WNC Carnival Meet Preview: Can NC hold off the TN invasion?

WNC Carnival
Jentzen Jones

Defending champion Morristown-West returns to challenge the competition (and the course) in the girls' race, while Maryville's boys are also looking to improve on their runner-up finish from 2014.


The WNC Carnival is the state's longest-running season opener, and the atmosphere of the meet is like no other early-season invitational. Teams have been coming to Hendersonville since 2003 for the beautiful but challenging course and the multi-state competition. For fans of the sport, the meet has two important factors: it has a "true" cross country course consisting of a double loop that has 3 real hills on it, and it allows us to see several teams from the mountains of North Carolina that we don't get to see at many of the major invitationals.


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Girls Preview

The 2015 edition of the WNC Carnival is loaded with talent on the girls's side. Leading the rankings are Makenzie Jones (Morristown-West, TN) and North Carolina's own Anna Vess (AC Reynolds). Both ladies have the potential to break 18 minutes this season, but the interest of this meet will be who will take the win on the challenging Jackson Park course. Jones is the returning WNC champion, and she's shown us that she has the tools to defend her title. The Tennessee senior has consistently run 3200m in less than 11 minutes in 2015, and her PR of 5:04 in the 1600m indicates that she's also got some foot speed. Vess has run some comparably fast times as well, but her performances in the 3200m and the 5k have been leveling off over the past few seasons. She did, however, cover 1600m in 5:03 in the most recent track season; if her summer training rebuilt her strength, she may be able to hang on to Jones for long enough to use her speed in a kicking battle.

Consider Shawnda Martin of Robbinsville to be a dark horse; this NCHSAA 1A senior has forever been overshadowed by phenom Malia Ellington, but her 18:34 5k time is no joke. Martin typically is strongest in cross country, but the advantage will likely still go to those who have strength on the track as well. Be sure to also keep watch on Jena Metwalli. The Cannon School superstar may not have a top time in this cross country race, but if anyone underestimates her ability to be a force in the final stretch, her 2:14 800m speed would beg to say otherwise.

Youngsters Elizabeth Liposky (Morristown-West) and Katerina Hendrix (Dorman, SC) may not be considered dark horses like Martin, but they certainly have the potential to show some major improvements from their 2014 seasons. It takes some serious talent to run sub-19 as a freshman (Liposky), and even more-so as a seventh grader (Hendrix)! If anyone is to pull off a huge upset, I'd surely consider putting money on these ladies.

In the team competition, expect to see Morristown-West of Tennessee to stand highest on the podium. Having all five scorers predicted to place in the top 25 (with their top girl coming in first), they will be a hard force to overcome. If anyone can take a jab at the Morristown-West powerhouse, look to none other than Dorman of South Carolina. If Dorman can pack-run their second through fifth runners, they could have a very strong showing. Spring Valley (SC) and Providence Day School are virtually scored to finish a mere one point apart, with Cary Academy close behind. This could make the fight for third very interesting...runners from both teams will certainly need to pick off every single person possible.


Boys Preview

In the race for the individual WNC title, there will be a few boys in contention for the spot. Wynn Johnson (Dorman) is the only athlete returning with a sub-16 minute time from the 2014 season, but Coleman Mitchell (Cary Academy) and Jack Ratterree (Charlotte Latin) lie within just a few seconds of Johnson. All three boys have track times that are nearly identical, so the win could go to anyone. If they all were disciplined in their summer training and free of injury, there will certainly be a crowd-pleasing battle unfolding at Jackson Park.

David Huezo (Maryville, TN) has middle-distance track times very similar to those of the top pack, but he'll have to hold on tight to get to the point in the race where his speed can be useful in competing with the pack. Showing potential for an even stronger kick is Noah Graham (Brevard), who has run 2:01 for 800m on the track. These boys will jockey for the remaining top-5 positions along with Noah Dolhare (Providence Day) and Paul Soule (North Buncombe). Only a few seconds separates all of these fellas, so there is no way to know who will top whom until they cross the line.

The top three team spots will all be secured if each team returns everyone in the same shape as last year. Maryville is in good standing to go home with a team championship, but if anything is to become a downfall for them, it will likely be having their fifth runner so far behind the other scorers. In the event that Maryville is taken down, Dorman is the team eyeing the prize. If the South Carolina team can improve each of its second through fifth runners by just a few places each, they are bound to have a great team finish. Predictions for the remaining top-5 team spots are all spread out among a wide margin, so it is safe to say that these three additional spots will be secured by North Carolina teams Cary Academy, Watauga, and Asheville.


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