Girls Preseason Countdown: Complete from 1-30

NC 2015 XC Preseason Countdown
Jeff George

16. North Lincoln

All the original runners that put the Knights on the map over the last 5 years have graduated, but it looks like this team was no flash in the pan. Madeleine Sides spent the outdoor track season looking every bit the returning #1 runner that she is (and Chandler McCaslin also ran well as the heir apparent after Sides graduates next May). The team was just a whisker away from returning 5 sub-21 runners, and they have all 7 runners back from the 2014 squad that finished 7th at the 3A state meet. Leadership should be in great supply with 5 rising seniors, and surely they want to end their cross country career with a top-5 finish this year.

  • Returning Ranking: 19th
  • 3-Year Improvement Rating: 32nd
  • 5-Year Improvement Rating: 17th
  • Returning 3200 Team Ranking: 11th
  • Returning 1600 Team Ranking: 17th
1) Madeline Sides 19:24.00 61
2) Jordyn Connell 20:11.00 141
3) Chandler Mccaslin 20:23.00 167
4) Madison Lynch 20:57.20 269
5) Blake Anderson 21:07.00 306
Average Time: 20:24.44 Total Time: 1:42:02.20 1-5 Split: 1:43.00
6) Katie Sherwood 21:43.94 432
7) Torri Scott 21:55.00 474



17. Pinecrest

The returning top 7 below doesn't quite crack the top 25, but when you add former Jack Britt runner Kate Sanborn (who has joined the Patriots this summer) you have the potential for a top-15 squad. Even without Sanborn, the returning Pinecrest runners had a strong spring track season, particularly Rachel VonCannon. With Sanborn, they have a returning 1600 average of 5:31, which would be in the top 10. The one weakness: the Patriots badly need to close the 1:30 gap between their potent 1-2 punch up from and their deep pack. If that happens, the potential is there for a top-10 finish at the 4A state meet.

  • Returning Ranking: 20th (including transfer)
  • 3-Year Improvement Rating: 33rd
  • 5-Year Improvement Rating: 33rd
  • Returning 3200 Team Ranking: 15th
  • Returning 1600 Team Ranking: 12th
1) Rachel VonCannon 19:14.00 49
2) Isabel Flores 20:46.10 230
3) Rachel Stewart 20:53.73 254
4) Rebecca Hipp 20:58.72 276
5) Grace West 21:15.02 339
Average Time: 20:37.51 Total Time: 1:43:07.57 1-5 Split: 2:01.02
6) Jordan Edmondson 21:31.20 392
7) Meagan Gagnon 21:54.19 471



18. Cuthbertson

The bad news: the Cavaliers lost two of their top three runners from last fall to graduation. The good news: the rest of the team that finished 10th at the state meet was entirely sophomores and freshmen, giving them two years to progress as a 5-girl core. The bad news: returning #1 Alexia Noch wasn't able to race much in the spring, making it hard to chart her progress. The good news: Sarah LaTour broke 5:30 in the 1600, and if Alycia Higgins (5:21 miler) has joined the program for good (she has only one cross country meet on her profile after competing for a club team for the majority of her career) then that would further bolster the roster. Cuthbertson's girls could be better than expected this fall, and they could be serious contenders in 2016.

  • Returning Ranking: 21st
  • 3-Year Improvement Rating: 11th
  • 5-Year Improvement Rating: 12th
  • Returning 1600 Team Ranking: 18th
1) Alexia Noch 19:11.40 45
2) Sarah LaTour 20:09.00 137
3) Samantha Hirsch 20:22.00 164
4) Lauren Franklin 20:57.00 267
5) Tess Nicholas 21:27.00 378
Average Time: 20:25.28 Total Time: 1:42:06.40 1-5 Split: 2:15.60
6) Theresa Nicholas 22:13.00 542
7) Caroline Maher 22:13.00 544



19. Panther Creek

Continuing a recent trend in these rankings, the Catamounts feature another potential breakout star in Bridgette Sullivan - she carried the momentum from her 18:34 last fall through to track season, producing a 5:16 1600. To be successful as a team, however, Panther Creek needs the rest of the returning top 7 to close the gap to her. Experience is a plus, as this squad returns six of the seven girls that raced at the 2014 state meet; despite that, though, Sullivan is the only senior in the projected top 7 for this fall. Also worth noting: the Greengrass era did not end with Rebekah's graduatio. She was actually the first of a big family of girls: sister Amy (a rising junior) had a solid track season that could indicate progress toward being a sub-20 runner this fall. and Lia isn't far behind the returning top 7 for this fall.

  • Returning Ranking: 16th
  • 3-Year Improvement Rating: 19th
  • 5-Year Improvement Rating: 26th
  • Returning 1600 Team Ranking: 20th
1) Bridgette Sullivan 18:34.80 15
2) Lydia Connor 20:25.30 172
3) Sierra Foster 20:25.90 173
4) Amy Greengrass 20:27.80 178
5) Rachel Hill 21:17.10 343
Average Time: 20:14.18 Total Time: 1:41:10.90 1-5 Split: 2:42.30
6) Midori Kirby 21:38.20 415
7) Margot Jones 21:58.40 482



20. Northwest Guilford

Once a perennial top-15 program, the Vikings have been in a down cycle lately - their last appearance as a team at the state meet was in 2011, when they finished 16th. This could be the year for that streak to end, though, as this squad has an unusual combination of youth and leadership. Northwest Guilford lost 2 seniors from last year's squad, but the entire top 5 from that regional meet is back. There are 3 seniors among the projected top 7 for 2015, but only one in their young returning top 5, which is led by rising sophomore Rebecca Kefer. Junior Bella Murray led the way during a solid spring for the Vikings, another good sign that this could be a state-meet-level program again.

  • Returning Ranking: 19th
  • 3-Year Improvement Rating: 20th
  • 5-Year Improvement Rating: 38th
  • Returning 3200 Team Ranking: 16th
  • Returning 1600 Team Ranking: 21st
1) Rebecca Kefer 19:19.38 59
2) Shelby Spalding 20:20.90 159
3) Lexie Lahr 20:36.50 203
4) Caroline Greene 20:48.60 241
5) Bella Murray 20:55.60 261
Average Time: 20:24.20 Total Time: 1:42:00.98 1-5 Split: 1:36.22
6) Hannah Kaufmann 21:00.00 280
7) Sarah Langston 22:06.25 505