POLL: MileSplit LA Boy's Preseason Runner Of The Year

DUTCHTOWN'S SHREY SHAH ON HIS WAY TO A WIN AT 2025 WATSON

We are 18 days away until the first Saturday of the 2026 Louisiana high school cross country season. In this article, you will find out who the finalists are for MileSplit LA's Boy Preseason Runner Of The Year and have a voice in determining who wins the title.

Talan Sievers (Lafayette Christian Academy)-- Sievers' stock is on the rise after capturing the 2000 meter steeple chase at the AAU National Junior Olympics earlier this month. Sievers' time of 6:03.19 was just off the meet record. Sievers had the fastest three-mile time in Louisiana last year and is the No. 1 returner. 

Augustin Juneau (Catholic Baton Rouge)-- Ran a 14:43.50 at last year's LCA Knights Invitational. That was the No. 2 time in Louisiana last season and Juneau is ranked as the No. 2 returner in Louisiana heading into the 2026 season. He finished fourth at last year's LHSAA State Cross Country Championships with a 15:20.90 and will be looking to improve on that finish this season. 

Brennan Robin (Parkway)-- What can we say about Robin that hasn't already been said? Every season, he continues to amaze. 1600. 3200. Three mile. It doesn't matter. He has solidified his place among the greatest all-time runners in Louisiana history and looks to go out with a bang in his senior season. Which of Robin's performances during the 2026 season impressed you the most? Was it his 4:05.84 at the LHSAA State Outdoor Meet or his 8:46.75 at RunningLane in the 3200? Only Bobby Beck (8:43.84) in 1979 has run faster, but Beck ran the time two months after graduation. 

Maddox Tolbert (Lafayette)-- Tolbert (14:59) broke 15:00 barrier at the LCA Knights Invitational and was ranked No. 3 in Louisiana, but he was not able duplicate those fast times at the end of the year. He finished No. 17 at the LHSAA State Cross Country Championships. He bounced back during the outdoor track season where he was the District 3-5A champion in both the 1600 (4:39) and 3200 (10:08). Look for Tolbert to have a big junior year for the Lions. 

David Quintana (Jesuit)-- His coach calls him a "cool customer." Whatever you want call him, just know that he is heir apparent to the No. 1 spot on Louisiana's most dominant cross country program--the Jesuit Blue Jays, who have won five straight LHSAA Division I stae cross country titles. He has finished as the runner-up twice in the 3200 at his last two state championships. In May, it was a 9:10 at Bernie Moore Stadium at the state outdoor meet. In February, it was a 9:19 inside the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse at the LHSAA DI indoor championships. In both efforts, Quintana finished second to Robin. The final ride should be a fun one for Quintana. 

Emerson Cullen (David Thibodaux)--One of the most consistent runners in Louisiana during the 2026 season, Cullen broke the 16:00 mark in all six three-mile races in 2026. He finished third at the LHSAA D2 state cross country championships behind teammate Barrett Richard and St. Thomas More's John Henry Fitzgerald. Richard and Fitzgerald are gone, that puts the target on Cullen's back as a favorite in Division 2.

Shrey Shah (Dutchtown)-- When Dutchtown's Shrey Shah decided to make a splash on the Louisiana high school distance running scene in 2025, he wasn't playing around. Before last year, he finished no better than fourth place. In 2025, he won four races including highly competitive meets like the Watson Classic (pictured above), St. Joseph's Invitational, and Jack Schommer Invitational. He would love nothing more than to keep the momentum going into his final year at Dutchtown. There is no denying that Robin, Quintana, and Juneau are the favorites in Division I, but don't sleep on Shah. He will be in the mix. 

Trey Detillier (Central Lafourche)-- Detillier finished fifth in both the 1600 (4:30) and 3200 (9:52) at the Region 3-5A Championships in the spring. You can bet that watching those races from the stands at Bernie Moore did not sit well with the ultra-competitive Detillier and that he has used it as motivation heading into his senior year. Detillier was running his best at the end of September in 2025. His 15:21 at the St. Joseph's Invitational was good enough for third place. It was a season best for Detillier, who hopes his senior year of cross country ends with him running his best times during the championship season. 

Wyatt Price (Notre Dame)-- Will the Price be right in 2026? We think so. He just missed capturing his first state championship in the LHSAA Class 2A state outdoor 3200 with a time of 9:50. That came after just finishing outside of the top 10 at the LHSAA D4 state cross country championship. Price is done knocking on the door. We think he will kick the door in 2026. 

Maximo Gennaro (Zachary)-- Gennaro was consistent early on during the 2025 season. Unfortunately, it ended with a disappointing finish at the LHSAA D1 state cross country championships. He was able to reverse the trend during the outdoor season where he ran a personal record 4:23 in the 1600 at the LHSAA state outdoor meet. He will look to keep that momentum going as he enters his senior year at Zachary.