Will Anyone Challenge Upshaw For The D4 Title?


The 2018 cross country season is just on the horizon and to predict the top individuals and teams this season, we're releasing watchlists for each category.
To get a fuller picture of how returning athletes might fare this year, I used lists of the Top Returning Girl 5K Runners, the Top Returning State Championship Performers, and the Top Returnees for 800m, 1600m & 3200m to rank athletes based on consistent performances over the past year. We begin with Division IV Boys and are working down to Division I Girls.

DIV Boys - DIV Girls - DIII Boys - DIII Girls - DII Boys - DII Girls - DI Boys - DI Girls

Here's a subjective list of Division IV Girls to watch over the 2018 cross-country season beginning with a few honorable mentions.
This will be the first time in four years, that Division IV crowns a Girls State Champion other than Maya Smith. Preparing to clinch the victory is the 2018 runner-up Ali Upshaw, but could there be a few other girls ready to give Upshaw a run for her money at Cave Creek. Fifteen girls from Division IV ran under 20-minutes for 5km last season, and seven of them are returning to compete among the smallest schools this fall.
Here's our subjective list of Division IV Girls to watch over the 2018 cross-country season beginning with a few honorable mentions.