3A West Preview
Boys Teams to Watch
You can't exactly call Asheville a "surprise" team, since we had them in the honorable mention section of our preseason countdown. Still, the Cougars are much better than expected, and they are in position to dominate this weekend. A.C. Reynolds has the best chance of finishing second, but the virtual meet places the Rockets nearly 100 points behind Asheville. Behind them, it looks like Pisgah, St. Stephens, and West Henderson will have a battle royale over the last two spots in the state meet.
Boys Individuals to Watch
Noah Shore (Asheville) and Jacob Franklin (Tuscola) have met only once this season, at the United Way Invitational. Franklin won that race, although Shore has the faster season best. Both are capable of winning this race, and there is a good chance the two will pull away from the rest of the field. The chase pack will be deep, with Asheville's Davis Turner leading 8 guys within 20 seconds of each other, all of them looking to run under 16:30.
Girls Teams to Watch
The top three teams seem pretty set, at least according to the virtual meet: A.C. Reynolds leads by a comfortable margin over Asheville, which in turn has a 50-point cushion over Hickory. Another 55 points back, though, there could be a heated 2-team race for the final state meet spot between St. Stephens and Tuscola.
Girls Individuals to Watch
Anna Vess has been on a tear this season, and the A.C. Reynolds senior is not likely to be beaten here. She has two sub-18's on the Asheville Christian course, which should be decent preparation for the challenge that Freedom presents. Brooke Turner (Tuscola) hasn't yet translated her monster track times into equal cross country success, but that doesn't mean it won't happen here. Turner should have great competition from a fellow senior, Samantha Boeshore (A.C. Reynolds), as well as from an upstart freshman, Hickory's Audrey Shores.