2026 Section IV Class B Girls XC: Novotny Wins, Vestal Repeats & the 25.6-Second Pack

How Vestal Packed Its Five Scorers Together

Vestal's five scorers placed second through sixth in the team-scoring order, producing 20 points. It did not need the individual champion to win the team title. It needed five athletes to finish together, and they did.

That finishing order protected Vestal against the points Maine-Endwell gained from Novotny's individual victory. A great lead runner mattered, but five finishers decided the title.

Madison Novotny Takes the Individual Championship

Novotny's 20:07.5 was 44.9 seconds faster than runner-up Hellen Zhang's 20:52.4. Zhang won this same class in 2025 in 20:15.3, making Novotny's 2026 victory a change at the top of the podium.

Zhang's time was 37.1 seconds slower than her 2025 winning mark, but the races were held on different dates under potentially different conditions. Her role was just as important to Vestal's title defense: she led the five-runner pack that controlled the scoring.

A Team Built Across Grades

The pack spans eighth-grader Reagan Downy to juniors Zhang and Kayla Fletcher. Freshman Alana Fletcher ran 20:54.5, only 2.1 seconds behind Zhang, giving Vestal two runners almost together near the front. Sophomore Parsons and junior Kayla Fletcher followed, with Downy completing the title-winning group.

Since STAC: Novotny Reverses a Recent Matchup

At the October 24 STAC meet, Vestal's Kayla Fletcher ran 19:54.7, finishing ahead of Novotny's 20:04.4. Novotny was 9.7 seconds behind that day. At Section IV, she crossed 68.8 seconds ahead of Fletcher.

These are different courses, so raw time differences do not measure exact change in running ability. The reversed finishing order is real, however, and a compelling part of Novotny's championship story.

Vestal's runners also demonstrated at STAC that they were capable of racing close together. Alana Fletcher ran 20:12.3, Parsons 20:13.0 and Downy 20:18.9, suggesting a developing team pack ahead of the sectional championship.

From a One-Point Title in 2025 to a 23-Point Win

Vestal won Class B in 2025 by one point, 29 to 30 over Owego FA. Zhang was the individual champion in 20:15.3. A year later, Vestal's calculated score improved to 20, with Maine-Endwell next at 43.

The comparison does not mean the two championships faced identical opponents. The class field and competing rosters changed. But it shows the different way Vestal secured its second straight title: no individual victory in 2026, yet an even tighter, lower-scoring five-runner finish.

Maine-Endwell's Biggest Individual Improvements Since 2025

The individual champion's year-over-year progress is one of the strongest stories in Class B Girls. The 2025 timing report lists Maine-Endwell tenth-grader Maddison Novotny at 22:02.7. The 2026 report spells her first name Madison, lists her as an eleventh-grader at the same school, and records her championship win at 20:07.5. Those matching records show a 1:55.2 reduction in her sectional time.

Novotny moved from ninth in Class B in 2025 to champion in 2026. Her two Maine-Endwell teammates also posted large improvements. Vestal still won the team title, but these individual changes offer a reason to celebrate Maine-Endwell's season beyond Novotny's victory.

For Vestal, the key team number remains 25.6 seconds from its first to fifth runner.

State Qualification Beyond Vestal

Vestal takes the team qualification to Queensbury. Under the five-individual format, the highest eligible finishers from other Class B schools are considered separately. Novotny's individual championship places her in that group, alongside Maine-Endwell teammates Brooklyn Wahila (21:51.8) and Jailyn Barton (22:09.7).

The exact final five individual positions require comparison with the full official Class B classification and qualifying list. Rather than infer eligibility from the combined girls results, this article leaves the remaining names unconfirmed until that check is complete. The team championship and Novotny's victory are established by the finishing order.

Two Different Ways to Succeed

Novotny supplied the day's strongest Class B individual finish. Vestal supplied the most complete five-runner response. That contrast makes this race memorable: the individual champion belonged to one school, while the championship trophy went to a team whose scoring runners arrived within half a minute of one another. The race offered a powerful reminder of why cross country's individual and team competitions reward different strengths.