country season, but also are awarded to the top underclassman returners from the 2025 Brook XC Nationals as well as the top underclassman finished amongst the Brooks PR Invitational Mile and 2 Mile fields.  Our first three Golden Tickets have been awarded with seven more to be dispersed during the cross country season per gender.

Watch Marcelo Mantecon win the Brooks PR 2 Mile in 8:44.48

Marcelo Mantecon (Belen Jesuit, FL, South Region)

A rising senior from Belen Jesuit Prep out of Florida proved to be a worthy Golden Ticket winner in 2025 finishing just .2 seconds behind Jackson Spencer (Herriman) in a thrilling battled for Brooks XC National Championship.  He earns his 2026 Golden Ticket for being the top returner from last years Brooks XC Championship.  On Sunday Mantecon won the Brooks PR Invitational 2 Mile in 8:44.88 that would have also earned him a Golden Ticket if he had not already secured one.

Natasza Dudek (Ann Arbor Pioneer, MI, Midwest Region)

In 2025 Natasza Dudek won a thrilling battle with Blair Bartlett (The Lawrenceville School, NJ) to win the Brooks XC Championships in an impressive 16:55.50 with Bartlett coming in at 16:57.10.  Dudek had an undefeated cross country season in 2025 proving to be the top runner in the country in December winning against the top girls across the country at Balboa Park.  She'll return as a junior ready to defend her title on December 12th!

Ruel Newberry after a third place finish in the Brooks PR 2 Mile

Ruel Newberry (Denton Guyer, TX, South Region)

The rising junior out of Texas had an impressive performance on Sunday in the Brooks PR 2 Mile being the one to push the pace in hopes to break pre race favorite Marcelo Mantecon.  He set a Texas 2 Mile State Record in the process taking third overall behind Mantecon and Cary Academy (NC) senior Kavi Gibson running 8:46.69 and 8:43.40 for 3200m.  As a sophomore, Newberry took second behind Caden Leonard (Southlake Carroll) at the UIL 6A State Championships running 14:49 for 5000m.  With Leonard graduating, it looks to be Newberry as the top Texas distance runner for the next two years and he'll be a contender to win a Brooks XC National Championship this December.

Mia Sirois after a runner-up finish in the Brooks PR 2 Mile

Mia Sirois (Barrington, IL, Midwest Region)

Mia Sirois picked up an injury during the 2025 Cross Country season, but was able to pick up where she left off towards the end of the Indoor season and has proven she is back and better than ever!  Sirois set a new IHSA State Championship record running a 9:44.16 at her state meet a few weeks ago, and similar to Newberry was the one to push the pace in the Brooks PR 2 Mile on Sunday.  She would finish 2nd to senior Chiara Dailey (La Jolla, CA) running a 9:51.68 for 2 Miles.  However, she would be the top two finishers from last years Brooks XC Nationals in Natasza Dudek and Blair Bartlett who would place third and fourth overall in 10:00.22 and 10:02.78 to lock in her Golden Ticket for this December's Brooks XC Nationals!

Watch Andrew Beroset take 2nd in the Brooks PR Invitational Mile in 4:00.92

Andrew Beroset (McCallie School, TN, South Region)

Andrew Beroset was so close to a sub four minute Mile twice within the last week running 4:00.68 then a 4:00.92 at Brooks PR Invitational on Sunday.  The rising senior holds seasons best of 1:49.59, 4:00.68 and 8:55.75 and holds a 5000m best on the cross country course of 14:45.30 at McAlpine in Cary, NC.  He placed 2nd behind senior Dylan Rowell on Sunday in the Brooks PR Mile to lock up his Golden Ticket for Brooks XC Nationals this fall!  Beroset was already amongst the top returners in the South Region alongside fellow Golden Ticket winners in Marcelo Mantecon and Ruel Newberry, but we'll be able to see that battle play out with a National Title on the line in December!

Kaitlyn Estep after taking 2nd place at the Brooks PR Invitational Mile

Kaitlyn Estep (Cardinal Gibbons, NC, South Region)

Kaitlyn Estep will make her return to Brooks XC Nationals after qualifying last year as a sophomore by taking 8th place at the South Region and finishing 43rd at Nationals.  Since then, Estep has been on a tear across the indoor and outdoor track season.  She's won some major races over the 800m and Mile distances including the ASICS Carolina Distance Carnival, RunningLane Track Championships and Under Armour Track Nationals with personal bests of 2:04.78 and 4:36.56.  On Sunday Estep took 2nd in the Brooks PR Mile field running a 4:40.22 finishing as the top underclassman behind California's Aelo Curtis who won in 4:39.11.  She'll return with Brooks XC Nationals experience under her belt as a sophomore and will have much higher expectations for herself on the cross country course after a stellar 2026 track season.