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Who will be Eugene-Springfield's top girls cross-country runner in 2026?
With the OSAA fall sports season underway, The Register-Guard is putting a spotlight on the area's top high school athletes. We are continuing this year's preseason coverage with a look at Lane County's top distance runners.
Now, it's time for you to decide which athlete is the best of the bunch.
This year's nominees are:
Julianne Bawden, South Eugene
Eleanora Diment, South Eugene
Anya Griffith, Central Linn
Eva Johnson Hess, South Eugene
Cora Ludwig, South Eugene
Mary Jane Hill, Marist Catholic
Nathalie Parker, Thurston
Miley Richardson, Monroe
Piper Richmond, Willamette
Lucy Shah, Marist Catholic
Bella Wells, Springfield
Information about each nominee is listed below. Vote for the athlete you think is most deserving at www.registerguard.com/sports. The poll closes at noon Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Julianne Bawden, South Eugene
After sweeping the top seven spots at the Southwest Conference Championship last season, South Eugene's girls squad has a chance to be even better this fall, according to coach Jeff Hess.
Key among the Axe returners will be rising junior Julianne Bawden, who took third at the 2025 SWC district meet. Bawden went on to place 63rd at the Class 6A state championships. She finished the year with a 5,000-meter personal-best time of 19 minutes, 35.8 seconds.
During the spring track and field season, Bawden finished fourth in the 1,500 at the district meet in a personal-best 4:52.4.
Eleanora Diment, South Eugene
Coming off a stellar freshman season, South Eugene's Eleanora Diment will be a major difference-maker for the Axe this fall as they look to defend their district title.
Diment's 5,000 personal best of 19:18.3 was sixth-fastest among Southwest Conference girls. Diment placed 34th at the Class 6A state championships.
Anya Griffith, Central Linn
One of the fastest returning small-school runners in Oregon, Central Linn rising junior Anya Griffith took third at the Class 3A/2A/1A Special District 2 championships last fall in a 5,000 personal-best of 19:28.85.
She went on to finish 16th at the 3A/2A/1A state championship meet.
Eva Johnson Hess, South Eugene
South Eugene phenom Eva Johnson Hess established herself as the undisputed fastest freshman girl in Oregon early last fall.
She ended the year as one of the fastest ninth-graders in the nation.
Johnson Hess concluded the 2025 cross-country season with a 5,000 personal best of 17:40.9 — sixth-fastest in Oregon regardless of age or classification. She took third place at the Class 6A state meet and 17th at the NXR Northwest Regional Championships. During the spring track season, Johnson Hess was the 6A runner-up at both 1,500 and 3,000 meters.
Last June, she won the Brooks PR Invitational, a one-mile race featuring some of the fastest runners in the country, with a personal-best time of 4:41.41.
Cora Ludwig, South Eugene
One of the top returners from South Eugene's 2025 Southwest Conference title-winning squad, rising senior Cora Ludwig ran a 5,000 personal best of 19:35.2 last season.
She took seventh at the district championships and was 54th at the Class 6A state championships.
Mary Jane Hill, Marist Catholic
The fastest freshman in Class 4A last season, Marist Catholic's Mary Jane Hill is coming off an outstanding ninth-grade campaign.
She was the runner-up at the Sky-Em League Championships, placed 13th at the 4A state championships, and ended her fall with a 5,000 personal-best time of 19:02.4 at the NXR Northwest Regional Championships.
Nathalie Parker, Thurston
It was a standout junior year for Thurston's Nathalie Parker in 2025. The Colts' top runner took 11th place at the Midwestern League Championships and 34th at the Class 5A state championships.
Parker's personal-best 5,000 time of 19:22.6 was the 30th-fastest among 5A girls.
Miley Richardson, Monroe
Monroe junior Miley Richardson isn't just a stellar distance runner; she is one of the top all-around small-school track athletes in Oregon.
Richardson took fourth at the Class 3A/2A/1A Special District 2 championships last fall with a personal-best time of 19:32.0. In the spring, she won the Class 2A long jump state title and finished fifth in the 400.
Piper Richmond, Willamette
Willamette's top runner is back for her junior year after a strong sophomore campaign.
Piper Richmond clocked a 5,000 personal best of 19:50.2 at the Umpqua Invite last season. That ranked 18th among Southwest Conference girls. During the spring track and field season, she placed fourth in the 800 at the SWC district meet.
Lucy Shah, Marist Catholic
As a junior last season, Marist Catholic's Lucy Shah took fifth at the Sky-Em League Championships with a 5,000 personal-best time of 19:31.1.
She end the year as the 19th-fastest girl in Class 4A.
Bella Wells, Springfield
During a breakout sophomore season, Springfield's Bella Wells broke the 5,000 school record with a personal-best 18:56.3 at the Champoeg Invitational. She ended the year as the 23rd-fastest girl in Class 5A, and she placed 17th at the 5A state meet.
Jarrid Denney is a sports reporter for The Register-Guard. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X @jarrid_denney
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Vote! Who is the top Eugene-Springfield girls cross-country runner?
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