Cassidy Long of Mesa Mountain View High has wasted little time making her mark on the 2026 cross country season.
The sophomore has been perfect through the opening weeks of the fall,
quickly establishing herself as one of the young names to be on the
lookout for in Arizona, and has established a new 5k XC personal best of 18:01.46
After a standout freshman year, her fast start should not come as much of a shock. Long finished seventh at the AIA Division I State Championships last fall, crossing the line in 19:00.70 and notably finished as the highest-placing freshman in all of Division I. Her performance also propelled her Mesa Mountain View team to a sixth-place team finish.
(Mesa Mountain View Runner State 2025)
Fast forward to the spring and she would maintain her momentum.
Long showed her range throughout the spring, eventually racing to a 5:04.26 personal best for 1600 meters at the state championships, where she placed sixth overall. The freshman also clocked an impressive 10:47.81 for 3200 meters.
Two Meets, Two Statements
Long began her sophomore campaign at the Western Equinox XC Invite, racing to the victory in a new 5K XC personal best of 18:01.46.
One week later, she would once again break the tape.
At the 42nd Annual Ojo Rojo Invite, Long dominated the girls varsity race and picked up her second consecutive win, crossing the line in another impressive time of 18:21.5.
Long has already shown a nice progression from the runner who finished seventh at state less than a year ago. Her 18:01.46 personal best is nearly a full minute faster than the 19:00.70 she ran at last year's state championships.
Of course, there is still plenty of racing to come. Long is only a sophomore, and the Arizona cross country season is just starting to take shape. With two wins already under her belt, she is quickly putting herself into the conversation among the top contenders in Division I. She has much racing to be done in the coming weeks.
The highly anticipated Desert Twilight XC Festival is slated for Friday, Sept. 25, bringing together some of the top talent from Arizona and around the nation.
For Long, it will provide another opportunity to see just how far she has come.
(Mesa Mountain View Runner State 2025)
Cassidy Long of Mesa Mountain View High has wasted little time making her mark on the 2026 cross country season.
The sophomore has been perfect through the opening weeks of the fall,
quickly establishing herself as one of the young names to be on the
lookout for in Arizona, and has established a new 5k XC personal best of 18:01.46
After a standout freshman year, her fast start should not come as much of a shock. Long finished seventh at the AIA Division I State Championships last fall, crossing the line in 19:00.70 and notably finished as the highest-placing freshman in all of Division I. Her performance also propelled her Mesa Mountain View team to a sixth-place team finish.
