Six Of The Badger State's Top Runners This Fall

Photo: Elizabeth Schreiber/MileSplit Wisconsin

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Wisconsin's cross country season is in full swing, and a handful of athletes have separated themselves at the top of both the boys' and girls' leaderboards. 

Take a look at the four fastest boys and four fastest girls in the state through the first month and change of the cross country season.

Ryan Keller (Hudson): The senior has been sharp in each of his three races this fall, peaking with a fifth-place finish at the Roy Griak Invitational in 15:00.40, just narrowly missing out on his first trip into the 14s. Keller dropped over 50 seconds between his opener at the Husky Invitational and his big run at Fort Snelling, and with the postseason still weeks away, he looks primed for an even bigger fall as the stakes are only going to get higher as the weeks progress.

Ciara Hartman (Bloomer): Four races, four big-time runs, and Hartman has looked like the class of the state all fall. The senior's best mark of her final cross country campaign came in her third-place finish at the Roy Griak Invitational, where she ran 17:19.10. She followed that up with her second sub-18 performance of the year at the Nightfall Classic 715, where she clocked 17:58.10. After winning the Bloomer and Prescott Invitationals to open the season, Hartman has proved she can compete with some of the best runners in the country as she chases a state title.

Will Pongonis (Eau Claire Memorial): Pongonis has been one of the most active runners in the state this fall, already racing six times and improving steadily throughout. He opened the season with a win at the Husky Invitational in 15:24.50 before running 15:03.20 at the Chi-Hi Invitational just last weekend, a new career best. He has won four of his six races and looks like one of the most dangerous runners in Wisconsin heading into October, especially considering he has run 15:25 or faster all but once and sub-15:15 three separate times.

Aliya Hartman (Bloomer): In her first race of the year, the senior made an immediate statement, winning the Nightfall Classic 715 in 17:23.50 in what was the best 5K of her career. Hartman gives Bloomer a formidable 1-2 punch alongside her teammate and sister Ciara, and her debut performance puts her No. 2 in the state heading into a loaded stretch of competition. It did not take her long to beat her previous PB by nearly a minute, and she will look to keep the good times rolling from here on out.

Payton Huinker (Westosha Central): Huinker has been one of the best performers in the state through three races, highlighted by a ninth-place finish at the Roy Griak Invitational in 15:04.60. The senior won the East Troy Ladish Invite and the SLC Relays to open the season before running the third-fastest time in the state this year and the 17th-fastest time in state history.

Samantha Zilm (Neenah): The top runner on the state's top team, Zilm is undefeated through four races, dominant from the opening gun. The sophomore opened her season with an 18:34.90 at the Jamie Block CC Invite before lowering that all the way down to 17:31.60 at the Nightfall Classic 920, her best performance of the fall. After a track season that saw her run 5:05 and 10:57 over 1600 and 3200 meters, Zilm has her sights set on a state title as one of Wisconsin's top returners.