Boys 3A West Region
Teams to Watch
There's no way around this conclusion: Asheville looks like a dominant favorite for this season. The Cougars are the only squad to break 100 in the returning 5K rankings, they had the best team 3200 results in the spring, and they ranked 2nd in the team 1600 as well. And as far in front of 2nd place as Asheville appears to be, West Henderson is even farther in front of 3rd place. Behind those two, it's anybody's guess as to which teams will emerge. My guess, based on team results from track season, is that North Buncombe will make the top 4 - they were tops in the team 1600 and 2nd in the 3200.
Athletes to Watch
Tuscola's Jacob Franklin was the top returner in the region at the end of the 2014 cross country season, but that may not be the case anymore. That's because the top underclassman from the 2013 season, Noah Shore (Asheville), sat out last fall - but he was back during track season, and posted the top 1600 time in the 3A West. Another runner that may have leaped over some competitors is Landon Maxwell (East Gaston), the top 3200 returner in the region. Paul Soule (North Buncombe) and Dylan Shamburger (West Henderson) won't give up their spots without a fight, though. Keep an eye on rising sophomore Davis Turner (Asheville), who appears to have taken a big step forward since last fall.
Top 5 Returning Teams (Full Rankings)
| # | Team | Score | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asheville | 52 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 19 | - | - |
| 2 | West Henderson | 102 | 3 | 14 | 16 | 21 | 48 | - | - |
| 3 | East Henderson | 171 | 26 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 43 | - | - |
| 4 | Hickory | 175 | 10 | 12 | 24 | 61 | 68 | - | - |
| 5 | Ashbrook | 176 | 8 | 25 | 30 | 44 | 69 | - | - |
Top 10 Returning Individuals (Full Rankings)
| Place | Athlete | Yr | Team | Time | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacob Franklin | 11 | Tuscola | 16:17.20 | 1 | |
| 2 | Paul Soule | 11 | North Buncombe | 16:24.00 | 2 | |
| 3 | Dylan Shamburger | 10 | West Henderson | 16:29.10 | 3 | |
| 4 | Sage Turner | 11 | Enka | 16:35.25 | 4 | |
| 5 | Landon Maxwell | 9 | East Gaston | 16:45.00 | 5 | |
| 6 | Davis Turner | 9 | Asheville | 16:49.00 | 6 | |
| 7 | Collin Kemper | 10 | Asheville | 16:55.00 | 7 | |
| 8 | Mike Seager | 11 | Ashbrook | 17:05.00 | 8 | |
| 9 | Terry Young | 11 | Asheville | 17:19.50 | 9 | |
| 10 | Ethan Deffke | 9 | Hickory | 17:21.00 | 10 |