The 2026 high school cross country season is quickly approaching, and the girls' division is loaded with talent.
Chiles enters the year as the defending state champion and returns nearly its entire title-winning lineup from a season ago. Led by freshman Emma-Claire Tanenbaum's fifth-place finish overall, the Timberwolves captured the program's sixth state title.
Despite its young lineup - six of seven runners were underclassmen - Chiles edged defending state champion Ponte Vedra by 12 points in Class 3A to win its first state title since 2018.
Elsewhere, Florida High once again boasts a talented young roster and has a proven track record of peaking at the right time. Leon also welcomes an impressive group of newcomers and is expected to be among the area's top contenders.
With the season on the horizon, here's a look at the top returning girls runners in the Big Bend and the times they posted last season.
Emma-Claire Tanenbaum, Chiles, 18:23.13
Kaia Ables, Chiles, 18:52.30
Charlotte Sikes, Chiles, 19:02.13,
Chloe Elizabeth Molen, Chile, 19:08.50
Madeline Brockmeier, Chiles, 19:35.00
Savannah Stanley, Chiles, 19:56.70,
Haley Heitmeyer, Chiles, 20:09.00
Leah Boutwell, Florida High, 20:13.19
Vera Vanlandingham, Florida High, 20:18.64
Tatum Hendon, Leon, 20:30.00
Athletes to Watch: Emma Whittington, Florida High; Blakely Newlin, Florida High; Alexis Auter, Chiles; Brixton Menendez, Leon: Emma Swanson, Leon
Editor's note: Times compiled from flrunners.com
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 2026 Big Bend girls cross country: Top returning runners to watch