JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Avery Hartley was meant for this.
The Bartram Trail freshman was bound to be a runner, and an elite one. That it happened so fast may have been a surprise to everyone but Hartley. She’s been putting in her time and mileage for years.
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Hartley, the Varsity 4 All-News4JAX girls cross country runner of the year, made an instant impact on the sport. In her first year in high school, Hartley posted the seven-fastest times in Bartram Trail’s 26-year history and finished as the Class 4A state runner-up. She went sub-18 minutes three times in the 5K distance, including a personal best 17:52.64 to win region.
There are no shortcuts to success like that.
“I like that running is a sport that you have to really slow down and enjoy the process and take time with,” she said. “It’s not a quick thing. You don’t find success in three days of doing it. So, I really like that. It’s something not everybody can be great at. You really have to take time.”
Hartley was a quick study, although it took time for her to find a love for running. Even though her parents, John and Magan, were both very good runners in their competitive days in Michigan, Avery grew up swimming and competing in the pool. Running was something that was always in the background, and it gradually became something that Hartley couldn’t ignore.
“They never really pushed me to run. My dad was ecstatic when I said that I wanted to start running cross country,” she said.
“I would say probably in about seventh grade, I started running and definitely wasn’t my first option. But it’s kind of what my mom had me doing. And I then realized, like, how good my dad and mom were in cross country. So, I started running and kind of just found success.”
Hartley cracked the 10-minute mark in a 3K at the middle school state meet in sixth grade and then started gravitate to running in the months that followed. A year later, Hartley said she was all in on running, although she did hit a little bit of a wall in eighth grade and needed a boost.
It came in the form of getting to high school and on a varsity team.
Hartley trained in middle school by herself or with her mother and said that she was ready to be part of a team again. She got a chance to see the team aspect up close before high school because her father was Bartram Trail’s head cross country coach.
By the time she got to high school, Hartley said the excitement was through the roof and she’d regained competitive fire by being on a team again. That Bartram Trail team finished seventh at the state meet. Hartley ran 18 minutes flat to finish runner-up.
“I think just seeing our team’s progression, I think last year at state they finished 28th and this year we finished seventh,” she said. “It was our first top-10 finish since like 2012. And I think we just have a really good group of girls right now, a really young team. And to go out and finish seventh, it was just a really cool experience.”
All-News4JAX Varsity 4 girls cross country runner of the year
2025: Avery Hartley, Bartram Trail
2024: Alyson Johnson, Creekside
2023: Alyson Johnson, Creekside
2022: Jillian Candelino, Bolles
2021: Jillian Candelino, Bolles
2020: Jillian Candelino, Bolles
2019: Ashlyn Iliff, Creekside
Varsity 4 All-News4JAX girls cross country team
First team
Runner, school, class, notable
Kate Brice, Episcopal, So.
District and region champ who finished third in Class 2A state meet. Had PR of 17:53.06 to finish 10th at Alexanders/Asics Invitational.
Eva Delaney, Creekside, Fr.
Did a very nice job of moving into a lineup that was hit hard by graduation and transfer. Finished inside the top seven in seven of her eight meets. PR (18:14.32) came in third-place showing at region.
Camila Giles, Bishop Kenny, So.
Excellent season saw her finish in the top five six times, including fifth in the Class 2A state meet. Had PR (18:13.62) in runner-up finish at region.
Avery Hartley, Bartram Trail, Fr.
Varsity 4 All-News4JAX runner of the year. Region champ. Won three meets this year, including region where she had a PR of 17:52.64. Class 4A state runner-up.
Taylor Lawhon, Bishop Kenny, Jr.
Class 2A state runner-up with PR of 18:26. Had six finishes in the top eight or better.
Sophie Stam, Bolles, Fr.
Had PR of 18:08.80 in 18th-place finish at Alexander/Asics Invitational. Finished 10th in 2A state meet with 19:02.40.
Alexis Wilson, Bishop Kenny, Sr.
Had a pair of wins to start the season and finished top 10 in four other meets including at the 2A state meet where she was sixth. In-season PR (18:19) came in runner-up finish at district.
Second team
Runner, school, class, notable
Allison Austin, Atlantic Coast, Fr.
Had PR of 18:09.69 in second-place finish at region. District and Gateway Conference champ. Finished 17th in Class 4A state meet.
Marissa Berger, Tocoi Creek, Sr.
Had a PR of 18:22.05 to finish fifth in region meet. Won New World Fall Spectacular. Had five top-five finishes.
Peyton Cerasi, Matanzas, So.
Had a couple wins, including at district meet. PR of 18:16.80 came at FSU Invitational. Third at region and 11th in Class 3A state meet.
Samantha Gore, Ponte Vedra, Sr.
Had one win this year (Craig Speziale Shark Bite Night. Third at district and fourth at region. Had PR of 18:30.80 to finish fourth in Class 3A state meet.
Stella Krueger, Episcopal, So.
PR of 18:14.16 came at the Alexander/Asics Invitational. Fifth at region and 32nd at 2A state meet.
Olivia Lumpkin, Bishop Kenny, Sr.
Five finishes inside the top nine, including an eighth at 2A state meet. Had PR of 18:16.73 at region.
Kavya Patel, Bolles, Jr.
PR of 18:25.95 came in seventh-place showing at region. Went 18:59.90 to finish ninth in Class 2A state meet.
Honorable mention
Athlete, school, year
Emma Akhundjanov, Providence, Fr.
Paulina Becker, Bolles, Sr.
Audrey Brice, Episcopal, So.
Ivey Edgell, Creekside, Fr.
Graziana Gowdy, Episcopal, 8th
Anna Grigoruk, Flagler Palm Coast, Jr.
Ella Harmon, Menendez, Jr.
Katherine Healey, Nease, Fr.
Peyton Hoover, Bolles, So.
Jillian Jakab, Bishop Kenny, Jr.
Charlotte Joseph, Bolles, Sr.
Olivia Kaminsky, Ponte Vedra, Jr.
Savannah LaVasser, Ponte Vedra, Jr.
Alexandra Lumpkin, Bishop Kenny, So.
Ava McEnany, Bishop Kenny, So.
Holland McKinney, Episcopal, 8th
Lucia Misasi, Nease, So.
Mikaela Nichols, Fernandina Beach, Sr.
Sara Palmer, Providence, Jr.
Lilly Potts, Beachside, Jr.
Brooke Reynolds, Fleming Island, Sr.
Sarah Rose, Creekside, Sr.
Arianna Slaughter, Flagler Palm Coast, Sr.