Pinecrest's Carmen Alder can join rare company this weekend. The senior BYU commit is the two-time defending NCHSAA 4A XC state champion and is fresh off her fourth consecutive XC regional victory. Alder is undefeated on North Carolina-turf in XC this season, along with a 5th place finish at the XC Town USA Meet of Champions in Indiana.
This Friday, Alder will be running in the NCHSAA XC state championship for the final time of her career. The multi-time state champion has nothing left to prove, but with a victory in the 4A championship she would become the eighth runner in North Carolina history, and the fourth girl, to win three cross country state titles. Even more impressively she could be only the second girl to do it in the 4A classification.
Three Peat XC State Champions:
Tommy Trehern (Swain County) - 1990-1992 - 2A Classification
Karen Godlock (Polk County) - 1990-1992- 2A Classification
Erik Perkins (Swain County) - 1997-1999 - 1A Classification
Ryan Hill (Hickory) - 2005-2007 - 3A Classification
Taylor Gilland (Chapel Hill) - 2006-2008 - 4A Classification
Kim Sprano (North Mecklenburg) - 2006-2008 - 4A Classification
Grace Morken (Carrboro) - 2010-2012 - 2A Classification
It will be no easy task, however. Alder will face some of the best competition this season with tons of girls hungry for their first state championship. You can watch all the action from the 2020 NCHSAA XC State Championship live on MileSplit!
