The TSSAA cross-county state championships are set for early November. The high school season has already begun and some of Middle Tennessee's top long-distance runners are eyeing a spot among the field that will compete at Shelby Farms in Memphis.
Here are the Nashville area's top boys cross-country runners for the 2026 season.
Cutler Embry, Brentwood, Sr.: Embry finished 15th at the Class AAA state meet last year with a time of 16 minutes, 13.43 seconds.
Christ Xiao, Brentwood, Jr.: Xiao's time of 16:13.43 placed him 56th at state.
Dane Bergsrud, Centennial, Sr.: Bergsrud's time of 17:15 was a personal best in 2025.
Patrick Michaud, Centennial, Sr.: Michaud enters the 2026 season with a personal-best time of 17:12.
top Week 1 games include Brentwood Academy vs Baylor
Davin Huffman, Clay County, Jr.: Huffman narrowly missed the Class A state meet but is expected to help lead the Bulldogs this season.
Jayden Brooks, Columbia Academy, Sr.: Brooks finished 15th in the Division II-A state championship meet, clocking in at 17:22.17.
Sawyer Forte, Davidson Academy, Sr.: Forte finished 20th at state in a time of 17:30.61.
Eli Wharton, Davidson Academy, Sr.: Despite being ill, Wharton finished fifth at the DII-A state meet in 16:34.86. He captured the individual state title as a sophomore in 2024.
Isaac Wharton, Davidson Academy, Sr.: Wharton, who was also ill, finished fourth at state in 16:34.60 and helped Davidson Academy capture the boys team state title.
Declan Brennan, FRA, Sr.: Brennan took ninth place in the DII-A Middle Region meet and 13th at state in 17:13.92.
Holden Thomas, FRA, So.: Thomas helped FRA finished seventh as a team and took 23rd at state (17:44.88).
Benji Willis, Forrest, Jr.: Willis ran his best time during the 2025 Class A state meet (17:50.23) to finished 22nd.
Owen Hurst, Franklin, Sr.: Hurst finished ninth in the Section 7-AAA meet and 41st at state (16:36.91).
Eli Pierce, Franklin, Sr.: Pierce took 52nd at state in a time of 16:42.04.
Keegan Hanzely, Independence, Sr.: Hanzely finished 20th in the AAA state meet in 16:22.94, helping Independence claim the team state title.
Dallen Milford, Independence, Sr.: Milford finished 21st (16:24.12) after taking 27th at the Section 7 meet.
Jack Oliver, Liberty Creek, Fr.: Oliver comes into his freshman year as the middle school state champ in the 2025 cross-country state meet (10:45.07) as well as state titles in the 800- and 1,600-meter races in the spring.
Gabe Guillamondegui, MBA, Sr.: Guillamondegui helped lead Montgomery Bell Academy to a fifth-place finish as a team after running sixth in the DII-AA state championship in 15:37.72. He was named to The Tennessean's All Midstate team.
JP Newman, MBA, Sr.: Newman finished third overall at state in 15:32.83. He was named All Midstate.
James Green, McEwen, So.: Green had a person best time of 19:17 last season and finished seventh overall in the Class A Mid-State Cross-Country Association meet.
Simon Ally, M.L. King, Sr.: Ally finished seventh in the Class AA state meet in a time of 16:14.52. He ran a person best time of 15:40 last year.
Brent Ferrell, M.L. King, Sr.: Ferrell came in just behind Ally for eighth at the state (16:20.74).
Avery Young, Montgomery Central, Jr.: Young finished third in the Section 4-AA and fifth at the state championships in a time of 15:58.50.
Garrison Nelson, Oakland, Sr.: Nelson had a personal-best time of 16:50 in 2025.
Salvador Mendoza, Pope John Paul II, Sr.: Mendoza had four top finishes during the 2025 regular season, including second-place finishes in the Twilight at PR'ville.
Jaxon Poole, Portland, So.: Poole had a PR of 16:37 last season and competed at state, finishing in 17:07.57.
Joseph Caballero, Richland, Jr.: Caballero finished second at the Zion September Invitation last year in 19:56.62.
Drew Pruitt, Santa Fe, So.: Pruitt had top-15 finishes at four meets in 2025 with a PR of 19:33.
Alden Longo, Santa Fe, Sr.: Longo had a PR of 22:17 and finished 68th at the Sectional 3-A meet.
Blake Pilkington, Siegel, Sr.: Pilkington finished sixth in the AAA state meet in 15:49.22 and had a personal-best time of 15:43 last year. He was named All Midstate.
Kaden Pease, Summit, Jr.: Pease finished ninth at state in 15:58.93 and was a WillCo awards nominee.
Nicolas Sieberg, Summit, Sr.: Sieberg qualified for state and had a PR of 16:29.
Jack Fruin, USN, Sr.: Fruin finished eighth during the DII-A state meet in a time of 16:45.85.
Griffin Davidson, USN, Sr.: Griffin followed Fruin with a ninth-place finish (16:48.68).
Eli Driver, Westmoreland, Sr.: Driver finished fourth at the Section 2-A meet and took 29th at state in 18:08.25. He holds an offer from Maryville College.
Koreon Ross, Whites Creek, Sr.: The senior has a PR of 17:40 and holds an offer from King University.
Reach The Tennessean's high school sports editor, George Robinson, at georgerobinsontheleafchronicle.com and on the X platform (formerly Twitter) @Cville_Sports.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville area's top returning boys TSSAA cross-country runners for 2026 season
