The High School Cross Country National Championships ("XC Championships"), formerly known as the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships and now the Brooks XC Championships, is a series of annual cross country running races held in various regions of the United States to determine the premier cross country runner in various age groups, but mainly served to find the best prep (high school) cross country athlete in the country. The event began in 1979 by the F. W. Woolworth Company, which initially branded it as the Kinney Cross Country Championships, (for the Kinney Shoes division) at Morley Field Sports Complex in Balboa Park in San Diego, California, before Woolworth rebranded the event in 1993 to the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships for Woolworth's sporting goods company. For most people associated with the sport, the name was just shortened to Foot Locker or even abbreviated in agate results as FL (the ticker symbol of the company today). In 2021 the event was rebranded as the Eastbay Cross Country Championships and then again as the Champs Sports XC Championships in 2022 after the Foot Locker owned company, only to return to the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in 2023. The event is the longest-running national cross country race for high school students. On August 21, 2025, it was announced the series would be no longer be supported and hosted by Foot Locker. Days later on August 29, 2025, Brooks and Fleet Feet announced that they would be continuing the series under a new name and sponsorship. On December 13, 2025, the first Brooks XC Championships national event was held in Balboa Park.
Regional championships Annually there were a total of four regional championship races (usually in late November), that lead up to the XC Championships in San Diego in December.
Northeast Regional Championships The Northeast Region, now the Northeast XC Championships, comprised most of the states in New England (Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont) plus Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia.Foot Locker Northeast Region, retrieved Nov. 9, 2009 After being held at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, New York for its first 30 years, in 2009 it moved to Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park, Long Island, before moving back to Van Cortlandt Park in 2012. In 2023 the event moved to Franklin Park in Boston, MA.
Midwest Regional Championships The Midwest Region, now the Midwest XC Championships, comprised the heartland states and was once the largest region in the series, which has states including: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, and Michigan. This event is held at the University of Wisconsin–Parkside yearly in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
South Regional Championships The South Region, now the South XC Championships, was made up of states in the southern and southeastern United States including: Florida, Texas, Kentucky, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Louisiana. The South Region event is held annually at the Larry McAfee Cross Country Course in Charlotte, North Carolina, located within McAlpine Creek Park.
West Regional Championships The West Region, now the West XC Championships, was considered by many to be the most potent region with the most runners appearing at the XC Championships. States included in the west: California, Washington, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Wyoming, and Overseas Military. This regional race is generally conducted at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, California and is generally a week later than the other three regional races.
National Championship
The XC Championship was held annually in San Diego's Balboa Park (though it has been held in Orlando, Florida on seven occasions), just as it started in 1979. A total of 40 elite cross country runners raced , for superiority in both individual and regional standings. The top ten runners from each region were invited to the national championship in San Diego, with each region also sending two alternates. From 1981–2004, the race had 32 runners, with each region sending eight. In 1979–1980, there were 35 runners from five regions. Starting in 2025, Brooks and Fleet Feet introduced "Golden Ticket" qualifiers to the XC Championships, which brought the total runners (including the 10 qualifiers from each region) to the best 50 boys and 50 girls.
Race divisions
The number of divisions vastly differs on the region, however there are races set aside for specific age groups and sometimes one or two open events for athletes not in high school (parents, fans, supporters) to compete in.
Common regional divisions
Seeded/Championship Girls Seeded/Championship Boys Freshman Girls Freshman Boys Sophomore Girls Sophomore Boys Junior Girls Junior Boys Senior Girls Senior Boys
Additional regional divisions (may vary annually between regions) Open races for both boys and girls
Masters for both men and women 7th and 8th grade Ages 10 and under Ages 11 and 12 Ages 13 and 14
Courses
The XC Championships started off as a small event in San Diego, California in 1979. The races moved to Orlando for the 1981 and 1982 national championships, but quickly was moved back to Balboa Park in San Diego in 1983. Additional races run in Orlando were held in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001, before returning back to Balboa Park again in 2002.
Orlando, Florida
The Orlando course was extremely flat, but deceivingly slow in terms of runners' times. Patches of grass and sand were scattered throughout the flat, 5,000m course.
All-Time Orlando Kinney/FL Cross Country Championships Record—Boys: Dathan Ritzenhein, 14:29, 1999
All-Time Orlando Kinney/FL Cross Country Championships Record—Girls: Amber Trotter, 16:24, 2001
San Diego, California
Balboa Park in San Diego has served as the most frequent venue for the national championships. The course is winded in a figure-8 fashion through the Morley Field portion of the nearly park. There is no shortage of hills and mounds, which makes this course the definitive cross country course. (Although the San Diego venue has always been Balboa Park, the XC Championships in 1979 and 1980 were run on a course other than Morley Field—a course on the western edge of Balboa Park.)
All-Time Balboa Park San Diego/CA Cross Country Championships Record—Boys: Reuben Reina, 14:36, 1985
All-Time Balboa Park San Diego/CA Cross Country Championships Record—Girls: Melody Fairchild, 16:39, 1990
Past results
In addition to a national champion being crowned in each gender division, the top 15 finishers in each gender division receive All-American honors and an overall team champion were declared based on which region had won the meet.
National ChampionsBoysGirlsYearAthleteTimeGradeRegionStateVideoAthleteTimeGradeRegionStateVideoCourse2025Jackson Spencer15:10.712WestUTNatasza Dudek16:55.510MidwestMISan Diego2024Tamrat Gavenas2024 Boys Results15:23.912NortheastMA Elizabeth Leachman2024 Girls Results17:31.111SouthTX San Diego2023Drew Griffith2023 Boys Results15:06.912NortheastPA Elizabeth Leachman2023 Girls Results16:50.710SouthTX San Diego2022Kole Mathison2022 Boys Results14:56.612MidwestIN Karrie Baloga2022 Girls Results16:49.212NortheastNY San Diego2021Riley Hough2021 Boys Results15:11.412MidwestMI Natalie Cook2021 Girls Results17:15.012SouthTX San Diego2019Josh Methner2019 Boys Results15:08.812MidwestIL Zofia Dudek2019 Girls Results16:45.012MidwestMI San Diego2018Cole Hocker2018 Boys Results15:13.712MidwestIN Sydney Masciarelli2018 Girls Results17:00.310NortheastCT San Diego2017Dylan Jacobs2017 Boys Results15:1912MidwestIL Claudia Lane2017 Girls Results17:0311WestCA San Diego2016Reed Brown2016 Boys Results15:0112SouthTX Claudia Lane2016 Girls Results17:0410WestCA San Diego2015Andrew Hunter2015 Boys Results14:5512SouthVA Weini Kelati2015 Girls Results17:0911SouthVA San Diego2014Grant Fisher2014 Boys Results15:0312MidwestMIAnna Rohrer2014 Girls Results17:1312MidwestINSan Diego2013Grant Fisher15:07 11MidwestMI Tessa Barrett2013 Girls Results17:1612NortheastPASan Diego2012Edward Cheserek2012 Boys Results14:5912NortheastNJAnna Rohrer2012 Girls Results17:2510MidwestINSan Diego2011Edward Cheserek2011 Boys Results14:5211NortheastNJ Molly Seidel2011 Girls Results17:2212MidwestWI San Diego2010Lukas Verzbicas2010 Boys Results14:5912MidwestIL Aisling Cuffe2010 Girls Results16:5312NortheastNY San Diego2009Lukas Verzbicas2009 Boys Results15:0811MidwestIL Highlights Megan Goethals2009 Girls Results17:0712MidwestMI San Diego2008Solomon Haile2008 Boys Results15:1512NortheastMD Jordan Hasay2008 Girls Results17:2212WestCA San Diego2007Michael Fout2007 Boys Results14:5012MidwestIN Ashley Brasovan2007 Girls Results17:2011SouthFL San Diego2006Chad Hall2006 Boys Results15:2012WestCA Kathy Kroeger2006 Girls Results17:2910SouthTN San Diego2005AJ Acosta2005 Boys Results15:0212WestCAJordan Hasay2005 Girls Results17:059WestCASan Diego2004Kenneth Cormier2004 Boys Results15:2212WestAZ Aislinn Ryan2004 Girls Results17:3111NortheastNY San Diego2003Matthew Withrow14:5512MidwestILKatelyn Kaltenbach17:2411MidwestCOSan Diego2002Chris Solinsky2002 Boys Results14:4112MidwestWIZoe Nelson2002 Girls Results17:3010WestMTSan Diego2001Timothy Moore2001 Boys Results14:5012MidwestMIAmber Trotter2001 Girls Results16:2412WestCAOrlando2000Dathan Ritzenhein2000 Boys Results14:3512MidwestMISara Bei2000 Girls Results16:5512WestCAOrlando1999Dathan Ritzenhein14:2911MidwestMIVictoria Chang17:0512WestHIOrlando1998Jorge Torres15:1712MidwestILErin Sullivan17:3512NortheastVTOrlando1997Abdirizak Mohamud15:2212NortheastMAErin Sullivan17:2211NortheastVTOrlando1996Abdirizak Mohamud15:2111NortheastMAKristen Gordon17:3412WestCASan Diego1995Abdul Alzindani15:1112MidwestMIKim Mortensen17:1212WestCASan Diego1994Matt Downin14:5812NortheastNHJulia Stamps16:4110WestCASan Diego1993Adam Goucher14:4112MidwestCOErin Davis17:119NortheastNYSan Diego1992Brendan Heffernan15:1312NortheastNJAmanda White17:3412NortheastMDSan Diego1991Corey Ihmels15:0312MidwestNDLiz Mueller17:2111NortheastCTSan Diego1990Louie Quintana15:0712WestCAMelody Fairchild16:3912MidwestCOSan Diego1989Bryan Dameworth14:4912WestCAMelody Fairchild17:0511MidwestCOSan Diego1988Brian Grosso15:0312MidwestMICeleste Susnis17:1411MidwestINSan Diego1987Bob Kennedy14:5912MidwestOHKira Jorgensen17:0811WestCASan Diego1986Marc Davis14:3812WestCA Erin Keogh16:5512SouthVASan Diego1985Reuben Reina14:3612SouthTXErin Keogh16:4311SouthVASan Diego1984Scott Fry14:5012MidwestOHCathy Schiro16:4812NortheastNHSan Diego1983Matt Giusto14:5412WestCAJanet Smith16:4312NortheastNJSan Diego1982Eric Reynolds14:3512WestCAChristine Curtin16:5811NortheastNYOrlando1981Charles Alexander14:5112SouthVAConnie Robinson16:4012MidwestOHOrlando1980Jay Marden14:5312WestCACeci Hopp17:1212NortheastCTSan Diego1979Brent Steiner15:0512MidwestKSEllen Lyons17:2812WestIDSan Diego
Repeat national champions
There have only been a total of six girls and five boys who have repeated as national champions. None have been national champions three times at the XC Championships.
Boys with two national championships
Grant Fisher won in 2013 and 2014 Edward Cheserek won in 2011 and 2012. Lukas Verzbicas won in 2009 and 2010. Dathan Ritzenhein won in 1999 and 2000. Abdirizak Mohamud won in 1996 and 1997.
Girls with two national championships
Elizabeth Leachman won in 2023 and 2024 Claudia Lane won in 2016 and 2017. Anna Rohrer won in 2012 and 2014. Jordan Hasay won in 2005 and 2008. Erin Sullivan won in 1997 and 1998. Melody Fairchild won in 1989 and 1990. Erin Keogh won in 1985 and 1986.
National Champions to win NCAA titles