The 2026 North Carolina High School Athletic Association cross country season starts on Aug. 10.
Western North Carolina is coming off a successful 2025 season, in which Reynolds and Christ School won state titles and several runners claimed individual state championships.
Before the season begins, the Citizen Times and Times-News want to highlight the top 24 boys and girls cross country runners to watch.
See the full list below.
Boys
Elliot Salinas
Andrews | Sophomore
Salinas tallied a 10th-place finish at the NCHSAA 1A state championship. He ran a personal-best
16 minutes, 31.98 seconds last season.
Judah Hall
Asheville High | Junior
Hall recorded a third-place finish at the NCHSAA 6A state championship with a time of 15:58.38.
Asa Mehler
Asheville High | Senior
Mehler finished ninth at the NCHSAA 6A state championship. He had a personal-best time of 16:16.60.
Keaton Campbell
Brevard | Senior
Campbell claimed the NCHSAA 4A state championship, finishing with a time 13 seconds faster than the field. He recorded a personal-best of 15:44.40 at the regional meet.
Brooks Barbee
Christ School | Senior
Barbee helped the Greenies capture a North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 4A state championship. He ran a 14:59.40, his best time all season, to finish second individually. Barbee is the reigning All-WNC Boys Runner of the Year.
Dallas Reeves
Christ School | Senior
Reeves made the All-WNC First Team after collecting a seventh-place finish at the state finals. His personal best time last season was a 15:13.20, which he tallied at the VA XC Showcase.
Reynolds Young
Christ School | Senior
Young racked up an eighth-place finish at the state finals. He turned in a personal-best time of 15:11.20 at the VA XC Showcase.
Jack Dennehy
Christ School | Senior
Dennehy finished 10th at the state championships. He had a personal-best time of 15:24.30.
Timmy McDowell
Christ School | Senior
McDowell finished 13th at the NCISAA 4A state championships. He recorded a personal-best time of 15:36.80, the 46th-fastest mark in North Carolina last season.
Brody Webb
Christ School | Senior
Webb placed 16th at the NCISAA 4A state championships. He posted a personal-best time of 15:28.90, the 35th-fastest mark in North Carolina last season.
Silas Hardin
Pisgah | Senior
Hardin tallied a third-place finish at the NCHSAA 4A state finals. He recorded his personal best time of 16:15.60 at the Mountain Eight Conference championship meet.
Brooks Roslonski
Roberson | Junior
Roslonski had a fifth-place finish at the NCHSAA 6A state championship. His personal-best time in 2025 was 16:05.72.
Girls
Anna Barrett
Asheville Christian Academy | Senior
Barrett took home the NCISAA 3A state championship with a personal-best time of 18:57.10.
Maddie Galloway
Brevard | Senior
Galloway secured a 29th-place finish at the state championship. She recorded her personal-best time of 20:27.60 at regionals.
Morgan Cress
Franklin | Senior
Cress claimed a 22nd-place finish at the NCHSAA 5A state championship with a time of 20:29.23.
Emma Feldman
Mountain Heritage | Senior
Feldman's personal-best time last season was 19:52.52.
Megan Stowe
North Buncombe | Senior
Stowe recorded a 19th-place finish at the NCHSAA 5A state championship. Her personal-best time in 2025 was a 19:36.81.
Audrey Cadeau
Reynolds | Junior
Cadeau tallied a 13th-place finish at the NCHSAA 6A state championship. She had her personal best at regionals with a 19:05.10.
June Leis
Reynolds | Junior
Leis recorded an eighth-place finish at the state championship with a time of 18:55.81.
Izzy Toothman
Reynolds | Junior
Toothman finished 26th at the state finals with a personal-best time of 20:13.87.
Stella Redmond
Reynols | Junior
Redmond had a 32nd-place finish at the state championship with a time of 20:41.59.
Nina Jung
Roberson | Senior
Jung had a personal-best 19:47.60 at the Friday Night Lights XC Festival.
Julia Wells
Tuscola | Senior
Wells placed fifth at the NCHSAA 4A state finals with a time of 19:33.75.
Ambrin Saft
West Henderson | Sophomore
Saft turned in a personal-best time of 19:29.07 to finish 10th at the NCHSAA 5A state championship.
Zachary Huber is a high school sports reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him at zhuber@gannett.com or follow him on X @zacharyahuber.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Top WNC high school cross country runners to watch in 2026 NCHSAA, NCISAA season
