Pictured Above - Graicen Edwards (Photo By Doug Hague | MileSplit)
The Fleet Feet Biggest Mover Award, is a weekly award that goes to an athlete who, in the minds of our team at MileSplit, we believe made the most strides in their respective Brooks XC Region. Whether that means they made big leaps up the leaderboards, or shattered a course record, we recognize that this athlete has established themselves as a contender at their upcoming championship race.
Graicen Edwards (AC Flora, SC) wrapped up her 2025 cross country season at the Brooks XC South Regional at McAlpine running a 19:25 to finish 10th in the grade level race. She would enter the 2026 season ranked 602th in the Brooks South regional returning rankings and on paper, was on no ones radar to be a potential national qualifier out of the South Region.
But the sophomore had been putting in the work and it showed last track season. She opened the season in February matching her 1600m personal best of 5:20. She would drop that down to 5:03.02 by April at the Carolina Distance Carnival. She'd end up breaking the 5 minute barrier at RunningLane in June with a 4:56.77 to go with her 10:35 SCHSL 4A 3200m State Championship she earned in May.
Related Link: How To Register For The South XC West Championships
While Edwards had clearly improved ahead of the 2026 cross country season, she wasn't done yet. She would open her season with a one minute, thirty second personal best at the Battle of Camden running 17:42. She would take a major win running the fastest time of the day at Eye Opener of 17:42 again, but also run under 17 minute twice at local events.
Her most impressive performance would come at last weekend's Wendy's Invitational at McAlpine, the Brooks South Regional course, where she'd run 17:19.88 to win the White race by one minute, 32 seconds.
Her mark would have placed her within the top 10 at last years Brooks XC South Regional Championships advancing to Brooks XC Nationals in Balboa Park! So far this season, Edwards has improved over 600 spots in the regional rankings where she currently ranks 7th overall.
Notable Movers From Other Regions
West Region -Adalyn Racines (Cheyenne Central, WY) ran her personal best 5K in 2025 at Liberty Bell in Colorado with a 53rd place finish in 18:27. She would go on to run a 19:35 at the WHSAA 4A State Championships where she finished 7th overall and the third girl for Cheyenne Central's team. Her 18:27 put her at 258th in the West Returning Regional rankings ahead of the cross country season.
Northeast Region - Madeleine Lane (Hopkinton, NH) - The senior just travelled out West over 3000 miles to win the Woodbridge Classic in 15:47 over 3 Miles. The week prior she ran a 17:00 5K to ran her fourth in the Brooks Northeast Region. She's proven she's not only a threat in the Northeast, but at Brooks XC Nationals in December.
Midwest Region - Nathaniel Haberlach (Liberty North, MO) - Haberlach was ranked in 87th in the Brooks XC Midwest Region returning rankings with his 15:23 2025 season best, but now he could be a contender for the Brooks XC Midwest Championships Title after moving to sixth in the current Brooks Midwest rankings running 14:40 at the Sugar Creek Showdown.
Pictured Above - Graicen Edwards (Photo By Doug Hague | MileSplit)
The Fleet Feet Biggest Mover Award, is a weekly award that goes to an athlete who, in the minds of our team at MileSplit, we believe made the most strides in their respective Brooks XC Region. Whether that means they made big leaps up the leaderboards, or shattered a course record, we recognize that this athlete has established themselves as a contender at their upcoming championship race.
Graicen Edwards (AC Flora, SC) wrapped up her 2025 cross country season at the Brooks XC South Regional at McAlpine running a 19:25 to finish 10th in the grade level race. She would enter the 2026 season ranked 602th in the Brooks South regional returning rankings and on paper, was on no ones radar to be a potential national qualifier out of the South Region.
But the sophomore had been putting in the work and it showed last track season. She opened the season in February matching her 1600m personal best of 5:20. She would drop that down to 5:03.02 by April at the Carolina Distance Carnival. She'd end up breaking the 5 minute barrier at RunningLane in June with a 4:56.77 to go with her 10:35 SCHSL 4A 3200m State Championship she earned in May.
