As the 2023 Arkansas High School cross country season creeps closer, the team at MileSplit Arkansas is preparing for the fall by providing preseason coverage across the state's six divisions.
This week we take a look at Division 5A, home to some of the fastest runners in The Natural State.
Girls
For the past two years, the road to a state championship in 5A has run through Olivia Pielemeier. Now that the 15-time state champion has graduated, there is a void atop the division and there are many individuals capable of assuming Pielemeier's spot at the top.
Carole Werner is the fastest returner from last season and the highest returning finisher from last season's state meet, which makes her an obvious candidate to contend for an individual title this fall.
Werner ran an 18:53.20 at the Chile Pepper Festival last season while winning four races and gaining valuable experiences by finishing well at prestigious meets such as the Arkansas vs. Oklahoma All Star XC meet and Teams South Regional Championships.
The star from Greenwood carried her success into the spring where she ran two personal bests in the 1,600m and 3,200 and finished 5th at the 5A State Championship in the 1,600m.
Entering her junior season, Werner has a chance to emerge as the next superstar from 5A and will be in the mix to take home her first state championship.
While Werner appears to be the favorite entering the season, Brooklyn Nicholson is another name to add to the list of 5A girls capable of winning an individual state championship this fall.
After finishing 3rd at last season's Arkansas State Cross Country Championships, Nicholson, the second-fastest returner from last cross country season, posted impressive indoor and outdoor seasons, which resulted in three runner-up finishes across the 800m and 1,600m state championship races.
Nicholson capped off her incredible track season winning the 800m at the Arkansas Meet of Champions, running a personal best time of 2:19.31.
Not only does the rising senior from Russellville have an established track record on the grass, but she also has proven to have a ton of raw speed in the form of a lethal kick, which could be the difference between winning a state title and a podium spot in November.
Among others who could compete for a state title, Audrey Herrell and Lani Inman are two more names to keep an eye on this fall.
Herrell finished 21st at last season's state meet but is the 3rd fastest returner and has clocked times under 20 minutes on two separate occasions. The rising junior from Lake Hamilton finished 4th in the 1,600m and 7th in the 3,200m at the state track meet this spring and will look to carry the torch her former teammate left behind.
Teammates, Herrell and Inman will be one of the most threatening duos in Division 5A. Inman finished 14th at last fall's state meet and followed her spectacular cross country season up with a stellar track season, which resulted in two podium finishes in the 1,600m and 3,200m.
Keep your eyes out for these two come November, as the two should both be contenders to win an individual state title and help lead Lake Hamilton to another impressive finish at the state meet.
Boys
There were several key departures from the 5A boys division this spring, including last season's state champion Noah Embrey, but there is still a significant amount of talent returning this fall that will make the race for an individual state championship in 5A a story to watch.
Joseph Bariola is the fastest returner from last season and will be a top contender to win a state championship this November.
After finishing 2nd at last year's state meet, Bariola went on to have a breakout track season, which resulted in three personal bests to go along with a state championship in the 1,600m and win at the Arkansas Meet of Champions in the same event.
With a summer full of training under his belt, and considering the success he found this spring, the rising senior from Lakeside is somebody you won't want to keep your eye off this season as he is capable of doing things beyond winning a state title -- and that's qualifying for a national championship meet.
While Bariola enters the season seemingly at the top of the 5A boys division, it is hard to overlook River Hardman, who also had a great track season and is a legitimate threat to Bariola in his chase for an individual state championship.
Hardman finished 4th at last year's state cross country meet and has only gotten better since.
After runner-up finishes in the 800m and 1,600m events at the Arkansas Indoor HS Championships, the Russellville star went on to win the 800m at the Arkansas Meet of Champions and 5A State Championship, white finishing 2nd and 3rd in the 1,600m and 3,200m, at the state meet respectively.
Hardman enters the season with a personal best time of 16:09.70 in the 5K compared to Bariola's 15:26.80, but if you compare the two's times on the track, you would see that the gap is significantly closer. You will want to keep a close eye on both of these runners on the grass this fall.
Outside of Bariola and Hardman, Hendrix Hughes and Paul Rivera are two more names to add to the list.
Hughes finished 7th at last season's cross country state meet and qualified for the state meet in the 3,200m. While Hughes does not have the times Bariola and Hardman do, he has shown remarkable consistency over the course of his career, and the rising senior from Mountain Home should be one of the top names in 5A this fall.
Over the first two years of his high school career, Rivera has shown consistent progression and another season of similar progression could put the rising junior a rare air in the 5A boys division. After finishing 7th at the state meet this spring in the 3,200m, Rivera has positioned himself to be among one of the top names in 5A this fall.