Irene Riggs Edges Out Karrie Baloga For No. 1 In Final Rankings

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

The two best runners in the country did not race one another and both of them won a national championship meet. And Irene Riggs' NXN win was comparable to Karrie Baloga's victory last Saturday in San Diego at the Champs Sports Cross Country Championships.

There is very little to separate the two and Riggs and Baloga checked every box in their individual list of goals. 

But Riggs' performance at NXR Southeast, where she beat a good field by 84 seconds and ran 16:02.1 tips the scale just enough to give her the final No. 1 ranking. Riggs smashed a Katelyn Tuohy course record at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. by more than 20 seconds. Riggs also ran within three seconds of Tuohy's best at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland. 

The West Virginia (Riggs) and New York (Baloga) champions are headed to the Pac-12 Conference where they could have many duels at the collegiate level. Riggs is headed to Stanford; Baloga to Colorado. 

The remainder of the final Top 100 is an attempt to rank the athletes who ran well enough on the national stages, and earlier, to stake a claim for a spot on the list. In some cases, it's a zippering of the Nike Cross Nationals and Champs Sports Cross Country Championships results, as those two meets carried the most weight this season. But success within the regular season and state level also factors in to the final set of cross country rankings for 2022. 

The Top 100

1. Irene Riggs, senior, Morgantown WV: NXN champion; NXR Southeast champion

2. Karrie Baloga, senior, Cornwall Central NY: Champs Sports champion; Champs Sports Northeast second place

3. Ellie Shea, junior, Emerging Elites Club MA: Champs Sports second place; Champs Sports Northeast champion

4. Brooke Wilson, senior, Valor Christian CO: NXN second place; NXR Southwest third place

5. Bethany Michalak, junior, Air Academy CO: NXN third place; NXR Southwest fourth place

6. Abbey Nechanicky, senior, Wayzata MN: NXN fourth place; NXR Heartland champion

7. Paityn Noe, senior, Ballard IA: Champs Sports third place; NXN 10th place

8. Abby Faith Cheeseman, sophomore, The Webb (Bell Buckle) TN: Champs Sports fourth place; Champs Sports South seventh place

9. Ciara O'Shea, senior, Madison Central KY: Champs Sports fifth place; Champs Sports South champion

10. Grace Schager, senior, Carol Stream IL: NXN fifth place; NXR Midwest second place

11. Isabel Conde de Frankenberg, junior, Cedar Park TX: Champs Sports 13th place; NXN sixth place; Champs Sports South second place; NXR South champion

12. Zariel Macchia, sophomore, William Floyd NY: Champs Sports sixth place; Champs Sports Northeast third place; Garmin RunningLane second place

13. Sophia Kennedy, senior, Park Tudor IN: NXN seventh place, Champs Sports Midwest second place

14. Tatum David, senior, Olney (Richland County) IL: NXN eighth place; Champs Sports Midwest champion

15. Anna Callahan, junior, Skyline WA: NXN ninth place; NXR Northwest champion

16. Leah Stephens, senior, Our Lady of Good Counsel MD: Champs Sports seventh place; Champs Sports Northeast fifth place

17. Allie Zealand, junior, Pacers Homeschool VA: Champs Sports eighth place; Champs Sports South third place

18. Alyssa Sauro, sophomore, Williamstown WV: Champs Sports ninth place; Champs Sports South 10th place

19. Sadie Engelhardt, sophomore, Ventura CA: Champs Sports 10th place; Champs Sports West champion; California D2 champion

20. Andie Aagard, junior, Lone Peak UT: NXN 12th place; NXR Southwest champion

21. Payton Godsey, junior, Oaks Christian: Garmin RunningLane champion; California D4 champion

22. Nicole Humphries, junior, Flower Mound TX: NXN 13th place; Champs Sports 21st place

23. Samantha Humphries, junior, Flower Mound TX: NXN 11th place

24. Isabel Allori, junior, Liberty Common CO: NXN 14th place; NXR Southwest second place

25. Helen Sachs, sophomore, Holland Ottawa West: NXN 60th place; NXR Midwest champion

26. Jessica Jazwinski, sophomore, Hart MI: Champs Sports 11th place; Champs Sports Midwest fourth place

27. Hanne Thomsen, sophomore, Montgomery CA: NXN 16th place; California D3 champion

28. Lily Cridge, senior, Indianapolis Bishop Chatard IN: NXN 28th place; NXR Midwest fourth place

29. Avalon Mecham, junior, American Fork UT: NXN 15th place; NXR Southwest sixth place

30. Emma Stutzman, senior, Pomona CO: NXN 17th place; NXR Southwest fifth place

31. Annastasia Peters, senior, Post Falls ID: Idaho 5A champion

32. Mary Bonner Dalton, junior, Myers Park NC: Champs Sports 12th place; Champs Sports South eighth place

33. Addy Ritzenhein, freshman, Niwot CO: NXN 18th place; NXR Southwest ninth place

34. Izzie Sullivan, sophomore, Fayetteville-Manlius NY: NXN 19th place; NXR New York sixth place

35. Norah Hushagen, sophomore, Forest Lake MN: NXN 20th place; NXR Heartland fifth place

36. Sydney Drevlow, sophomore, Hopkins MN: NXN 21st place; NXR Heartland fourth place

37. Chiara Dailey, freshman, La Jolla CA: Champs Sports 14th place; Champs Sports West third place

38. Sara Mlodik, junior, DC Everest WI: Champs Sports 15th place; Champs Sports Midwest eigth place

39. Angelina Napoleon, senior, Allegany-Limestone NY: Champs Sports 16th place; Champs Sports Northeast seventh place

40. Ruth White, junior, Orono ME: Champs Sports 17th place; Champs Sports Northeast fourth place; New England champion

41. Allison Arnsman, senior, Grandville MI: Champs Sports 18th place; Champs Sports Midwest 10th place

42. Ali Bainbridge, senior, Sioux Falls Lincoln SD: NXN 22nd place; NXR Heartland sixth place

43. Liesel Kehoe, junior, Edmond North OK: NXN 23rd place; NXR South third place 

44. Nelah Roberts, senior, Skyline ID: NXN 24th place; NXR Northwest third place

45. Gretchen Farley, senior, Park Tudor IN: Champs Sports 19th place; Champs Sports Midwest ninth place

46. Ella Hagen, sophomore, Summit CO: NXN 25th place; NXR Southwest seventh place

47. Juliet Frum, sophomore, Northbrook (Glenbrook North) IL: Garmin RunnigLane third place; NXR Midwest sixth place

48. Ellie Buckley, senior, Campolindo CA: NXN 26th place; California D3 third place

49. Emily Wisniewski, sophomore, Crescent Valley OR: NXN 27th place; NXR Northwest fourth place

50. Julia Kiesler, senior, Columbus North IN: Garming RunningLane fifth place; NXR Midwest 19th place

51. Grace Hutchison, senior, Buchanan CA: NXN 29th place; California D1 second place

52. Emily Bush, senior, Saratoga Springs NY: NXN 30th place; NXR New York eighth place

53. Stella Kermes, junior, Cuthbertson NC: NXN 31st place; NXR Southeast second place

54. Alexandra Fox, sophomore, Flower Mound TX: NXN 32nd place; NXR South eighth place

55. Caroline Hood, junior, Pace Academy GA: Garmin RunningLane sixth place

56. McKinley Wheeler, senior, Saratoga Springs NY: NXN 33rd place; NXR New York second place

57. Lillie Bogdan, sophomore, Frontier Central NY: NXN 34th place; NXR New York champion

58. Nicki Southerland, junior, Delta IN: Champs Sports Midwest sixth place

59. Katie Clute, senior, Olmsted Falls OH: Champs Sports 22nd place; Champs Sports Midwest seventh place

60. San Juanita Leal, junior, Edinburg North TX: NXN 51st place; NXR South second place

61. Jade Rypkema, senior, Nevis MN: NXN 53rd place; NXR Heartland third place

62. McKenzie Bailey, senior, Georgetown TX: NXN 52nd place; NXR South fourth place

63. Tessa Buswell, junior, Poway CA: NXN 100th place; California D1 champion

64. Logan Hofstee, junior, East Valley WA: NXN 38th place; NXR Northwest second place

65. Maddie Gardiner, junior, Covenant VA: Champs Sports 20th place; Champs Sports South ninth place

66. Emma Zawatski, junior, Freehold Township NJ: Champs Sports 23rd place; Champs Sports Northeast 10th place; New Jersey MOC champion

67. Gillian Bushee, senior, Herndon VA: Champs Sports 24th place; Champs Sports South fifth place

68. Thais Rolly, senior, McLean VA: Champs Sports 25th place; Champs Sports South sixth place

69. Allie Bruce, junior, Boise ID: Champs Sports 26th place; Champs Sports West fifth place

70. Meg Madison, junior, The Winsor MA: Champs Sports 27th place; Champs Sports Northeast sixth place

71. Katelyn Rupe, sophomore, Salina Central KS: NXR Heartland 13th place; Kansas 5A champion

72. Sarah Lawson, junior, Corning-Painted Post NY: NXN 41st place; NXR New York seventh place

73. Katie Kopec, senior, Whitney CA: Champs Sports 28th place; Champs Sports West fourth place

74. Boston Bybee, sophomore, Lone Peak UT: NXN 35th place

75. Hannah Rae Shaffer, sophomore, Cardinal Gibbons NC: NXN 36th place; NXR Southeast sixth place

76. Addison Knoblauch, junior, Homestead IN: NXR Midwest seventh place

77. Arianne Olson, senior, Holland West Ottawa MI: NXR Midwest eighth place

78. Sarah Peer, junior, Westlake OH: Champs Sports Midwest 11th place

79. Gioana Lopizzo, junior, La Costa Canyon CA: Champs Sports 29th place; Champs Sports West second place

80. Jolena Quarzo, senior, Brownsville Area PA: NXN 37th place; NXR Northeast champion

81. Reagan Riley, senior, Mountain Brook AL: Champs Sports South 13th place; Alabama 6A champion

82. Keeghan Edwards, sophomore, Valor Christian CO: NXR Southwest eighth place; Champs Sports Midwest 16th place

83. Paige Steinkie, junior, Anna OH: Ohio D3 champion 

84. Natalie McLean, senior, Pine-Richland PA: Champs Sports 30th place; Champs Sports Northeast eighth place

85. Ava Mitchell, senior, Arapahoe CO: NXR Southwest 10th place; Colorado 5A fourth place

86. Jane Hedengren, sophomore, Timpview UT: NXR Southwest 11th place; Utah 5A champion

87. Tessa Walter, sophomore, Air Academy CO: NXN 39th place

88. Rachel Soukup, senior, Crystal Lake (Prairie Ridge) IL: Champs Sports Midwest 12th place

89. Ali Cryster, senior, Hanover VA: NXN 40th place; NXR Southeast fifth place

90. Kate Putman, senior, Cicero-North Syracuse NY: New York Class A eighth place

91. Barrett Justema, senior, Summit OR: NXN 79th place; NXR Northwest fifth place

92. Rose Coats, senior, Brooklyn Prospect NY: Champs Sports Northeast ninth place

93. Jessica Secor, senior, DuPont Manual KY: NXN 73rd place; NXR Southeast third place

94. Caroline Lyerly, senior, Greenville SC: NXN 77th place; NXR Southeast fourth place

95. Sheridan Wheeler, senior, Saratoga Springs NY: NXN 46th place; NXR New York third place

96. Jillian Candelino, senior, The Bolles School FL: NXR Southeast 14th place; Florida 2A champion

97. Olivia Murray, junior, Pingry NJ: Champs Sports 31st place; Champs Sports Northeast 11th place

98. Elli Black, freshman, Cambridge Christian FL: NXR Southeast eighth place; Florida 1A champion

99. Ana Peters, sophomore, Lake Oswego OR: Oregon 6A champion 

100. Brionna Holso, senior, Rapid City Stevens SD: NXR Heartland seventh place