The No. 2 team on our girl's team cross country pre-season countdown are the Cavaliers of Cuthbertson!
The defending cross country and track and field NCHSAA 3A state champions are back in 2021 ready to take their talents to the 4A classification.
Their top returner, Alyssa Preisano, came in at No. 4 on our pre-season countdown, but she can very well walk away from the state meet a champion.
Preisano was runner-up last season at the NCHSAA 3A state meet to now-graduated teammate Madeline Hill. Right behind her in 4th place was Lillian Nasta.
Cuthbertson only loses Hill from their championship squad, and will have no seniors on their top five this season.
In the last five years, a Cuthbertson athlete has finished in the top three at the state meet every year, and sometimes more than one:
2016 - Sarah LaTour - 2nd
2017 - Madeline Hill - 3rd
2018 - Hill - 1st, Leah Helms - 3rd
2019 - Gabby Castro - 2nd
2020 - Hill - 1st, Preisano - 2nd
This Cavalier squad is looking very strong behind their two all-state runners. Justine Preisano was 11th last season as a freshman and was 3rd at the NCHSAA 3A track and field state meet in the 800m.
Charlotte Bell and Stella Kermes are coming off fantastic freshmen campaigns, where they each ran in the mid 19:00's.
Marissa Bosland is the third junior on the team, joining Preisano and Nasta. She ran 19:32 last season and will be called upon to push that 4-5-6 pack of Cuthbertson as close to the front as possible!
This is a Cavalier team that has excelled at racing on the biggest stages, and after a huge track and field championship, they're going to ride the momentum as far as it will take them!
Girls Team Rankings: