2A West Preview
Boys Teams to Watch
The top 3 runners for Bandys are really strong, all ranking in the top 7 coming into the meet. Depth is a concern for the Trojans, though, and that opens the door for a team like Lake Norman Charter to get past them. It looks like there will be another cluster of teams in the 3-5 spots, which certainly increases the stakes; Smoky Mountain, Franklin, and Bunker Hill all have a legitimate chance to advance to the state meet, but only two of them can go.
Boys Individuals to Watch
Noah Graham (Brevard) has the best time in the region by over 20 seconds, and in local competition he has only lost to 3A runner Jacob Franklin. The closest competition would appear to be from Jorge Espinoza (Hunter Huss), although Sean Doyle (Polk County) will certainly be right up there with the leaders.
Girls Teams to Watch
Lake Norman Charter has beaten some pretty good 3A and 4A teams this season, and the Knights are well-prepared to handle the competition here. Brevard ranks second in the virtual meet, but there are three teams right behind: Owen, East Lincoln, and West Lincoln. Together, those four teams jockeying for 3 berths in the state meet are separated by only 39 points on the season.
Girls Individuals to Watch
Can Eliza Witherspoon stick with the Lake Norman Charter dynamic duo of Izzy Evely and Mariah Howlett? Her all-time PR of 18:41 suggests she can, but the Brevard junior hasn't approached that time in 2015. If not, the teammates are used to pushing themselves, and they have shown the ability to pull away early and stay there. Interestingly, Madison and Megan Rowles (East Lincoln) are the only seniors in the top 9 of this regional. Don't be surprised if India Godlock (Polk County) crashes the top 5 - she likes to close hard over the second half of a race, and this course could help wear out her opposition.