Aug 08, 2011

Boys Preview

TISAC: Cary Academy is clearly in the driver's seat in this conference, with the best 1-2 punch in the state and solid depth behind. Behind them Ravenscroft has the most returning depth, and if North Raleigh Christian develops a fifth runner they could take second place. Of course, Thomas Graham (Cary Academy) is the best distance runner of any classification in our state; teammate Colin Godwin and Chase Shermer (North Raleigh Christian) will most likely be battling for second place, with David Bradley (Durham Academy) also in the mix after a sub-10 3200 this spring.

PACIS: Wesleyan Christian has a solid advantage over High Point Christian based on returning runners, but it's close enough that this could be a real battle. Greensboro Day is a little farther back in third place as we enter the season. Teammates Drew Thompson and Brian Gottwalt power Wesleyan, with Gottwalt having a particularly solid spring track season. High Point may have closed the gap in the spring, though, based on the results of David Loy and Connor Flater. Clayton Wilson had a productive summer as he prepared to lead Greensboro Day in the fall.

CISAA: Providence Day enters the season in commanding position, returning 5 runners under 18 minutes. The conference meet may develop into a three-team battle for second, however, between Charlotte Latin, Charlotte Country Day, and Cannon School. Tim Gruber (Cannon) is the class of the conference, and he would be a state title contender in many years. Teammates Reed Payne and Ben Huffman front Providence Day, with Huffman having had a great track season. John Good (Christian), Mark McAlister (Latin), and Rob Saunders (Country Day) lead their respective teams, and all three are a threat to finish in the top 5.

Mixed Conferences: The Asheville School appears to be the best of the remaining 3A boys teams, led by Ben Fiedler. Covenant Day also returns a solid squad with some depth, but they lack a front-runner.

Boys Stats

NCISAA 3A Boys Team Rankings

(You can sort by conference)

NCISAA 3A Boys Individual Rankings

(You can sort by conference, school year)

NCISAA 3A Boys Rankings by 1600

(Must have 5 returning runners with times from spring 2011 only)

Girls Preview

TISAC: Despite the loss of the Frazier girls, who are not competing for their school during the fall season, Ravenscroft still has the best returning five in the conference. North Raleigh Christian is a solid second with designs on moving up, while Cary Academy and Durham Academy have some ground to make up. Eliza Dekker (Durham Academy) should dominate in this conference, with Gabriela Wilberding (NRCA) almost a minute behind her. It looks like a tight battle for the third individual place: teammates Elisabeth Schricker and Lexy Bader (Ravenscroft) will have to hold off Emma Astrike-Davis and Hannah Goetz of Cary Academy.

PACIS: Greensboro Day has a commanding lead over Forsyth Country Day, at least on paper. Wesleyan Christian and High Point Christian are both withing striking range of second place, which might make for an exciting conference meet. Kaitlyn Lingard leads the strong front four of Greensboro Day, followed by teammates Emma Mattingly, Sarah Bankhead, and Gabby Merritt in their bid to sweep the top 4 places. Sarah Keiser (FCD) showed enough improvement during track season that she could get in and break up that foursome.

CISAA: Clearly the deepest conference, the team leader is still Charlotte Latin despite the graduation of their three top runners. Latin has the only four girls in the conference with sub-20 times, meaning they could sweep those places. Providence Day is a strong second place, while Cannon School looks like the third best team. Tricia Murphy and Katie McDowell will lead Latin, as both ladies had strong 3200 times in the spring. Amanda McFeely and Hannah Wilson are at the top of the depth chart for Providence Day, while Cassie Calvert fronts Cannon.

Mixed Conferences: Covenant Day looks like the only top-10 team in the state that doesn't come from the above 3 conferences; they are led by Anna Haines. Kate Lannom (Asheville School) ran a strong 12:11 for 3200 in the spring, making her a candidate to jump into the top 10 individuals.