Boys Preseason Countdown, Complete from 1-30

NC 2015 XC Preseason Countdown
Jeff George

11. Chapel Hill

First the bad news: returning #1 Jonathan Timothy has moved to Greenville this summer, and that sets the Tigers back in both the returning 5K rankings and the team rankings from spring track. Now, the good news: Chapel Hill still returns a ton of talent, and leadership should be strong with 3 seniors in the projected top 7. More good news: even with the loss of Timothy, the Tigers still return 8 sub-5 milers, including a large group of rising sophomores that should ensure a full cupboard for the future. With the school's renowned culture and history, which impacts the expectations for summer training, you can expect this team to stay right in the thick of the chase for the podium in 3A.

  • Returning Ranking: 15th (adjusted for transfer)
  • 3-Year Improvement Rating: 10th
  • 5-Year Improvement Rating: 11th
1) Jonathan Timothy 16:16.00 44
2) Max Blackburn 16:28.70 68
3) Daniel Kleissler 16:29.18 71
4) Eric Vanderford 16:55.46 146
5) Nat Romaine 17:15.00 229
Average Time: 16:40.87 Total Time: 1:23:24.34 1-5 Split: 59.00
6) Agustin Fiorito 17:37.00 338
7) Zach Allen 17:40.00



12. South View

Did you think the graduation of Philip Hall, Michael Staples, and the rest of the class of 2015 marked the last hurrah for the Tigers? Think again - this is a program with great depth and a strong culture of year-round effort, as reflected by their high Improvement Ratings. Even so, their returning results from spring track season are surprisingly strong - that's not normally South View's best season, but their youngsters are showing lots of progress. Javier Alejandro ran 9:38, the 11th-best returning time in the state, and behind him it looks like a classic South View pack (1:02 split from 2-6, :34 from 3-7). With 4 seniors and 3 juniors in the Tigers' projected front 7 for 2015, leadership shouldn't fall off one iota, and that makes this team a contender for the top 10 in 4A yet again.

  • Returning Ranking: 18th
  • 3-Year Improvement Rating: 9th
  • 5-Year Improvement Rating: 6th
  • Returning 3200 Team Ranking: 14th
  • Returning 1600 Team Ranking: 8th
1) Javier Alejandro 16:02.00 16
2) Rontrel Felton 16:27.30 64
3) Victor Fontanez 17:10.00 217
4) Mason Washington 17:23.00 270
5) Christian Cortazar 17:24.00 275
Average Time: 16:53.26 Total Time: 1:24:26.30 1-5 Split: 1:22.00
6) Monquell LeSane 17:29.00 307
7) Chance Goodman 17:44.70 380



13. Northern Guilford

The Nighthawks are returning 5 of 7 runners from the 2014 squad that finished 4th at the 3A state meet; only one of the team's top 5 in that race was a senior. There WERE two freshmen on that, however, including star-in-the-making David Melville. The state meet represented a triumphant return for Northern Guilford, their first appearance since 2011. Track results were also good, with Owen States in particular showing nice improvement, but there is nothing (yet) to show that the team has closed the gap between its 5th and 6th runners. That lack of depth is the only thing that I can see right now that could derail the Nighthawks from what could very well be a podium finish in 3A this year.

  • Returning Ranking: 10th
  • 3-Year Improvement Rating: 30th
  • 5-Year Improvement Rating: 26th
  • Returning 3200 Team Ranking: 19th
  • Returning 1600 Team Ranking: 17th
1) David Melville 16:02.91 18
2) Tyler Robakiewicz 16:29.81 75
3) Owen States 16:43.53 102
4) Sam Nash 17:04.78 196
5) Riley Smith 17:12.53 225
Average Time: 16:42.71 Total Time: 1:23:33.56 1-5 Split: 1:09.62
6) Cameron Byrd 18:18.18 550
7) Ethan Strubinger 18:27.30 590



14. North Lincoln

Another potential podium contender in 3A. the Knights have made a habit of strong improvement from year to year. We can already see that happening for the 2015 season by looking at North Lincoln's very good 3200 results from outdoor track. Austin Hilburn looks like the latest in a long string of sub-15 runners from this program, and returning #4 runner Alex Akers had a strong spring. Even in what could be considered a bit of a down year in 2014, North Lincoln finished 7th at the 3A state meet and returns 6 of 7 from that race. The Knights are as deep as the other contenders for 2nd place in 3A, so this battle will likely come down to two factors: which teams have the best summers, and which race the best on November 7th at Ivey Redmon.

  • Returning Ranking: 15th
  • 3-Year Improvement Rating: 16th
  • 5-Year Improvement Rating: 10th
  • Returning 3200 Team Ranking: 12th
  • Returning 1600 Team Ranking: 22nd
1) Austin Hilburn 16:09.00
2) Adam Lineberger 16:34.00
3) Riley Jones 17:00.00
4) Alex Akers 17:09.00
5) Lucus Depasquale 17:23.00
Average Time: 16:51.00 Total Time: 1:24:15.00 1-5 Split: 1:14.00
6) Cole Ferraro 17:24.00
7) Tanner Doss 17:26.00



15. Jesse Carson

If you're looking for a sleeper team to make the podium in 3A, look no further. Returning rankings put the Cougars 4th in the classification, 57 points out of 2nd place; then, you have to factor in some really strong 3200 results from spring season. That includes Zachary Marchinko's 9:22, which ranks him 3rd among the state's returners, alongside several low-15's runners. This team returns all 7 runners after finishing 6th in the 3A state meet last fall, and that includes 5 rising seniors to provide leadership. The battle for second in 3A is as close as it has been in recent memory (as you'll see quite clearly over the next few days of the countdown), and Jesse Carson is right in the mix.

  • Returning Ranking: 16th
  • 3-Year Improvement Rating: 37th
  • 5-Year Improvement Rating: 22nd
  • Returning 3200 Team Ranking: 9th
1) Zachary Marchinko 15:43.00
2) Garrett Ingold 16:40.00
3) Nick Cox 17:06.00
4) Grant Doby 17:14.00
5) Jonah Evans 17:19.00
Average Time: 16:48.40 Total Time: 1:24:02.00 1-5 Split: 1:36.00
6) Dylan Koontz 17:26.00
7) Hunter Kimball 17:30.40