On Friday morning and afternoon, McAlpine Park will host the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association Cross Country State Championship. Private schools will compete in three classifications, and some of the state's best runners and teams will be participating. Considering that the largest schools in this meet are still roughly equivalent to NCHSAA 1A schools, that's an awful lot of talent (and a lot of hard work and good coaching).
Meet Schedule and Information
Entry List
Previews:
1A Boys | 1A Girls | 2A Boys | 2A Girls | 3A Boys | 3A Girls
1A Boys Preview
Teams to Watch
The 1A classification is somewhat mysterious, as several teams did not submit results. Based on the database and the entries that included times, it looks like this will be a battle between Hickory Christian and The Epiphany School. Watch out for Wayne Christian, which did not publish any results this fall but returns four of the top 5 from the team that won the 1A championship last year.
1A Boys Team Rankings
(From results submitted to MileSplit)
Individuals to Watch
McKinley Gray (Epiphany School) has the fastest entry in the field, while Benjamin Lowry and his brother Luke lead Hickory Christian. Connor Jones (Wayne Christian) returns from his runner-up finish last year. David Warren (United Faith) does not appear to be entered in the meet, despite a solid time that could have put him in the top 5.
1A Boys Individuals
(From results submitted to MileSplit)
1A Girls Preview
Teams to Watch
This is the first year that a separate 1A girls race is being run at the NCISAA championships. Once again, Hickory Christian has the best team according to the database and the entries, but they will get a good run from The Epiphany School, which has a strong front three but suspect depth. Faith Christian also has some strong frontrunners, and could make this an interesting three-team race.
1A Girls Team Rankings
(From results submitted to MileSplit)
Individuals to Watch
Lake Hoard (Epiphany School) leads all the entries that have submitted times, but she should get a stiff challenge from Jordan Black (Cresset Christian). Mary McCall Leland leads Faith Christian, while Hickory Christian will have to depend on depth and a close pack to pull off the win.
1A Girls Individuals
(From results submitted to MileSplit)
2A Boys Preview
Teams to Watch
This could be a great team battle, as there is not dominant squad in this classification. Asheville Christian looks like a slight favorite over Grace Christian (Raleigh), which would be a classic battle of ACA's front-runners vs. Grace's depth and pack. St. David's is very strong through the first three runners, but do they have a 4-5 that can get it done?
2A Boys Team Rankings
(From results submitted to MileSplit)
Individuals to Watch
Trevor Sleight (Carolina Day) is the clear favorite here, after losing only to departed stars Scott Morgan and Bobby Mintz at last year's state meet. Josh Thornburg leads Asheville Christian, and he will probably find himself battling Daniel Jezioranski (Cary Christian) for second place. Chris Anderson (Westchester Country Day) and John Rohr (St. David's) should be in the top 5.
2A Boys Individuals
(From results submitted to MileSplit)
2A Girls Preview
Teams to Watch
On paper, this could be a very exciting team race, with two teams separated by only one point in the MileSplit team rankings. Cary Christian, the defending champs, will need to have a good race to hold off Davidson Day. St. David's also has a very good team, and they have the added motivation of having lost narrowly to Cary Christian in this meet last year.
2A Girls Team Rankings
(From results submitted to MileSplit)
Individuals to Watch
Aundrea Holmes (Cary Christian) is the overwhelming favorite and the top returner from last year's state meet. Angela Delfino (St. David's) has the second-best time but is almost a minute slower than Holmes. Melissa Zamitti leads a Davidson Day team that will rely on superior 4th and 5th runners to try to bring home a title, while Katarina Pild (Grace Christian) will be running for a top-5 individual finish.
2A Girls Individuals
(From results submitted to MileSplit)
3A Boys Preview
Teams to Watch
Providence Day has developed into the front-runner to repeat as champion as the season has progressed. Now, even if Colin Godwin somehow returns from injury for Cary Academy (and he is entered), they will be hard-pressed to end PD's reign. North Raleigh Christian has the front four of a title contender, but depth may be their undoing, and they might struggle to keep up with Asheville School in the battle for third place.
3A Boys Team Rankings
(From results submitted to MileSplit)
Individuals to Watch
Not much mystery up front here, as the only question about Thomas Graham (Cary Academy) is whether he can break 15 with little competition beside him. The state's best runner may not get truly pushed until Foot Locker rolls around. There should be a great battle for second, though, with Ben Fiedler (Asheville School), Ben Huffman (Providence Day), and Tim Gruber (Cannon School) all very close to each other. If Godwin does run, will he bear any resemblance to the guy who clocked a sub-16 in August after all this lost training?
3A Boys Individuals
(From results submitted to MileSplit)
3A Girls Preview
Teams to Watch
What a barn-burner this one is shaping up to be! Three teams have a legitimate shot at the title, and it will all come down to who races better in the cold rain forecast for Saturday morning. In the team rankings from the NCRunners database, Ravenscroft and Cary Academy are projected to tie for the championship, but Charlotte Latin will not be easily denied in their bid for a remarkable fifth straight title. Add to the mix a solid Providence Day squad that may still have improvement potential, and you have a recipe for exciting racing.
3A Girls Team Rankings
(From results submitted to MileSplit)
Individuals to Watch
Another easy race to predict: Eliza Dekker (Durham Academy) should dominate this race, as she comes in with over a minute lead on her nearest competitor. Emma Brown's #2 seed keeps Providence Day in the hunt for a top-3 team finish, while Cary Academy has a three-headed lead group with Hannah Goetz, Spencer Rossa, and Emily Astrike-Davis. Watch out for hard-charging 8th-grader Jennifer Stephenson of Village Christian, who will definitely go out with the first group and fight for second place. Kaitlyn Lingaard (Greensboro Day) also has top-5 potential in this race.
3A Girls Individuals
On Friday morning and afternoon, McAlpine Park will host the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association Cross Country State Championship. Private schools will compete in three classifications, and some of the state's best runners and teams will be participating. Considering that the largest schools in this meet are still roughly equivalent to NCHSAA 1A schools, that's an awful lot of talent (and a lot of hard work and good coaching).
Meet Schedule and Information