California girls cross country enters 2026 with plenty of familiar names, emerging stars, and championship contenders ready to shape the season.
Before racing gets underway, we highlight the top XC returners from the 2025 season and explain how they could impact the season in 20 words or less.
National Championship Experience
These athletes gained invaluable experience competing against the nation's best and return ready to make another postseason run.
Elliana Patterson | Christian | Class of 2027
Division 5's third-place finisher returns after earning valuable national experience at the Brooks XC Championships.
Carol Dye | Santa Margarita | Class of 2027
Farah Allen | Branson | Class of 2027
Nearly captured the Division 5 title before earning another national opportunity at Brooks XC.
Molly Sundgren | Buchanan | Class of 2027
A three-time NXN qualifier who continues to anchor one of California's premier programs.
-- Elliana Patterson competing at the Brooks XC Championships --
State Championship Experience
The runners entering this season with invaluable state meet experience
Alyssa Gutierrez | St. Francis | Class of 2029
The Division 2 favorite after finishing runner-up in last XC season and 4th in the CIF State 3200m final.
Isabella Ruiz | Ontario | Class of 2027
A breakout junior season propelled her to the CIF State XC Championships and 7th in the CIF State 3200m final.
Emma Alba | Arnold O. Beckman | Class of 2028
Division 1's 13th-place finisher enters 2026 after a breakout spring track season.
Ashlin Mallon | Cardnial Newman | Class of 2027
Returns after placing sixth in Division 5 with another opportunity to chase the state title.
Lindsey Billotte | Classical Academy | Class of 2028
A super sophomore season resulted in a D4 third-place finish and a top returning 5K time of 17:27.
Kamilah Salim | West Torrance | Class of 2027
Returning 4th-place finisher enters the season as one of Division 3's leading title contenders.
Isla Terril | Monrovia | Class of 2028
Last season cemented her status as one of California's best with a 14th-place finish in Division 3 and a 7th-place finish in the CIF State 1600m final.
Isabella Wroblewski | Yorba Linda | Class of 2027
Three consecutive years at the CIF State XC Championships make her the most seasoned runner entering this season.
Harper Diaz | Santana | Class of 2027
Back-to-back San Diego section champion returns after consecutive top-10 Division 3 state finishes.
Josie Hill | Sonoma Academy | Class of 2027
She returns as the 9th-place finisher in Division 5 and with the fastest 800m PR in the state at 2:05.
Ada Bielinska | Mountain View | Class of 2027
Dropped 34 seconds in the 3200m (10:27) this spring to become a serious Division 1 threat.
Sade Bumpus | Granada | Class of 2027
Two straight top-20 state finishes suggest a breakthrough senior season could be coming.
-- Lindsey Billotte finishing in the D4 CIF State XC Championships --
Dynamic Duos
Inseparable duos that use teamwork to be even more competitive individually
Carol Dye & Taryn Coulston | Santa Margarita
Last season, they went 1-2 at the CIF Southern Section Finals and then finished 3rd and 5th at the D3 State Championship.
Anais Cruz & Sabina Cruz | Westlake
The Twins helped Westlake finish 4th at the CIF State XC Championships, and they both qualified for the CIF State 3200m final.
Isabel Gladden, Chloe Barrett, & Beatrice Gladden | Sage Creek | Class of 2029
The Gladden Twins and Barrett are a formidable trio, projected to cause a lot of problems for teams this fall.
Camila Teviño-Dávila & Grace Smith | Claremont
They are returning after pushing Claremont to two CIF State runner-up finishes, one in Division 2 XC and the other in the CIF 4x800m final.
Lilly Schroeder, Gweneth Williams, & Ava Crocker | El Toro
Three key pieces of El Toro's championship lineup return to lead the Chargers' pursuit of a third consecutive state title.
Maya Pawlowicz & Brooklyn Tennant | JSerra Catholic | Class of 2029
Two of California's fastest rising sophomores return after helping JSerra win another state title and qualify for NXN.
Madison Bussey, Scarlette Cook, & Mianna Castillo | Great Oak | Class of 2029
As freshmen, they led the Wolfpack to a D1 6th place finish, and the track season demonstrated they can reach even higher this season.
Low Sticks
The athletes capable of finishing in the top 10 at the CIF State Championships and giving their teams a huge scoring advantage
Caroline Pflaum | Menlo-Atherton | Class of 2028
A heroic 6th-place finish at the CIF-CCS finals qualified her team to the State meet, and they have the potential to do it again.
Gelila Hailu | Leigh | Class of 2027
A runner-up finish in the D2 CIF-CCS finals qualified her team to the State meet and gave her the opportunity to finish 10th at Division 2.
Kathleen Lamb | Oak Park | Class of 2029
A standout freshman who helped launch Oak Park into California's top-ten team conversation.
Palmer Smit | San Francisco University | Class of 2028
Rising Sophomores
Last year's standout freshmen enter their sophomore seasons poised to become California's next generation of cross country stars.
Addyson Johns | Santiago - Corona | Class of 2029
She returns as the top freshman from the D1 CIF State XC Championship and the CIF State 3200m final.
Julie Plummer | Pleasant Valley | Class of 2029
Following her 6th-place finish in Division 4, she is a contender to win it all this year.
Jaylyn Carillo | Patterson | Class of 2029
Missed State as a freshman but elevated during the track season to a 3200m PR of 10:50.
-- Addyson Johns racing at the Inland Empire Challenge --
Sleepers
These runners may not yet be household names, but their recent performances suggest they're ready for a breakout season.
Marina Avila | Palm Desert | Class of 2028
Dakota Saenz | Berkeley | Class of 2028
A sophomore XC season cut short after phenomenal performances fueled a great spring where she ran 10:36 in the 3200m.
Added Sleepers
Reese Holley | JSerra Catholic | Class of 2027
14th in D4 CIF State XC Championships and 67th fastest overall at CIF State XC Championships
Anahi Ruiz Velasco | Beyer | Class of 2029
69th in D3 CIF State XC Championships and a 10:48 PR in the 3200m
*Below, enter XC runners we missed in our preview, and we may add them to the list.
California girls cross country enters 2026 with plenty of familiar names, emerging stars, and championship contenders ready to shape the season.
Before racing gets underway, we highlight the top XC returners from the 2025 season and explain how they could impact the season in 20 words or less.