ASHEVILLE — Before the sun rises Saturday morning, Hayesville cross country coach Buck Carney will load 18 runners onto a bus bound for Hendersonville.
Once the Yellow Jackets reach their destination, the Western North Carolina Cross Country Carnival, they will participate in a meet with four times as many athletes as the population of their hometown.
"It's really something to see," said Carney, who plans to depart from Clay County with his defending 1-A state champion boys and girls teams at 5:30 a.m.
"You've got so many state champions and great teams in a great venue. Us being 1-A, we may get our chops busted, but we'll see."
High gas prices have not deterred the WNC CCC from attracting the largest field in its six-year history.
More than 1,300 athletes from three states, including 11 team state champions, will toe the starting line at Jackson Park in one of six races beginning with the championship boys at 8:30 a.m.
"It's exceeded expectations," said meet director and Roberson boys coach Steve Carpenter.
"There are a lot of people, especially from the Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill areas, who want to escape the heat and do something different. And this meet has also become a really good indicator of how teams will do later on (in their state meets)."
One reason for the carnival's popularity is Jackson Park's double-loop course, which is spectator-friendly and just short of 3.1 miles. In terms of both terrain and difficulty, Jackson Park bears a resemblance to Tanglewood Park, site of the NCHSAA meet in November.
Carney said his runners take advantage of having a big-time meet in WNC.
"All the preseason polls and things like that don't mean anything until you prove it out on the course," Carney said. "I think we're going to be solid, but we'll see what happens Saturday."
In addition to the Roberson boys and girls (NCHSAA 3-A), and Hayesville boys and girls (NCHSAA 1-A), other 2005 team state champions expected to compete Saturday are the Carolina Day boys (NCISAA 2-A), Cary Academy girls (NCISAA 1-A), Cardinal-Gibbons girls (NCHSAA 2-A), Chapel Hill boys and girls (NCHSAA 4-A), Owen boys (NCHSAA 2-A) and Charlotte Providence Day boys (NCISAA 3-A).