Ben Huffman (Providence Day, in white) signalled the start of a tremendous postseason with a win at Reagan last year.
All the action is in the 34 this weekend (that's the Winston-Salem area, if you're not cool enough to know, like me). A solid collection of talent will christen the 2014 indoor season at the JDL Fast Track during the day, and then the state's best cross country runners will hit the outdoor track this evening in pursuit of faster cross country times at the upcoming postseason meets. It seems like we have all three seasons going at once here, and it might be the only day of the year when that's true, so enjoy it while it lasts! Regular NCRunners photographer Jeff Sides is pulling double duty, attending both meets to bring you photos of the action, and he will be joined by Jason Creasy and yours truly at Reagan tonight.
Featured Meet: Dash for Doobie 2 Mile Tune-Up (Reagan HS, Pfafftown)
Schedule
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4:30 PM Gates Open
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6:00 PM Heat 4 Boys
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6:20 PM Heat 3 Boys
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6:40 PM Heat 2 Boys
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7:00 PM Elite Race Boys
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7:20 PM Elite Race Girls
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7:40 PM Heat 2 Girls
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8:00 PM Heat 5 Boys
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8:20 PM Heat 3 Girls
Preview
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When you consider the total resume, the headliner for the boys' race is Brent Demarest (Porter Gaud, SC). A Foot Locker Nationals qualifier in 2012, Demarest is a 4-time SCISA 3A state champion (and he finished 2nd in 8th grade!), having just run a PR of 14:46 which took 30 seconds off the Heathwood Hall course record. He will not have an easy time of it against this field, which includes defending champion and 2012 Nike Cross Nationals qualifier Ben Huffman (Providence Day). Also in the race are Patrick Sheehan (Lake Norman), who holds the fastest time in North Carolina this fall, and Philip Hall (Terry Sanford), the 4A state champion in the 1600 and 800 last spring. All told, this field contains 18 of the top 20 boys in North Carolina this season, plus Demarest and SCHSL 4A champion Zach Langston (Lexington SC), who is no stranger to national-caliber competition. Like Hall, Wyatt Maxey (Providence) brings great footspeed to the race, while Tanis Baldwin (East Henderson) has the ability to push the pace in the middle mile. You certainly can't count out Ian Milder (Mount Tabor), who made a giant leap forward in the postseason last year that led to a 9:13 for 3200 in the spring season; don't be surprised if he continues to improve through this year's postseason, as well. Last year, 16 runners went under 9:30 in this meet, and this year some of the guys in the second-fastest section might do that, let alone the 21 in the fastest heat!
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In past years, the girls' race at this meet has not featured the same level of talent as the boys, but now it looks as if things are starting to even out. The top 6 5K runners in the state, and 11 of the top 13, are entered, including defending champion Lexi King (Marvin Ridge). Kayla Montgomery (Mount Tabor) is the odds-on favorite, even though she favors cross country over this type of track race; her 5K time of 17:29 is the best in North Carolina this year. She should get a tremendous push from Eliza Dekker (Durham Academy), who is well-known for her track speed as well as three straight NCISAA 3A state cross country titles. Dekker has the best 3200 PR in the field at 10:38, with Mary Grace Doggett (Cardinal Gibbons) and Sydney Foreman (Ardrey Kell) right behind at 10:43. Providence teammates Grace Sullivan and Bianca Bishop both ran 17:40 this fall, and both have extensive track experience. Don't ignore Megan Sullivan (Broughton), whose fall season did not go as she planned; she has a 10:46 PR to go with outstanding 800 speed. Malia Ellington (Community School of Davidson), Sophie Ebihara (Cardinal Gibbons), and Rebekah Greengrass (Panther Creek) have all run 10:50 or faster in the past, and all three had strong fall seasons. It will be interesting to see ho Elly Henes (Green Hope) and Sara Platek (Ragsdale), both new to this level of high school competition this fall, stand up to what will very likely be an extremely fast pace.
Coverage