Strawberry Crest senior Jaxon Kiper made an early-season statement in his win at the Jim Ryun Invitational. His 15:54.30 on the Holloway Park course was a 1:42.80-second improvement on his 17:37.10 opener in 2025. He's a 1:54.59 guy in the 800m on the track last year, with a 6th-place finish in the 4A State finals.
Photo Credit: Steven Payne
Here is an interesting look at some of the Top Returning FL Boys in XC from the first weekend of the 2025 XC season and the first full weekend of the 2026 season. Who had the biggest improvement?
Note: These rankings compare the top 100 returning athletes from the opening week of the 2025 FHSAA regular season with the top 100 performances from Week One of the 2026 season. Only athletes with Week One results in both seasons were included, while those who ran slower in 2026 were excluded. Athletes were ranked by their year-over-year improvement. The rankings are based strictly on time and do not account for differences in courses or conditions.
Florida Boys' Most Improved - Week One YOY
| YOY | Athlete | School | 2025 Week 1 | 2026 Week 1 Best | Improvement | Current FL Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|