It was two years ago when Blake Dodge won an individual cross country title, and she would love to return to the stage.

NCRunners is counting down the top 25 girls cross country teams in the state, from all classifications, in preparation for the start of the fall season.  The top 2 girls teams will be revealed on August 1st, which is the official first day of practice.  For a more detailed explanation of how these rankings were developed, see this article.

#20: West Carteret

The good news: the Patriots return Blake Dodge, who struggled through a nagging injury last fall and should be back to top form, threatening the 18-minute mark.  Interestingly, even without the 2011 3A state champ, her teammates still cracked the top 10, which is a big sign of the overall improvement they've has made in the last two years.  The bad news: Katie Cease has graduated, and West Carteret has a depth problem that could derail a promising season if any of the top 5 get injured.  More good news: several of the returning squad showed significant improvement during the spring season, from Madeline Fischer's 5:36 to Samantha Schleiker and Emma Gomez running solid mid-12's in the 3200.  If healthy, this team is top-5 caliber in a strong 3A classification, and could sneak into the top 3.  Did I mention they have the state's best closer as their #1 runner?

#21: Jay M. Robinson

This has been a program on a steady rise over the last three years: 11th in the 3A state meet in 2010, 9th in 2011, and 5th last fall.  Based on returning talent, the Bulldogs are on target for something in the 4th - 7th range this fall, with front-runner Natalie Andrejchak in the conversation for individual title contenders.  Depth could be a bit of a problem if the top 5 girls don't stay healthy, though, and any of the top 3 would be especially tough to replace.  Robinson's girls need a strong summer to prove that they haven't reached their ceiling already.

#22: Charlotte Latin

One of the stronger programs in the state over the past six or seven years, this team has been hit hard by graduation.  There is still talent, though, and good depth (especially considering the size of the school).  The one weakness in the returning team appears to be the large gap between their fourth and fifth runners; if one of the Hawks' depth runners can step up to fill that spot, they will be contenders in the NCISAA 3A division.  That improvement will have to come over the summer: although Latin's top three showed good development during track season, there wasn't much from the rest of the returning top 7.

#23: Weddington

Lately, Weddington has been able to manufacture solid teams on both the boys and girls side, even when it seems like graduation will drop them down a peg or two.  That seems to be the product of a strong summer program, as their development during the winter and spring doesn't really jump out at you.  Morgan Garrett could be the latest in a string of good #1 runners for the Warriors if she has bounced back from a bit of a rough spring season.  This team has real depth, too, in that there is always someone else right behind each runner, which helps to take the pressure off and allows for more consistent team performances, even as individuals have good or bad days.  If these girls buy in over the summer, expect Weddington to continue their string of state meet appearances.

#24: Apex

Though the Apex girls lack the recent history of their counterparts on the boys' team, they have always been solid, and this year's squad has shown signs of significant improvement through the winter and spring seasons.  They have a tremendous training group among their front five, who are were separated by only 46 seconds (a pack that close is rare among teams outside the top 10).  If those girls bought in and are pushing each other all summer, shifting that pack forward by about 30 seconds, the Apex girls have great potential.  With two seniors among the returning top 6, this team has a good chance to make the state meet this year, but might not peak until 2014.

#25: Watauga

The Pioneers have one of the longest and deepest traditions in our sport, but they face several obstacles this fall.  The graduation of their top three runners (and four of their top 7) from last fall will hurt, as will the loss of Coach David Honea (although he was only a part of the very strong staff at Watauga).  The culture of hard work will remain long after them, though, and that is what always gives this team the hope of making the state meet.  Depth appears to be a bit of a problem, although a good summer can help counteract that.  The rising junior class appears to be strong, and that means it may not be long before we see the two-tone blue and white in the top 10 again.