Cardinal Gibbons' Marissa Bishop is the fastest 9th-grade girl in the state by far. Where will she be in 4 years?
This was the easiest selection out of the four Future Stars Spotlights, because Marissa Bishop has been a revelation as a freshman. She was already well known to serious fans, after placing high in the NCISAA 2A state meet her 7th- and 8th-grade years, but I don't think anybody (including Marissa!) expected this big a leap for 9th grade. As the rankings stand right now, she is the only freshman girl in North Carolina to have broken 19 minutes, her 18:18 nearly a minute ahead of the next candidate. Even more impressive has been her poise under pressure: she has been the #1 runner for one of the top programs in the state, running against a much higher level of competition than she had the last two years. According to the MileSplit database, Bishop ranks 9th nationally among runners from the class of 2018. Below, she reflects on her success and experien...