Unlike track and field, cross country isn't often celebrated for the fast times it produces. The sport's ultimate achievements are typically measured by championships, state titles, qualifying for a national meet, or becoming a national champion.
But even on courses that vary week to week, time still tells a powerful story.
While results matter, personal improvement remains one of the most compelling narratives in cross country. Every runner who toes the line is chasing growth, and in 2025, no group embodied that better than California's most improved boys.
Using performance data from the 2024 and 2025 seasons, we analyzed California's fastest 2,000 boys and identified the athletes who made the most significant year-over-year jumps in the three-mile and 5,000-meter cross-country races.
Sophomore Gia Geyfman (Tesoro) was the most improved 5K runner by time and one of six runners to drop by three minutes on their time. She cut 3 minutes and 36 seconds from her freshman season at the CIF State XC Championships.
Elliana Patterson (Christian HS) was the top three-mile improver and is the only person on our list to drop three minutes. She improved by an incredible 3 minutes and 17 seconds to run 16:59 and dominate the Dana Hills Invitational.
MileSplit's California's Most Improved XC Girl of the Year
Gretchen Yakaitis (Carnodelet) has been named MileSplit CA's Most Improved XC Girl of the Year not only for her massive time drops, but for consistently placing at the front of big-time races.
The competition for this honor was extremely deep on the girls' side. Numerous athletes made huge leaps, including elite contenders, CIF State XC Champions, and National XC Championship qualifiers, each with a strong argument.
Yakaitis separates herself with a combination of time, placement, and championship performance. She improved by 69 places in the D3 CIF State XC Championship race to become the 2025 CIF State XC Champion. This remarkable feat was accompanied by a 2-minute and 5-second improvement over last season.
Her breakout wasn't limited to November, either. Yakaitis' rise continued throughout 2025, beginning with the Ed Silas Invitational, where she moved from 12th (13:31) to 1st (12:00) on the same two-mile course. She also improved her showing at the De La Salle Nike Invitational, going from 29th in 19:49 to 2nd in 17:24, a statement performance early in the fall.
Ultimately, Gretchen Yakitas' steady climb throughout the season led to a CIF State XC Championship, cementing her as one of California's premier distance runners in 2025.
Most Improved 5K Top 10
FULL MOST IMPROVED LIST
Most Improved 3 Mile Top 10
FULL MOST IMPROVED LIST
- Gretchen Yakitas after winning the D3 CIF State XC Championships -