FL Girls Week Seven: A Compeitive Week of Statewide Racing

Week Seven Merge: Balaban Makes Her Case for Florida No. 1

Week 7 of the 2026 Florida girls' high school cross country season was highlighted by Emma Balaban's sub-18 performance at the Great American XC Festival, anchoring a competitive week of statewide racing that saw runners from IMG Academy, Spanish River, Springstead, and more solidify their positions in the girls' overall rankings with solid performances across regional and national invitationals.

Here is a breakdown of the top 10 performances by Florida girls in Week 7, cross-referenced with their overall statewide season rankings:

1. Emma Balaban - IMG Academy (JR)

• Week 7 Time / Meet: 17:42.90 | Great American XC Festival

• Overall State Rank: #1, No FHSAA classification 

• Balaban continues to make her case for the No. 1 girls ranking in the state. She has three wins, and this outing demonstrates her consistency as a sub-17:45 runner and her ability to run on the regional stage as she gains valuable experience.

2. Alba Antunez-Perez - Spanish River HS (SR)

• Week 7 Time / Meet: 18:05.00 | Great American XC Festival 

• Overall State Rank: #8, 4A #5

• Antunez-Perez put together another strong race against elite out-of-state regional competition. In only her second competition of the season, she clocked an 18:05.00 in a 32nd-place finish, solidifying her top-10 rankings.

3. Lainee Mercer - Springstead HS (JR)

• Week 7 Time / Meet: 18:24.70 | 2nd Wild Bulldog Invite 

• Overall State Rank: #15, 3A #4

• Mercer captured a dominant individual title with an 18:24.70 performance, surging into the top 15 in the state and becoming a contender in the 3A state championship discussions. She was third last season (18:15.30).

4. Taylor Geraghty - Holy Trinity Academy (8th)

• Week 7 Time / Meet: 18:34.30 | Great American XC Festival 

• Overall State Rank: #22, 1A #4

• The eighth-grade standout impressed on the big stage at Great American, crossing the line as the runner-up in the Blue Division in 18:34.30. She is the No. 2 ranked 8th -grader in the 5K this season and is gaining valuable experience as she moves into the Top 25

5. Camila Giles - Bishop Kenny HS (JR)

• Week 7 Time / Meet: 18:37.10 | Nike XC Town Twilight Invite 

• Overall State Rank: #23 (tied), 3A #6

• Racing under the lights at the Twilight Invitational, Giles turned in an 18:37.10 effort to hold steady near the top 20. She has raced three times this season, and her consistency is impressive with 5K times of 18:37.20, 18:35.00, and 18-37.10.

6. Lyla Hallick - Ocala Vanguard HS (SO)

• Week 7 Time / Meet: 18:40.90 | Craig Speziale Invite 

• Overall State Rank: #9, 3A #2

• Hallick has won her last two races, posting a win last week at the Craig Speziale Invite with an 18:40.90. Her win at Rockledge in 18:10.80 has her ranked at No. 9 in the state

7. Madison Muller - Sarasota Riverview HS (JR)

• Week 7 Time / Meet: 18:41.80 | Venice Invite 

• Overall State Rank: #3, 4A #1

• Muller navigated the Venice Invite course in 18:41.80 to remain undefeated on the season. Ranked No. 3 overall, she is the 4A favorite to win her second state title.

8. Rebecca McEnany - Bishop Kenny HS (SO)

• Week 7 Time / Meet: 18:52.00 | Nike XC Town Twilight Invite 

• Overall State Rank: #36, 3A #11

• Teaming up for Bishop Kenny's out-of-state trip, McEnany ran 18:52.00 for 54th in a very compeitive and quality field in Indiana and has continued to drop her time each week from 20:00.60 in her opener to 18:52.00.

9. Annabella Ekebergh - Windermere High School (JR)

• Week 7 Time / Meet: 18:52.64 | Metro West Champs 2026 

• Overall State Rank: #37, 4A #14

• Ekebergh claimed top honors at the Metro West Championships, breaking 19 minutes for the first time with an 18:52.64 for her second win of the year. 

10. Eva McMenemy-Hoang - Viera HS (SR)

• Week 7 Time / Meet: 18:53.24 | 27th FLRunners.com Invite 

• Overall State Rank: #19, 4A #8

• Rounding out the top 10 week-seven performances, McMenemy-Hoang delivered a tactical 18:53.24 effort at the FLRunners.com Invitational. She earned her second win of the season in a quality field in the ROC.