Newsday's top 50 Long Island girls cross country runners for 2026
Clockwise, from top left: Aislyn Beach, Liana Altamirano, Sloane Bonvicino, Gemma Budek.
Newsday’s annual list of the top 50 Long Island high school girls cross country runners to start the 2026 season, listed in alphabetical order.
All times listed are from last season, and all rankings cited are among returning Long Island runners at each course, unless otherwise noted.
Liana Altamirano, Oyster Bay, Jr.
Bethpage State Park’s 5-kilometer course was under renovation last fall, which forced Nassau to use LIU Post’s course in Greenvale for its county and sectional championship meets. The county championships will return to Bethpage this fall, while the sectional championships — also known as the state qualifier meet — is scheduled for LIU again.
Altamirano ran the 5K in 19 minutes, 29.6 seconds on LIU’s course, which ranks 15th. She also ran 19:24 flat at Queensbury High School — the site of this year’s public school state championships — which ranks 20th. At Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls — one of the region’s hardest courses and the annual site of the New York Federation championships — she ran the 20th-best time (20:43).
Paige Anderson, Mepham, Sr.
Her 19:56.3 in the 5K at LIU ranks 20th.
Aislyn Beach, Sayville, Jr.
She's always run track for the school, but played soccer in the fall, until she made the switch to cross country last year. That move paid off, as she wound up posting a 20:26.8 - which ranks 20th - in the 5K at the strenuous Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park. She also ran 16:05.4 on the challenging 2.5-mile course at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, which ranks eighth. Her progression in hard races continued through the rest of the school year, as she ran 7:24.45 in the 2-kilometer steeplechase during the outdoor track season.
Sloane Bonvicino, North Shore, Soph.
Her 19:10.9 in the 5K at LIU ranks ninth, while her 19:13.5 on the relatively-flat Queensbury 5K course ranks 14th.
Gemma Budek, MacArthur, Sr.
Her 18:22.9 on LIU’s 5K course leads returning all Long Islanders by nearly 11 seconds, and her 19:05.6 on the 5K at Queensbury places her 10th. She also handled the strenuous courses well, running the 5K at Bowdoin Park in 19:38.3 (sixth) and at Sunken Meadow in 20:54 (28th on Long Island, third in Nassau). She is also third with a 15:42.6 in the 2.5 miles at Van Cortlandt.
Erin Burns, Wantagh, Sr.
Her 20:02.09 in the 5K at LIU is 21st. She progressed throughout the track season and became one of Long Island’s best returning steeplers, running 7:24.93 to rank seventh.
Elizabeth Butruch, Sayville, Jr.
She ranks 16th in the 5K at both Sunken Meadow (20:17.3) and Bowdoin Park (20:23.3), and is 13th at Queensbury (19:13.1). Her 2.5-mile time at Van Cortlandt ranks 10th (16:10.7). She continued to progress through the track season, running the eighth-best returning 2K steeplechase time (7:25.86).
Clockwise, from top left: Elizabeth Butruch, Elena Ciaccio, Erin Burns, Carolina Cagna, Lexie Cole.
Carolina Cagna, Bethpage, Sr.
Her 19:29.2 in the 5K at LIU ranks 14th. Despite her unfamiliarity with Sunken Meadow, she handled its 5K course relatively well, posting a 21:41.7, which ranks fifth among returning Nassau runners.
Lauren Casey, Ward Melville, Soph.
After a good freshman year, she enters the season ranked 24th in the 5K at Sunken Meadow (20:34.6) and 19th in the same race at Bowdoin Park (20:29.4). She is also sixth at 2.5 miles at Van Cortlandt (15:57.3).
Elena Ciaccio, St. Anthony’s, Sr.
She is more than a year removed from an injury that derailed her sophomore track season. Fresh off that injury, she ran the 2.5-mile course at Sunken Meadow — the site of the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA championships — in 16:15.5, which ranks second. She also ran that distance at Van Cortlandt in 16:14.1, which ranks 13th. Ciaccio is also in the top 30 on Bowdoin Park’s 5K course after running a 20:57.4.
Lexie Cole, Comsewogue, Sr.
As one of the best runners in the state, she ranks third in the 5K at both Sunken Meadow (18:42.9) and Bowdoin Park (18:20.6), and second at Queensbury (17:32.9). She is Long Island’s No. 2 runner in the 2.5 miles at Van Cortlandt (14:55.1).
Ellie Connell, Shoreham-Wading River, Sr.
An ACL tear ruined what was supposed to be a big year. She won at 2.5 miles at Sunken Meadow in her only dual meet (16:19 flat). She made a quick recovery and aggressively challenged herself during the outdoor season, running the 2K steeple (7:19.54, third on Long Island) and the 3K (10:40.96, 12th).
Gianna Costello, Northport, Fr.
She's a former soccer player, but ran distance for the Tigers’ track and field team during the winter and spring seasons. She showed lots of promise as an eighth grader, running 10:42.3 in the 3,000 meters.
Allison Creighton, Miller Place, Sr.
She experienced a breakout junior season in which she ran the 5K at Sunken Meadow in 20:13.7, which ranks 15th.
Claire Delli Carpini, Cold Spring Harbor, Soph.
A former tennis player, she made the switch to cross country as a freshman and soared through the rankings. She's second in the 5K at LIU (18:33.8) and seventh at Queensbury (18:48.1). Her 20:32.7 on Sunken Meadow’s 5K ranks 23rd on Long Island (first in Nassau), and her 20:44.8 in the same race at Bowdoin Park is 21st.
Clockwise, from left: Sayla Fives, Allison Creighton, Claire Delli Carpini, Marianna Duffy, Christina Duffy.
Christina Duffy, Sayville, Soph.
She had a big year while co-leading the Golden Flashes with her older sister, Marianna. Christina Duffy ran 20:00.7 in the 5K at Sunken Meadow — the 13th-best returning time. Her 19:45.7 on Bowdoin Park’s 5K course ranks eighth. She also ran 19:15.2 in the 5K at Queensbury (15th) and 16:05.9 at the Van Cortlandt 2.5 miles (ninth).
Marianna Duffy, Sayville, Sr.
She ranks 11th in the 5K at both Sunken Meadow (19:54.8) and Bowdoin Park (19:56.7). She is also 15th in the 2.5 miles at Van Cortlandt with a 16:20.9 and 16th in the 5K at Queensbury (19:17.5).
Sayla Fives, Harborfields, Sr.
She enters the season ranked fourth in the 5K at Sunken Meadow (19:01.3), Queensbury (18:27.8) and Bowdoin Park (19:07.3). She also boasts the best returning time in the 2.5 miles at Van Cortlandt in 14:55 flat.
Cali Gabrielson, Mt. Sinai, Jr.
Her 19:39.3 on the Sunken Meadow 5K is tied for the seventh-best returning time.
Isabella Garra, Cold Spring Harbor, Sr.
She ran 19:12.4 on LIU’s 5K, ranked 10th on the course. Her 18:58.8 on the same-length course at Queensbury places her ninth. She also handled the Bowdoin Park 5K relatively well, running 19:55.9 to take the 10th spot.
From left: Cali Gabrielson, Isabella Garra, Isabella Horn.
Julia Glenz, Long Beach, Jr.
Her 18:50.9 in the LIU 5K ranks fifth, while her 19:11.2 in the Queensbury 5K sits 11th. She is another Nassau runner who handles the harder courses well, ranking 26th on the Sunken Meadow 5K at 20:43.5, 14th on the Bowdoin Park 5K at 20:10.2 and 12th on the Van Cortlandt 2.5 miles at 16:11.9.
Sloane Hinke, Glenn, Soph.
Her 20:19.4 as a freshman on the 5K course at Sunken Meadow already has her 17th, while her 19:12.5 in the same race at Queensbury places her 12th.
Isabella Horn, Ward Melville, Soph.
She burst onto the scene last year, running the ninth-fastest returning 5K time at Sunken Meadow (19:46.4), fifth-best 2.5-mile time at Van Cortlandt (15:49.2) and ninth-fastest 5K time at Bowdoin Park (19:49.7). She ran 19:17.9 on the 5K at Queensbury, which ranks 17th.
Haley Kegel, Farmingdale, Soph.
In a promising freshman season, she ran 19:48.7 on the 5K at LIU, which ranks 19th.
Fiona King, Northport, Soph.
Another one of New York’s elite, she ranks second on the 5K courses at both Sunken Meadow (18:22 flat) and Bowdoin Park (18:03.5), as well as third on the 5K Queensbury course (17:54.4).
Maddie Laezza, Eastport-South Manor, Sr.
The defending Newsday girls cross country Runner of the Year has a great shot at both the Class B public school state title and the state Federation title. She placed second in the Class B public school race and third in the merge at the public school meet. She was third in the Federation championship, finishing up a fantastic debut season. She is now the No. 1 returner in the state in the 5K at both Queensbury (17:15.2) and Sunken Meadow (18:01.8), and the No. 2 returner in the state at Bowdoin Park (17:56.3).
Clockwise, from top left: Fiona King, Maddie Laezza, Linda Lin, Ava Lingen.
Linda Lin, Syosset, Sr.
Her 19:16.8 on LIU’s 5K course ranks 11th and her 16:16.4 on the Van Cortlandt 2.5-mile trail is 14th. She also broke into the top 25 at Bowdoin Park, ranking 22nd with a 20:46.3 in the 5K.
Ava Lingen, Hauppauge, Jr.
She ranks 19th on both the Sunken Meadow 5K (20:25.6) and the Van Cortlandt 2.5 miles (16:36.6). She is also 23rd on the Bowdoin Park 5K at 20:46.7. She continued to develop throughout the year as a distance runner and became one of Long Island’s best steeplers during the outdoor track season, ranking fifth with a 7:23.24 in the 2K steeplechase.
Ariana Madeira, Friends Academy, Soph.
A well-rounded runner, both from an endurance and speed standpoint, she handles a 5K just as well as she does a 400 or 600 meters. Her 18:45.1 on the LIU 5K is third and her 18:39.7 on the Queensbury 5K is sixth.
Taylor Maguire, Garden City, Sr.
In what was a big breakout season, she ran the 5K in 18:51.3 at LIU - ranking sixth - and 20:01.4 at Bowdoin Park, which places her 12th.
Adelyn Mathew, Herricks, Jr.
Her 19:31.7 on LIU’s 5K course ranks 16th.
Clockwise, from top left: Leah Nowakowski, Ariana Madeira, Nora Miller, Adelyn Mathew, Taylor Maguire.
Molly McHugh, Massapequa, Soph.
She ran good times as a freshman, ranking 18th on the LIU 5K at 19:42.1. She continued clocking solid marks on the track, running the 3K in 10:43.11 outdoors, which ranks 15th.
Nora Miller, Manhasset, Soph.
In what was a big introduction to varsity cross country, she ran the fourth-fastest returning 5K time at LIU (18:45.8). She is also top 25 in the 5K at Queensbury with a 19:35.9.
Emma Murphy, Kings Park, Jr.
She has handled Sunken Meadow’s 5K course well, having run a 20:06.9 - ranked 14th entering the season.
Leah Nowakowski, Sachem North, Fr.
Her 19:31.6 on the 5K at Sunken Meadow ranks sixth, while her 16:03.2 on the 2.5-mile course at Van Cortlandt is seventh. She is also 15th on the Bowdoin Park 5K at 20:12.7. Her 19:33.2 at the public school state meet ranks 23rd on Queensbury’s 5K.
Valeria Paez, Hewlett, Sr.
In her first season as a cross country runner, the former soccer player ran 19:01.7 in the 5K at LIU, which ranks eighth.
Anna Paloubis, Manhasset, Sr.
Her 19:18.9 on the 5K at LIU ranks 12th.
Clockwise, from top left: Elle Riches, Valeria Paez, Anna Paloubis, Ariana Sadrarhami, Evelyn Rizzo.
Elle Riches, Sacred Heart, Sr.
As the best returner in the NSCHSAA, she leads the league on every major course. She ran 16:00.5 on the 2.5-mile trail at Sunken Meadow, while her 21-minutes flat on the park’s 5K ranks 30th. Her 16:11.7 over 2.5 miles at Van Cortlandt places her 11th among Long Islanders. She also ran 20:26.4 on the 5K at Bowdoin Park, which is 18th.
Evelyn Rizzo, Pierson, 8th
She ran Sunken Meadow’s 5K in 19:48.9 as a seventh grader, which ranks 10th. She is also 21st on Queensbury’s 5K course (19:26.4).
Ariana Sadrarhami, Syosset, Sr.
Her 19:34.8 on LIU’s 5K course ranks 17th, while her 19:39.2 on the 5K at Queensbury is 25th.
Catherine Savage, St. Anthony’s, Sr.
Over 2.5 miles, she ranks fourth at Sunken Meadow (16:35.3) and 26th at Van Cortlandt (16:45.3). Her 20:47 flat on Bowdoin Park’s 5K course ranks 24th, while her 21:41.4 in the same-length race at Sunken Meadow is third among returning NSCHSAA runners.
Julia Schmitz, Ward Melville, Sr.
Her 20:32.1 on the Sunken Meadow 5K ranks 22nd, while her 15:47.1 over 2.5 miles at Van Cortlandt is fourth.
From left: Julia Schmitz, Catherine Savage, Emma Sheahan.
Emma Sheahan, Bethpage, Jr.
As the lead runner on the Eagles’ county and sectional championship team, she ran 19:22 flat on the LIU 5K, ranking 13th. She also ranks 19th on Queensbury’s 5K course (19:21 flat).
Riley Shoemaker, Bay Shore, Sr.
She ranks 21st on the Sunken Meadow 5K (20:28 flat).
Saige Smith, North Babylon, Sr.
She also handles the heavy-incline 5K courses well, ranking 12th at Sunken Meadow (19:57.4) and 16th at Bowdoin Park (20:13.8).
Lillian Thompson, Locust Valley, Soph.
In what was a big freshman year, she ran the LIU 5K in 19:00.6, which ranks seventh. Her 19:19.8 on the 5K at Queensbury places her 18th. Though most of her 5Ks were on flat ground, when she ran it at Bowdoin Park she held her own and posted a 20:56, ranking 25th.
Clockwise, from left: Leilani von Oiste, Saige Smith, Lillian Thompson, Mia Wickard and Jane Tucker.
Jane Tucker, Northport, Soph.
She is a consensus top-10 runner on Long Island based on her 5K rankings on the most important courses. She is fifth at Sunken Meadow (19:15.7), seventh at Bowdoin Park (19:45.4) and eighth at Queensbury (18:51.8).
Leilani von Oiste, Port Jefferson, Soph.
She ran the 5K at Sunken Meadow in 20:38.9 (25th) and 20:07.1 at Queensbury (30th). She also finished the 2.5 miles at Van Cortlandt in 16:45.6 (27th).
Mia Wickard, Northport, Sr.
Her 19:39.3 on the 5K at Sunken Meadow is tied for seventh. She's fifth on the 5K at both Queensbury (18:38.6) and Bowdoin Park (19:16.8).
Elizabeth Wright, Ward Melville, Sr.
She ran the 5K at Sunken Meadow in 20:20.7 (18th) and at Bowdoin Park in 20:10 flat (13th). Her 2.5-mile time at Van Cortlandt (16:42.6) ranks 24th.
Mike Anderson is a high school sports reporter who has covered 12 sports so far at Newsday. He was the sports editor of Stony Brook University's campus newspaper for two years.
