Girls cross country: Top 5 breakout performers
Lillian Thompson of Locust Valley. Credit: Laura Thompson
Here are five girls cross country runners who are having breakout performances this season:
Lauren Casey, Ward Melville, Fr.
While technically not new to running at the high school level, her only race as an eighth grader came at Nike Cross Nationals, where she finished Bowdoin Park’s 5-kilometer course in 21 minutes, 24.4 seconds. In her first full year with the varsity team, she has deepened an already elite Ward Melville squad and has clocked a 20:34.6 at Sunken Meadow, which ranks 17th on Long Island.
Allison Creighton, Miller Place, Jr.
After consistently running 5Ks in the high-21-minute to low-23-minute range, she enrolled in a summer program at The Running School in upstate Swan Lake to help her take the next step. That decision paid off, as her 20:38.6 at Sunken Meadow is 20th on Long Island and 1:06.7 faster than her personal best from last fall.
Taylor Maguire, Garden City, Jr.
Leading the charge for Garden City, she ranks in Nassau’s top 15 on LIU’s course in Brookville and at Eisenhower Park. Her 20:01.4 at Bowdoin Park is seventh on Long Island and 25th in the state.
Taylor Maguire of Garden City. Credit: Seith Messier
Emma Sheahan, Bethpage, Soph.
She has become the leader of a young Bethpage team and has shaved just under 1:06 off her best freshman time at Eisenhower Park. She ranks in Nassau’s top 20 in 5K time and in the top 15 at Eisenhower.
Lillian Thompson, Locust Valley, Fr.
On a small team, she was pulled up to varsity as an eighth grader and ran times that were pretty good — for an eighth grader. This year, she is running times that are pretty good — in general. Her 18:59.4 at Eisenhower is 1:18.6 faster than her 2024 season-best, and that time ranks 11th overall in the county at any course.
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.
