Aug 10, 2011

Boys Preview

East

Teams to watch: There is no dominant team in this region, but there will be an INTENSE team competition. There are no less than 6 teams that have a real chance to win this region, and of course only four of them can go on to the state meet. First Flight looks like a slight favorite, and then South Lenoir, Beddingfield, Topsail, Richlands, and Swansboro all project to almost identical team scores. We'll be watching this region closely as the season develops to see if a leading contender emerges.

Individuals to watch: Like the team race, there are a lot of closely-ranked individuals in this region. Hans Loewen (Topsail) has the best returning time in the region, with Zach Larocca (First Flight) close behind. Those two could give their teams an advantage in such a close regional by scoring low. Richlands has a duo of leaders in Reid Rivers and Dylan Emch, with Paul Tyndall (South Lenoir) also in the mix for a top 5 finish. If Detrice Higgs (Beddingfield) joins the cross country team, he could be a contender--he leads all returners from this region in the 3200. Jacob Oehl (Croatan) will have to fight through the individuals from the two teams that don't advance if he wants to secure his own spot in the state meet.

Mideast

Teams to watch: This regional is clearly Carrboro's to lose, as they claim 6 of the top 10 returners. Cedar Ridge is the closest team, and they are virtual locks to advance to the state meet from a region that is weak behind the top two. Second-year school Corinth Holders will be in a tight battle with Durham School of the Arts and Northwood for the final two qualifying spots.

Individuals to watch: Densel Jefferson (St. Paul's) leads all returners in the 2A Mideast; he ran 17:00 at Beeson Park last year. Close behind him are AJ Tucker (Cedar Ridge) and the Carrboro trio of Michael Jushchuk, Jesse Dellea, and Andrew Witcher. Peyton Thomas leads Granville Central, and he should be the first individual to advance. Watch out for Dominic Collichio (Carrboro) who had a strong 3200 time this spring (as did Tucker, Jefferson, and Witcher).

Midwest

Teams to watch: Central Davidson is the team to beat, at least on paper, with a closely-packed front four and the best 5 & 6 runners in the region. West Stokes will have to hold off East Davidson, Surry Central, and Cuthbertson to claim the second team trophy. Those last three teams will most likely be fighting for two places at the state meet.

Individuals to watch: Rodney Wright (East Davidson) and Jason Barber (West Stokes) are the top returners with nearly identical times, although Barber has an advantage when you look at spring 3200 times. Wright should advance as an individual if his team doesn't, as should Tanner Martin (Surry Central). Caleb Jirgal (Piedmont) has a great shot to advance individually, as well. Keep an eye on Derek Chavis (Central Davidson) who showed signs of solid improvement in the spring.

West

Teams to watch: North Lincoln looks as dominant here as Carrboro does in their own region. Lincolnton has a solid advantage over East Lincoln for second place in the rankings. Since the Lincoln county schools all ran in the same conference, and their conference meet produced some really fast times, the rankings may be a tad skewed in their favor; for that reason, don't count out Brevard, Bandys, or Bunker Hill. This region may turn out to be much closer for the 2-4 spots than it appears.

Individuals to watch: German Perez led North Lincoln last year, with Eduardo Salazar (Lincolnton) the #2 returner. Tommy Connell (Brevard) almost beat Perez at the state meet, so this could be an interesting race for the title. Watch out for Joshua Mosteller (North Lincoln), who ran #7 last year but had a very strong track season. Alfredo Dominguez (Newton-Conover) should advance individually, and watch out for Brandon Lindler (Bunker Hill) and Eric Gilbert (East Burke) after solid spring campaigns.

Boys Stats

2A Boys Team Rankings

(You can sort these by region, county, or conference)

Note: our team rankings are a dynamic virtual meet, meaning that they are different depending on the teams included. This ranking is not just pulled out of the overall list of teams used for the Top 25. It is a separate ranking considering only 2A teams.

2A Boys Individual Rankings

(You can sort this by grade as well as the dimensions above.

Be sure to click on "Returners? Yes" if you sort beyond this one.)

2A Boys Team Rankings by 3200 Times

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

2A Boys Team Rankings by 1600 Times

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

Girls Preview

East

Teams to watch: Swansboro and Topsail will continue their rivalry through the regional this year, with either one capable of winning, and almost certainly both with race at the state meet. First Flight is not far behind, but they need to develop some depth to hold off Croatan. This region seems to have four clear-cut advancing teams as the season starts, but a lot can happen between now and October 29th.

Individuals to watch: Brenna Kate Grass (Swansboro) is the clear leader in returning rankings, and also has the best returning 3200 time from the spring. Autumn Brown (Topsail), Kierston Murphy (First Flight), and Mary Stegall (Croatan) lead their respective teams; of these three Stegall had a particularly solid spring in the 3200 and might be a prime candidate for improvement. Madison Moore (Tarboro) leads the potential individual qualifiers to the state meet.

Mideast

Teams to watch: Wow. Just...wow. Carrboro's girls return the top 6 runners in this region, projecting to run up a perfect score of 15. Northwood looks like a solid second team, and Cedar Ridge an equally clear third in this highly regimented group. The battle appears to be for the fourth qualifying spot, where Durham School of the Arts is only 3 points ahead of Corinth Holders on paper.

Individuals to watch: The rich get richer--Carrboro not only returns their entire front 7 that won the 2010 2A championship, but they actually got better. Frankie Perone had a great track season, joining Grace Morken as a true elite front-runner. Laura Hamon has a PR of 19:37 from two years ago, 30 seconds faster than last year, and word has it they have a strong freshman in, too, with a familiar last name (we'll keep our eyes out). Julia Sloane leads Northwood, and watch for solid improvement from Hana Ratcliffe (Durham School of the Arts). Tyauna Bryant (Northwest Halifax) and Paige Smith (Eastern Randolph) highlight the likely individual qualifiers; if she runs, Mariam Lopez (Cummings) can definitely join in that competition.

Midwest

Teams to watch: West Stokes appears to be the favorite in a region that lacks strength at the top, but has a deep field of contenders. Central Davidson, West Stanly, and Cuthbertson will battle for the next three places, with Salisbury close enough to knock one of them off with a good race. West Davidson and Forbush both have enough back to challenge for a state meet spot if they had a good summer/early season.

Individuals to watch: Laney Browder (Wilkes Central) is the runaway favorite here, as the only girl from the 2A Midwest under 12 minutes in the 3200 this past spring. Madison Simmons led Cuthbertson last year, and teammate Megan Kiss had a strong 3200 time in the spring that indicates she may have joined the battle for 2nd place. Paige Chavis (Central Davidson) and Erica Boles (West Stokes) lead their teams in the hunt for the state meet. Callie Wynn (West Davidson) had a great track season, and that could move her into the top 5. Aside from Browder, the individual qualifiers to the state meet will probably come from the three teams out of the seven above that do not advance.

West

Teams to watch: Even if you disregard the fast times from their conference meet, the North Lincoln girls are the clear favorite in this region. Pisgah, Owen, and Smoky Mountain all have strong squads that could make the top 10 at the state meet, making this the deepest 2A region, but those three teams might lack the firepower to catch North Lincoln.

Individuals to watch: Grace Turner (Lincolnton) backed up her cross country time with an outstanding spring, but she will face a stiff challenge from Mary Frith (Owen), who ran a great race at the state meet last fall. Savannah Fornshell and Allie Castro both had strong track seasons for North Lincoln. So did Mackenzie Galyean of Pisgah; you can tell the girls in this region have really pushed each other to improve year-round. A pocket of solid runners will be racing for the individual qualifying spots behind Turner, led by Elizabeth Lampley (Shelby).