If you play it strictly by paper, Dylan Herbst will be the man to beat when Washington County holds its championship meet this fall.
He will also be favored to win the Class 1A West Region meet.
And when the MPSSAA Championships roll through at the end of the season — you guessed it — Herbst will be expected to win it all.
Not to heap any additional pressure on Smithsburg’s senior star, but when you’re the top returning Class 1A runner in the state, every race will come with expectations. Herbst won’t face this burden alone, as he is the top runner for a deep Smithsburg squad that just might possess enough talent to once again make a run for a team title at states.
Herbst and Co. headline our list of the Top 17 boys cross country runners to watch in 2026. This list is part of our “Sneak Peek” summer series, designed to showcase some of the area’s most talented high school athletes. In the weeks to come we will continue to share “peeks” at the fall season, before we eventually transition to full team previews.
Below is a look at our Top 17 boys runners to watch this fall:
Dylan Herbst, Senior, Smithsburg
Herbst, the top returning Class 1A cross country in Maryland, will be wearing a target on his back this fall.
After guiding Smithsburg to a team state title last season, look for Herbst to contend for some gold medals of his own this time around. In 2025, he finished third at the Washington County meet (16:18.7), second at the West Region race (16:25.31), and second at states (16:42.52).
Every runner that finished ahead of Herbst last postseason has graduated, making him the man to beat at all levels on the course this fall.
Gavin Gross, Senior, Smithsburg
With Gross projected to return to the lineup, Smithsburg has to like its chances of defending its state title.
Last fall Gross cruised to a seventh-place finish at the Washington County meet (17:31.7), claimed 11th at the West Region race (17:32.37), and ran to 14th at states (17:42.27). He was the Leopards’ third-scoring runner at the state meet.
Gross owns a three-mile cross country PR of 16:29.20.
Grayson Wynkoop, Sophomore, Smithsburg
The bar is high for Wynkoop following a brilliant ninth-grade year that saw him get named to the 2025 Maryland All-Freshman Team.
He put up some sharp times in his first season for Smithsburg, taking fifth at the Washington County meet (17:00.5), ninth at the West Region meet (17:13.67), and 15th at states (17:44.37).
Wynkoop even shines off the cross country course. Last fall for his Eagle Scout project, he constructed and provided new rebound walls for the Smithsburg soccer team.
Boston Vincenti, Senior, Chambersburg
It’s Vincenti’s time to shine at Chambersburg following the graduation of Julian Clark and Aiden Alleman.
Vincenti was a key member of the Trojans scoring lineup last fall, and got to compete in every stage of the postseason, including the Mid-Penn Conference meet (43rd in 17:16.89), District 3-3A race (54th in 16:49), and the PIAA Championships (141st in 17:38).
Cole Lehman, Junior, Chambersburg
Alongside teammate Boston Vincenti, Lehman will be counted on to be a leader for the Trojans this fall.
Last season he rolled to a 40th-place finish at Mid-Penns (17:09.75), claimed 66th at the District 3-3A meet (17:01.9), and finished 187th at the PIAA race (18:11).
Noah Hoxie, Senior, Waynesboro
After recording times of 17:27.4 for 108th at the District 3-3A meet and 17:59.15 at the Mid-Penn Conference race for 69th place, Hoxie enters this season as one of the fastest runners in the LocalNews1.org coverage area.
Hoxie is not only speedy, but smart as well. He is a member of the Wayarian Chapter of the National Honor Society, which requires a 92 percent cumulative GPA, a demonstration of leadership, and completion of community service hours.
Nate Snyder, Junior, Waynesboro
Snyder could be primed for a breakout season after running a 17:58.01 for 68th place at the Mid-Penn Conference meet last fall.
Luke Gentzel, Senior, Smithsburg
The younger brother of a state champion — Cora Gentzel — Luke Gentzel will be aiming to leave a mark of his own in his final season for the Leopards.
Last season Gentzel took 12th at the Washington County meet (18:11.8), 21st at the West Region race (18:20.98), and 48th at states (19:08.61).
Gentzel also competes as a defender for Smithsburg’s lacrosse team.
Dylan Lowe, Junior, Smithsburg
The graduation of three key seniors at Smithsburg just may be the break Lowe needs to crack into the team’s elite scoring lineup. The ability is certainly there, as Lowe ran to a 13th-place finish in 18:22.7 at the Washington County race last fall.
Tobias Willson, Senior, Chambersburg
A Top 5 runner for the Trojans last season, Willson has a golden opportunity to be one of the team’s biggest contributors in 2026.
Last year, Willson finished 62nd at the Mid-Penn race (17:48.27), 149th at the District 3-3A meet (17:47.9), and 219th at the PIAA Championships (18:38).
Liam Coy, Sophomore, Chambersburg
Coy got a taste of the postseason as a freshman, and now he’d like even more.
Last year he competed at districts (175th in 18:13.0) and states (237th in 18:56).
Ryan Gearhart, Senior, Greencastle-Antrim
Gearhart would love to have a solid sendoff season after an 11th-grade year that saw him take 87th at the Mid-Penn meet (18:19.01) and 194th at the District 3-3A race (18:21.3).
Billy Bender, Senior, Greencastle-Antrim
Look for Bender to push Ryan Gearhart as the Blue Devils top runner this fall.
Last year he competed at the Mid-Penn meet (102nd in 18:40.16) and District 3-3A race (223rd in 18:42.2).
Nolan Kocher, Senior, North Hagerstown
With the graduation of North Hagerstown’s Top 3 runners from last fall, the Hubs will be counting on Kocher to pick up some of the slack this season.
He will be aiming to improve upon a junior season that saw him take 21st at the Washington County race (19:16.9) and 54th at the 3A West Region meet (19:33.80).
Lucas Moore, Senior, North Hagerstown
Much like fellow teammate Nolan Kocher, if North Hagerstown can get a senior-season level-up from Moore, the Hubs could make some noise this fall, even with their graduation losses.
Last season, Moore took 16th at the Washington County meet (18:53.0) and 67th at the West Region race (20:19.60).
Rehan Singh, Junior, South Hagerstown
Singh is South Hagerstown’s top projected returner.
Last fall he ran to a 26th-place finish at the Washington County race (20:23.3) before claiming 31st at the 4A North Region meet (22:08.39).
Wyatt Murphy, Senior, Fairfield
Look for Fairfield to follow the direction of Murphy, who placed 119th at the YAIAA Championships (23:45.69) and 64th at the District 3-1A race (22:20.5).
