The much-anticipated wait is over, as we unveil the 2025 XC Runner of the Year Nominees. The next step is an internal process to whittle the list down to a finalist group of 4-6 runners, with select others (those right on the bubble) being put up for a Last Finalist Fan Vote. There are 27 Girls ROY Nominees and 27 Boys ROY Nominees.

After that vote, the finalists are up for a BLITZ ROY final vote by an internal panel made up of local media, where the players are voted on Heisman-style to determine the winner.

*BLITZ used region & state finishes to select up to 3 nominees per team*

GIRLS

• Bailey Baker – Banks County JR – Region 14th (24:25); State 45th (24:45)
• Carly Black – White County SO – Region 6th (19:43); State 7th (20:43)
• Julie Black – White County SR – Region 5th (19:40); State 5th (20:29)
• Ella Carrington – Dawson County SO – Region 15th (21:30); State 29th (22:28)
• Kaylyn Doud – Stephens County FR – Region 78th (30:00)
• Mary Durham – Towns County JR – Sectional 42nd (26:41); State 65th (29:45)
• Belle Gary – Commerce JR – Region 23rd (27:54)
• Keli George – Lumpkin County SR – Region 8th (20:00); State 11th (21:06)
• Hayden Hand – Dawson County SR – Region 7th (19:51); State 4th (20:21)
• Olivia Henderson – Tallulah Falls JR – Region RU (20:19); State 3rd (20:36)
• Esmeralda Hernandez – Rabun County JR – Region 10th (23:23); State 65th (25:42)
• Megan Hightower – Franklin County SR – Region 5th (21:26); State 14th (23:32)
• Joyce Hou – Towns County FR – Sectional 25th (24:48); State 36th (26:56)
• Lola Hunter – Union County SR – Region Champion (21:40); State 9th (22:40)
• Avery Hussion – Union County SR – Region 10th (24:23); State 21st (24:12)
• Savannah Jackson – Franklin County SO – Region 8th (21:29); State 7th (22:35)
• Kinley Jones – Rabun County FR – Region 4th (20:56); State 10th (21:08)
• Avery Keim – Tallulah Falls JR – Region 3rd (22:39); State 15th (22:07)
• Ansley Moore – Banks County SR – Region Champion (19:05); State RU (20:11)
• Tessa Murdock – Habersham Central SO – Sectional 73rd (20:57)
• Macy Payne – Union County SO – Region 9th (24:05); State 24th (24:23)
• Joanie Phillabaum – Lumpkin County SR – Region 14th (21:15); State 27th (22:23)
• Hannah Schroeder – Jefferson SR – Region 5th (20:54); State 15th (21:34)
• Addison Smith – Dawson County SR – Region 18th (21:43); State 26th (22:21)
• Caroline Sutton – Habersham Central FR – Sectional 114th (21:54)
• Lily Whitmire – Jefferson FR – Region RU (19:36); State 10th (20:58)
• Emma Windham – White County SR – Region 11th (20:42); State 14th (21:21)

BOYS

• Graham Anderson – Rabun County SO – Region 21st (20:13)
• Ryan Anderson – Tallulah Falls JR – Region 8th (18:54); State 34th (18:58)
• Alex Brannon – White County SR – Region RU (17:02); State 16th (18:02)
• Jason Chavero – Towns County SR – Sectional 51st (20:27)
• Aiden Cline – White County SO – Region 8th (17:22); State 20th (18:08)
• Will Cox – Commerce SR – Region 11th (18:23), State 20th (18:28)
• Parker Dougherty – Banks County FR – Region 24th (20:46)
• Ander Faulkner – Union County JR – Region 7th (18:06); State 29th (19:00)
• Will Gipson – Franklin County SR – Region Champion (16:13); State Champion (17:09)
• Evan Good – Lumpkin County – Region 5th (17:12); State 19th (18:07)
• Eli Hamil – Dawson County JR – Region 11th (17:40); DNR at State
• Emory Hardin – Towns County JR – Sectional 54th (20:30)
• Evan Locke – Franklin County SR – Region 19th (17:44); State 30th (19:02)
• William Malueg – Jefferson SO – Region 13th (18:17); State 27th (18:30)
• Jace Mills – Habersham Central SO – Sectional 161st (19:05)
• Titus Nguyen – Banks County SO – Region 25th (20:50)
• Andrew Nushtayev – Union County JR – Region 10th (18:30); State 20th (18:57)
• Holden Payne – Union County SR – Region 3rd (17:08); State RU (17:30)
• Teagan Penland – Tallulah Falls JR – Region 4th (17:31); State 9th (17:00)
• Gerri Setren – Stephens County JR – Region 82nd (21:02)
• Crayton Smith – Rabun County JR – Region 28th (21:05)
• Seth Stonecypher – Stephens County SO – Region 87th (21:10)
• James Truluck – Commerce SR – Region 15th (19:13)
• Finn Wakeman – Jefferson JR – Region RU (16:55); State 9th (17:44)
• Jackson Weeks – Habersham Central SO – Sectional 162nd (19:08)
• Witt Windham – Lumpkin County SO – Region Champion (16:00); State RU (16:36)
• Luke Wooten – Dawson County SO – Region 20th (18:39); State 87th (20:10)