The 2026 high school cross country season has arrived, and the boys’ division is loaded with talent and potential.
Top teams to keep an eye on include Chiles, Leon, Lincoln, and Maclay.
The Timberwolves feature plenty of quality and depth after they placed third in the FHSAA State Finals. Florida State signee Joshua Hicks (14:49) and returnee Jonathan Kiros (15:21) placed third and fourth respectively.
The Lions should be super motivated after missing out on state last year and picking up some of the top incoming freshmen in the area.
The Trojans have a strong core group, but will need to stay healthy and focused. And Maclay’s top runners expect to help motivate a solid group.
With the season on the horizon, here’s a look at the top returning boys runners in the Big Bend and the times they posted last season, according to flrunners.com,
Here are the top returning boys cross country runners
Jonathan Kiros, Chiles 15:21.00
David Barton, Maclay 15:31.00
Trent Parsons, Lincoln, 16:13.24
Erick Garcia, Godby, 16:14.20
Stokes Bryan, Lincoln, 16:27.30
Logan Phipps, Maclay, 16:28.00
Jack Nottingham, Chiles, 16:37.26
Lawson Phillips, Florida High, 16:39.50
Emerson Gandy, Chiles, 16:39.91
Carson Weiss, Leon, 16:46.00
Bryan Duff, Lincoln, 16:50.99
Asher McGrew, Leon, 16:53.39
Athletes to watch:
Isaiah Renn Leon HS Incoming Freshman
Noah Olson Chiles HS Sophomore
Emari Thomas Lincoln HS Junior
Chase Simms Leon HS Incoming Freshman
Ollie Trager Lincoln HS Incoming Freshman
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 2026 Big Bend boys cross country: Top returning runners to watch
Reporting by Jim Henry, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jim Henry, Tallahassee Democrat | USA TODAY Network
