By Brandon Miles

The Long Green Line also known as the York High School boys cross country team is being led this year by a....freshmen??? Yes probably a first for the storied program guided so many years by the legendary Joe Newton, but his assistant's son, Charlie Kern Jr. is not your average freshmen as shown in winning their regional meet this past week in a 14:57 3 mile performance. Kern's time is the fastest among all 9th graders in the country at the distance as he looks to make a late season surge with his York squad at the end of championship season. 

Each month, MileSplit will be selecting 21 freshmen boys as part of the Future Stars of XC Team presented by Hoka One One building into the end of the year team to be finalized in early December. Check out the 21 top freshmen boys XC performers nationally from the month of October below split into a first, second, and third team of Future Stars.

Future Stars of XC Freshmen Boys Team of October presented by Hoka One 

Lakota East (OH) freshmen Dustin Horter has gone under 16 minutes nearly a handful of times for 5K this cross country season, which few if any freshmen in the country have run as consistently under that benchmark this fall. Horter is coming off most recently a strong 15:42 performance for fourth place at his regional meet to advance himself onto the Ohio State Meet this Saturday.

Future Stars of XC by Hoka One One - Freshmen Boys 1st Team

Joey Fitzpatrick (Ocala Vanguard FL)

Brodey Hasty (Brentwood TN)

Davis Holliday (Franklin TN)

Dustin Horter (Lakota East OH)

Cole Johnston (Rockford MI)

Charlie Kern Jr. (York IL)

Clayton Mendez (Whitney Young IL)

Out in the Northwest at literally a school called The Northwest School in Seattle, Washington, Tamire Proctor appears to be one of the next up and coming stars of a state which is already loaded with some national big names currently such as Tanner Anderson and John Dressel. Will Proctor become the next nation's best to be produced out of the state? He has been consistently running in either the low 16's or just under 16 minutes this fall for the 5K, while winning his first invitational race two weekends ago. 

Future Stars of XC by Hoka One One - Freshmen Boys 2nd Team

Jalen Chase (New Town ND)

Dalton Hangst (McDonough School MD)

Josh Hoey (Malvern Prep PA)

Matthew Kearney (Austin Westlake TX)

Coleman Mitchell (Cary Academy NC)

Tamire Proctor (The Northwest School WA)

In order to run well on many of the cross country courses in Northeast, runners must have developed a considerable level of strength for their region's courses with hills as well as challenging terrain and footing, which makes Cheshire (CT) freshmen Brendan Murray come across as a special young talented as he is already mixing it up with the top upperclassmen in his state. After top 3 finishes in two invitationals and his county championship meet this past month which he ran his 16:12 5K PR, Murray finished 8th in the divisional championship race this past weekend to move onto the Connecticut State Open this coming Saturday.

Future Stars of XC by Hoka One One - Freshmen Boys 3rd Team

Jack Becker (Crystal Lake South IL)

Danny Madrid (Leander Rouse TX)

Joaquin Martinez (Cathedral Catholic CA)

Evan Meyer (East Lansing MI)

Andy Monroe (Crater OR)

Brendan Murray (Cheshire CT)

Fraser Wilson (Kent City MI)