At 13, we have opposites: a boys' team with no stars that will rely on pack-running, and a girls' team with a big-time front-runner.

As we approach the start of official NCHSAA cross country practices on July 30th, NCRunners will count down the top 15 teams in our Preseason All-Classes Team Rankings.  The list began with the returning 5000 rankings from the 2011 cross country season, and then modifications were made based on improvements during the spring track season, runners lost, and recent program history.  Bonus consideration was given to teams with tight packs (at least 3 of the top 5 within 30 seconds of each other) and front runners (under 16 minutes for boys, under 18:45 for girls).  Subscribers can view the statistics that were used in the rankings process:

Returning 5000 Team Rankings

Boys  |  Girls

Returning 3200 Team Rankings

Boys  |  Girls

Returning 1600 Team Rankings

Boys  |  Girls

Boys Preseason #13 Team: South View

South View got hammered by graduation, losing their #1, #3, #4, and #6 runners from last year's team.  This is a squad with a large talent pool, however, and they always have returning depth to help step up and fill the gap.  They are difficult to rate this year, as their times are somewhat inflated by having their conference meet on a short Jack Britt course.  They have shown solid improvement in the spring, though, with David Guthrie, Michael Staples, and Austin Crawford all putting up times that indicate they are ready to step forward during the fall season.  Furthermore, this is a program that emphasizes summer training and cross country, and has pride and a high standard of success, and those factors can help mitigate the loss of graduated runners.  South View will have to rely more this year on their vaunted pack-running techniques, as they will not have a clear front-running race-winner like Josh Crawford, but that suits their returners just fine.  Last year's team finished a disappointing 11th at the state meet; although this year's edition is not a championship contender, don't be surprised if the Tigers corrects return to the top 10.

Girls Preseason #13 Team: West Carteret

This is a program on the rise, and they should be able to overcome the loss of their #3 and #7 runners from last year.  Everything starts with top gun Blake Dodge, the 3A state champion last fall and one of the best 800 runners in the state.  The addition of Katie Cease last year (she moved in from out of state) paid immediate dividends, and she improved steadily during indoor and outdoor.  It's very hard to evaluate the progress of the rest of the team, however, as they have no results from spring track.  If this group has a good summer, there is a possiblity they could put 5 girls under 20 minutes, which only four teams in the state have returning.  On the other hand, depth could be a concern, as their returning 6 and 7 are both over 21.  The Patriots will be a bit of a mystery until the summer ends and we get to see them race, and they have the talent to be in the top 10 overall by season's end.