We used the Region/Sectionals and State Championship meets to choose nominees from each program in our coverage area (max 3 runners per team). Here are the best of the best in 2026 – 31 total boys and 26 girls nominees!

What’s Next? BLITZ will narrow down the finalist pool to a small group of finalists for each boys/girls (4-6 runners roughly). A select group of nominees will be up for the Fan Vote as the ‘LAST FINALIST’ to join our finalist group. Then, an internal vote takes place from our media panel to determine Runner of the Year!

BOYS RUNNER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

*cutoff = 22:00*

• Mason Arrowood – Commerce FR – 78th @ Sectionals (21:43)
• Connor Borum – Franklin County SO – 30th @ Sectionals (18:46); 32nd @ State (19:20)
• Aiden Cline – White County JR – 14th @ Sectionals (17:30); 38th @ State (18:52)
• Samuel Cochran – Rabun County JR – 23rd @ Sectionals (18:40); 48th @ State (19:26)
• Domani Cortez – Habersham Central FR – 127th @ Sectionals (18:41)
• Blane Dodson – Franklin County JR – 22nd @ Sectionals (18:25); 24th @ State (18:54)
• Caleb Dubois – Jefferson FR – 31st @ Sectionals (17:24); 68th @ State (18:36)
• Ander Faulkner – Union County SR – 9th @ Sectionals (17:29); 6th @ State (17:41)
• Emmit Kellar – Stephens County SO – 64th @ Sectionals (19:49)
• Nathan Garrard – Towns County FR – 61st @ Sectionals (22:29)
• Evan Good – Lumpkin County SR – 8th @ Sectionals (17:27); 10th @ State (18:11)
• Jackson Grey – Towns County SO – 58th @ Sectionals (22:22)
• Eli Hamil – Dawson County SR – 7th @ Sectionals (17:04); 15th @ State (18:12)
• Oliver Hillman – Union County SR – 14th @ Sectionals (18:02); 15th @ State (18:32)
• Josh Lewallen – Commerce SO – 76th @ Sectionals (21:36)
• William Malueg – Jefferson JR – 12th @ Sectionals (16:43); 29th @ State (17:46)
• Nickson McGillivray – Lumpkin County SO – 7th @ Sectionals (17:26); 5th @ State (17:40)
• Reid Murphey – White County FR – 3rd @ Sectionals (17:00); 6th @ State (17:43)
• Andrew Nushtayev – Union County SR – 15th @ Sectionals (18:03); 16th @ State (18:33)
• Maddux Oakey – Union County SR – 11th @ Sectionals (17:42); 9th @ State (17:54)
• Lincoln Penland – Tallulah Falls FR – 10th @ Region (19:40); 21st @ State (18:57)
• Teagan Penland – Tallulah Falls SR – 2nd @ Region (17:42); 3rd @ State (17:00)
• River Rayborn – Dawson County SO – 29th @ Sectionals (17:59); 40th @ State (18:53)
• Jadyn Recor – Habersham Central JR – 132nd @ Sectionals (18:45)
• Devin Rowley – Banks County SR – 56th @ Sectionals (20:34); 74th @ State (20:21)
• Konnor Sosebee – White County FR – 7th @ State (17:45)
• Seth Stonecypher – Stephens County JR – 38th @ Sectionals (19:14)
• Finn Wakeman – Jefferson SR – 30th @ Sectionals (17:23); 43rd @ State (18:08)
• Andrew Wall – Rabun County SO – 11th @ Sectionals (18:01); 16th @ State (18:15)
• Owen Wilbanks – Banks County FR – 66th @ Sectionals (20:57); 116th @ State (21:19)
• Witt Windham – Lumpkin County JR – 1st @ Sectionals (16:20); State Champion (16:27)

GIRLS RUNNER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

*cutoff = 26:00*

• Bailey Baker – Banks County SR – 19th @ Sectionals (23:34); 47th @ State (24:21)
• Kate Barrett – Union County – 26th @ Sectionals (24:06); 14th @ State (23:53)
• Blakely Bell – Lumpkin County SR – 2nd @ Sectionals (21:42); State Runner-Up (22:05)
• Carly Black – White County JR – 11th @ Sectionals (20:36)
• Olivia Brooks – Habersham Central SO – 123rd @ Sectionals (23:49)
• Ella Carrington – Dawson County JR – 23rd @ Sectionals (21:24); 52nd @ State (23:26)
• Taylor Chastain – Jefferson FR – 30th @ Sectionals (22:08); 94th @ State (24:06)
• Mary Durham – Towns County SR – 22nd @ Sectionals (24:34); 18th @ State (25:14)
• Belle Gary – Commerce SR – 64th @ Sectionals (26:56); 86th @ State (26:09)
• Maria Gloeckner – Dawson County JR – 13th @ Sectionals (20:42); 24th @ State (21:50)
• Karis Goodman – White County FR – 25th @ Sectionals (21:44); 39th @ State (22:51)
• Olivia Henderson – Tallulah Falls SR – 2nd @ Region (21:59); 9th @ State (21:29)
• Elizabeth Hilson – Rabun County FR – 17th @ Sectionals (23:16); 44th @ State (24:20)
• Joyce Hou – Towns County SO – 20th @ Sectionals (24:30); 19th @ State (25:15)
• Georgie Howell – Jefferson FR – 23rd @ Sectionals (21:35); 45th @ State (22:30)
• Belle Ivester – Stephens County SO – 3rd @ Sectionals (22:17); 10th @ State (23:33)
• Savannah Jackson – Franklin County JR – 27th @ Sectionals (24:08); 38th @ State (25:38)
• Kinley Jones – Rabun County SO – 4th @ Sectionals (20:48); 6th @ State (21:23)
• Maeleigh King – Towns County SO – 19th @ Sectionals (24:29); 28th @ State (26:02)
• Ida Patterson – Tallulah Falls JR – 3rd @ Region (22:34); 12th @ State (21:48)
• Naomi Russo – Tallulah Falls FR – 10th @ Region (25:00); 4th @ State (21:11)
• Tessa Schurter – Union County FR – 16th @ Sectionals (23:25); 11th @ State (23:45)
• Harper Shirley – Dawson County SO – 24th @ Sectionals (21:26); 35th @ State (22:38)
• Reese Smith – Franklin County FR – 11th @ Sectionals (23:05); 12th @ State (23:48)
• Caroline Sutton – Habersham Central SO – 114th @ Sectionals (23:05)
• Alexa Swancey – Jefferson FR – 40th @ Sectionals (22:48); 90th @ State (23:59)