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For the past 14 years, Reagan High School has hosted the biggest post XC season 3,200m tune-up in the southeast! Athletes looking to PR one more time, or getting ready for their Eastbay (formerly Footlocker) races, have made this one of the fastest and deepest fields in the nation.
Boys Elite Heat Preview
Not to be outshined by the girls' heat, this talent in the elite heat of the boys is just as loaded! As these eager runners hit the track for the first time this season we'll see who has really turned on the jets since cross country season. We look at each competitor in the elite heat and show you what they bring to the table!
Nathan Atchue (Franklin County, VA)
The junior from Virginia is coming off a 4th place finish at the VHSL Class 6 State XC Meet. He ran a personal best of 15:13 in September at the Knights Crossing XC Invitational, where he was victorious. Atchue made the trip to NC for Hare & Hounds where he took home another win. On the track last season he ran 4:22 over 1,600m. He returns to New Balance Dash For Doobie after a 23rd place finish last year running 9:36.
The UNC commit was our pre-season No. 1 headed into cross country season and he lived up to the hype. He led Mount Tabor to a team championship in the Race of Champions and Great American XC and finished 4th overall in a personal best of 15:14. He went on to capture his first career individual state title, winning the NCHSAA 4A XC State Championship! He was runner-up at the NCHSAA 3A State Championship in the 1,600m clocking 4:18, just a few seconds off his 4:14 personal best. He is the top returner from the last New Balance Dash For Doobie where he finished 2nd, running 9:15.
Elliott Kleckner (South Central)
The ECU commit is coming off an impressive cross country season which he capped off with a 3rd place finish at the NCHSAA 3A XC State Championship. He ran his season best at the Big Carolina Conference Championship clocking 15:21. He backed it up with a 15:24 performance at the NCHSAA 3A East Regional. His personal best comes from the 2020 RunningLane Cross Country Championships where he ran 15:17. On the track he earned all-state honors in the 3,200m taking 3rd in the NCHSAA 4A State Championship running a personal best of 9:20.
We haven't seen the junior since his dominant 15:21 win at the NCISAA 4A State XC Championship. Hansen helped Christ School capture the team title as well. He was one of the most consistent performers during cross country with five of his seven races under 15:35. He had an epic sophomore track season, where he ran 4:16 for 1,600m, and 9:21 for 3,200m.
The junior made his best run for the NCHSAA 4A XC crown, but fell just short, finishing runner-up to Soule. It was still a remarkable season for Laney, and he proved himself to be one of the elite runners in the state. He opened his season with a 15:39 at the Carolinas Kickoff. He ran a huge personal best at Great American XC finishing 8th overall clocking 15:23. He made a case for the win in every race he ran, finishing no worse than 8th, and never running slower than 15:41.
The senior is fresh off a 4th place finish at the FHSAA Cross Country State Finals where he ran 15:39. His personal best comes from the FSU Invitational where he ran 15:23, good for 5th place. On the track Kirbo ran his personal best at the FHSAA Outdoor State Finals, clocking 9:36 for 13th place.
The defending NCHSAA 4A East Champion is ready to hit the track after earning his first all-state honors in cross country. Surface was the No. 1 sophomore in NC this season, and holds a personal best of 15:24. On the track last season he was NC freshman No. 3 in the 3,200m with a personal best of 9:51.
Brannon Adams (Jefferson Forest, VA)
The senior is coming off a 5th place finish at the VHSL Class 4 State XC Meet. He ran his personal best of 15:35 at Great American XC, placing 2nd in the Seeded Race. On the track last season, Adams ran 4:24 over 1,600m, and was 4th at the VHSL Group 4 State Championships in the 3,200m running 9:30.
The sophomore is fresh off a championship at the SCHSL AAAAA State Meet. He established himself as one of the best runners in the southeast after his victory at the Wendy's Invitational. His personal best comes from the Warrior XC Invitational where he clocked 15:24. He ran 9:44 over 3,200m at the SCHSL 5A State Championships, good for 6th place.
The sophomore was runner-up to teammate Hansen at the NCISAA 4A XC State Championship running 15:47. It came a week after his personal best at the CAA Championships, where he ran 15:31. He proved to be an elite middle distance runner on the track, posting a 800m personal best of 1:55.7 as a freshman. He ran 4:20.03 for the 1,600m at the Music City Track Carnival as well.
The Auburn commit was 3rd at the NCHSAA 4A State Championships in a loaded field. He will see a lot of familiar faces in this race and it is another chance for Snyder to prove to everyone he is one of the elites in the state. He holds a 5,000m personal best of 15:33 from early in the cross country season. He was runner-up to Liebert at Wendy's Invitational. On the track he earned all-state honors in the 3,200m after his 4th place 9:31 performance at the NCHSAA 3A State Championship.
Austin Brotemarkle (Forestview)
The senior from Forestview was 5th at the NCHSAA 3A XC State Championship this season, and was 3rd at the NCHSAA 3A West Regional. At the last New Balance Dash For Doobie he had a stellar run, running a personal best of 9:29 and taking 13th overall. He holds a personal best of 4:26 in the 1,600m, which he ran at the NCRunners Twilight.
In his first season in North Carolina, Patrick Gibbons proved he was one of the best runners in the state. He earned all-state honors in cross country after his 4th place finish at the NCHSAA 4A State Meet. He holds a personal best in the 5,000m of 15:38. On the track in Connecticut last season, Gibbons was superb. He ran a personal best of 4:14 in the 1,600m at the CIAC State Outdoor Championships taking 5th. He was runner-up in the 3,200m at the CIAC State Championships running 9:28. He was also 8th at The Outdoor Nationals last season in the 2,000m Steeplechase!
The NCHSAA 3A Mideast Regional champion is ready to hit the track after a great cross country season. He ran a personal best of 15:39 at the MileStat.com Invitational taking 6th place. During the NCHSAA 3A Outdoor State Championship last season Baker finished 8th in the 800m, 3rd in the 1,600m, and 8th in the 3,200m.
Douglas Gledhill (Mount Tabor)
Gledhill capped off a breakout cross country season with an all-state run at the NCHSAA 4A State Championships. Gledhill was a key piece to the state champion Mount Tabor squad, and his best race may have been his 15:39 16th place run at the Great American XC Festival. His personal bests on the track are 4:35 for 1,600m, and 9:55 for 3,200m. I'm sure Gledhill will destroy that 3,200m time this weekend, and may even run an opening 1,600m faster than 4:35 if the field is looking to challenge for 9:00.
Another key piece to Mount Tabor's championship is senior Davis Potter. Potter had a fantastic state championship finishing 6th overall and earning all-state honors. He was 5th at the NCHSAA 4A Midwest Regional just a week prior! He ran his personal best of 15:45 at adidas XC Challenge in September. He took home 7th in the 3,200m at the NCHSAA Outdoor State Championship running a personal best of 9:41.
Pena capped off his senior cross country season with an all-state run at the NCHSAA 4A State Championship. He ran his personal best a week prior at the NCHSAA 4A East Regional, running 15:42. He took home the 3,200m crown at the NCHSAA 4A East Regional last year and ran a personal best of 9:33 in the process. He was 7th in the event at the NCHSAA 4A State Championship. His personal best in the 1,600 is 4:29 from a Hoggard dual meet.
Stephen Fernetti (North Lincoln)
The junior led North Lincoln to a NCHSAA 3A XC State Championship with his 4th place finish in the event, running a personal best of 15:50. It was his second all-state run in cross country as he finished 7th as a sophomore during the 2020 season. On the track last season he was 4th place in the 1,600m at the NCHSAA 2A State Meet running 4:28, just a second off his 4:27 personal best.
Krister Sjoblad (Athens Drive)
Sjoblad was hovering at the low-16:00 range for 5,000m during his sophomore season in 2020, but in 2021 he finally broke the 16:00 barrier, and he lived under that 16:00 barrier. He ran all six of his races under 16:00, dipping as low as 15:43 at the NCHSAA 4A East Regional. His consistency paid off as he placed 7th at the NCHSAA 4A State Meet earning all-state honors. On the track he holds a personal best in the 3,200m of 9:41.
The Liberty commit was elite on the track last season, and proved to have some of the best range in the state. He ran 1:59 for 800m, 4:22 for 1,600m, and 9:29 for 3,200m. He was 7th in the 1,600m at the NCHSAA 4A State Championship last season. He was 30th at the last edition of the New Balance Dash For Doobie where he ran 9:39.
The senior bounced back at the NCHSAA 4A State Meet after an 11th place finish at the NCHSAA 4A Midwest Regional. He earned all-state honors with a 5th pace finish, and was in the fight for the lead until the final portion of the race. His cross country personal best comes from the 2020 Hare & Hounds where he ran 15:44. He ran 15:45 at the Friday Night Lights Invitational this season. On the track last season he ran 9:17 over 3,200m at the Ballantyne Twilight and finished 6th in the NCHSAA 4A State Meet in the event.
The NCHSAA 4A Midwest Regional Champion in cross country is ready to prove he is more than just a middle distance runner on the track. Look has as impressive a resume as anyone in this field in the 800m and 1,600m, having run 1:54 in the 800m and 4:18 in the 1,600m. He was runner-up in the 800m at the NCHSAA 3A State Meet last season. He ran a personal best of 9:55 in the 3,200m at the last New Balance Dash For Doobie, but a victory at the cross country regional makes me know he is ready to drop a crazy 3,200m time.
Townsend will be joining his teammate Kirbo in the elite heat here at New Balance Dash For Doobie. He was 15th at the FHSAA Cross Country State Finals and holds a personal best of 15:48. He ran 9:31 for 3,200m to take 12th at last season's FHSAA Outdoor State Finals.
Nathan Hinrichs (New Bloomfield, MO)
The Penn State commit from Missouri is making the trip to North Carolina in search of an elite 3,200m mark. He was runner-up at the MSHSAA Class 2 State XC Championships running 16:01. He holds a personal best of 15:48. On the track last season he ran 4:30 over 1,600m and 9:36 over 3,200m.