Girls Top 25 Countdown: #22 Northern Guilford

Overall Returning Rankings

NCHSAA 3A Returning Rankings

Coming in at #22 on our Pre-Season XC Countdown are the Nighthawks of Northern Guilford. Northern Guilford is coming off a 5th place performance at the 2019 NCHSAA 3A XC State Meet and returns five runners from that team. Headlining the returners is the defending Indoor 500m State Champion and 2018 XC All-State runner Alyssa Hernandez. Hernandez is known more for her work on the track, but she can match up with the best of the best on an XC course. Her 18:45 personal best is the #31 returning overall time. 

Behind Hernandez there is a 2-3-4 group that only have a :30 split between them. Rising sophomore Kiersten Kohler looks to take the next step in her development and move up with Hernandez in the 3A race. Kohler finished 37th in last season's XC State Meet. Kohler qualified for the 2020 Indoor State Meet in the 1600m where she finished 20th. 

Rising senior Katie Howell will be bringing veteran leadership to this Nighthawk Top 5. Howell has been a varsity runner since the 2017 XC season. Howell has a lot of experience in State Championships as well. She placed 11th in the 800m at the 2019 NCHSAA 3A Outdoor State Meet, 20th in the 3200m at the 2019 Indoor State Meet, 13th in the 1600m and 17th in the 3200m at the 2018 Indoor State Meet.  Emma Hardiman looks to be right there with Howell this season. 

Samantha Poole and Sarah Baum will be battling for the 5th spot on this team. A tight competition for that spot will only make this team better. Poole holds a PR of 22:11, 10 seconds faster than Baum. 

This Nighthawk squad is the 23rd ranked team in the returning rankings and #8 in NCHSAA 3A.