Pioneer (Ann Arbor, Mich.) finished No. 47 in the final 2025-26 MaxPreps Cup standings released in July. The Pioneers open the new school year at No. 1.
Pioneer is the only school with four teams in the national rankings used for this first look at the Cup race. Girls swimming leads the way at No. 2 followed by field hockey at No. 5, boys soccer at No. 6 and girls cross country at No. 13. Together, they give the Pioneers 488 points.
Two California schools are next.
Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) is No. 2 with 387 points behind nationally-ranked teams in football, girls volleyball and girls flag football.
Mater Dei (Santa Ana) follows with 344, paced by the nation's No. 1 girls volleyball team.
Junior phenom and defending national champion Natasza Dudek has already won a pair of races this fall for Ann Arbor Pioneer, which is ranked No. 13 nationally. (PHOTO: Dave McCauley/RunMichigan.com)
Defending MaxPreps Cup champion
Carmel (Ind.) starts at No. 5 with 306 points. The Greyhounds, who won the 2025-26 Cup with eight state championships, have earned points so far from girls soccer and both cross country teams.
The MaxPreps Cup recognizes the nation’s top overall high school sports program. Points are awarded for state championships, runner-up finishes and national rankings, with values affected by sport, state and school size. The initial September standings account for national rankings only as no state championship or runner-up points have been earned.
MaxPreps Cup September Standings1. Pioneer (Ann Arbor, Mich.) – 488
Rankings: Boys soccer No. 6, field hockey No. 5, girls cross country No. 13, girls swimming No. 2
2. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) – 387
Rankings: Football No. 6, girls volleyball No. 2, girls flag football No. 21
3. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) – 344
Rankings: Football No. 18, girls volleyball No. 1, girls flag football No. 20
4. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) – 314
Rankings: Football No. 1, boys swimming No. 13
5. Carmel (Ind.) – 306
Rankings: Girls soccer No. 11, boys cross country No. 23, girls cross country No. 17
6. Allen (Texas) – 299
Rankings: Football No. 10, girls volleyball No. 6
7. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) – 295
Rankings: Football No. 8, girls soccer No. 10
8. Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.) – 279
Rankings: Girls swimming No. 8, boys swimming No. 1
9. American Fork (Utah) – 276
Rankings: Boys cross country No. 3, girls cross country No. 7
10. Niwot (Colo.) – 264
Rankings: Boys cross country No. 8, girls cross country No. 6
11. Crater (Central Point, Ore.) – 261
Rankings: Boys cross country No. 5, girls cross country No. 10
12. Rockhurst (Kansas City, Mo.) – 252
Rankings: Boys soccer No. 16, boys swimming No. 2
13. New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.) – 250
Rankings: Field hockey No. 1, girls swimming No. 1
14. JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) – 241
Rankings: Girls flag football No. 1, girls cross country No. 4
15. Dublin Jerome (Ohio) – 237
Rankings: Boys soccer No. 11, girls soccer No. 12
16. Assumption (Louisville, Ky.) – 234
Rankings: Girls volleyball No. 5, girls soccer No. 19
17. Belen Jesuit (Miami, Fla.) – 222
Rankings: Boys cross country No. 6, boys swimming No. 22
18. St. Charles North (St. Charles, Ill.) – 216
Rankings: Girls flag football No. 3, girls swimming No. 11
19. Creekside (St. Johns, Fla.) – 213
Rankings: Girls swimming No. 15, boys swimming No. 16
20. St. Louis University (St. Louis, Mo.) – 207
Rankings: Boys cross country No. 22, boys swimming No. 11
21. Charlotte Catholic (Charlotte, N.C.) – 199
Rankings: Boys soccer No. 2, field hockey No. 25
Rankings: Boys soccer No. 25, girls swimming No. 12
24. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) – 192
Rankings: Football No. 3
25. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) – 188
Rankings: Football No. 4
26. Buford (Ga.) – 184
Rankings: Football No. 5
27. Columbus (Miami, Fla.) – 176
Rankings: Football No. 7
28. Timberline (Boise, Idaho) – 171
Rankings: Girls soccer No. 20, boys swimming No. 25
Rankings: Football No. 9
30. Baylor (Chattanooga, Tenn.) – 160
Rankings: Football No. 11
31. Carrollton (Ga.) – 156Rankings: Football No. 12
32. Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.) – 152Rankings: Football No. 13
T34. Apex Friendship (Apex, N.C.) – 150Rankings: Boys soccer No. 1
T34. Christ School (Arden, N.C.) – 150Rankings: Boys cross country No. 1
T34. Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.) – 150Rankings: Girls soccer No. 1
37. Union Catholic (Scotch Plains, N.J.) – 150Rankings: Girls cross country No. 1
38. Thomas County Central (Thomasville, Ga.) – 148Rankings: Football No. 14
T39. Homestead (Fort Wayne, Ind.) – 147Rankings: Girls soccer No. 2
T39. Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) – 147Rankings: Girls cross country No. 2
T39. Southlake Carroll (Texas) – 147Rankings: Boys cross country No. 2
T42. Brownsburg (Ind.) – 144Rankings: Football No. 15
T42. Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.) – 144Rankings: Girls cross country No. 3
T42. Chaminade College Prep (St. Louis, Mo.) – 144Rankings: Boys swimming No. 3
T42. Cornerstone Christian (San Antonio, Texas) – 144Rankings: Girls volleyball No. 3
T42. Hoggard (Wilmington, N.C.) – 144Rankings: Boys soccer No. 3
T42. Hudson (Ohio) – 144Rankings: Girls soccer No. 3
T42. Minnetonka (Minn.) – 144Rankings: Girls swimming No. 3
T49. Collierville (Tenn.) – 141Rankings: Girls soccer No. 4
T49. Hinsdale Central (Hinsdale, Ill.) – 141Rankings: Girls swimming No. 4
