Mount Tabor's girls come in at No. 4 on the pre-season cross country team countdown. Led by rising junior Joiner Evans, the Spartans look to make their run top the top of the state.

Evans is coming off a strong track campaign. She placed 3rd at the NCHSAA 4A State Championship in the 3,200m where she ran a personal best of 10:50.95. She was runner-up in the same event at the NCHSAA 4A Midwest Regional. She also ran 5:09.95 for the full mile at the Mount Tabor Mile, taking 6th place. During indoor season she was 8th in the 3,200m at the NCHSAA 4A Indoor State Championship. Last fall during cross country, she was 10th at the regional and 23rd at the state meet.

The Spartans went on to finish 4th at the NCHSAA 4A Cross Country State Championship. They return their top six finishers from the state, so they are poised to make a run at the championship this time around. 

Katie McFerrin ran 2:15.99 over 800m at the NCHSAA 4A Midwest Regional. She was 27th at last year's cross country state meet where she ran a personal best of 18:57.69.

Thalia Soule was 11th at the indoor state meet in the 1,600m where she ran a personal best of 5:16.10. She has a cross country personal best of 19:14.90 from last fall's Speed Week Invitational.

Hannah Riley, who is a very accomplished pole vaulter, is also an excellent distance runner. She ran 2:14.50 in the 800m at a quad meet last spring. Riley has a cross country personal best of 19:25.74 from the state meet, where she placed 43rd. 

Eliza Brand, who ran 20:02 last fall, emerged as a key runner for the Spartans as they head into the 2022 season. She ran 3:05.06 at the indoor state meet in the 1,000m to take 7th. During outdoor season she dropped an impressive 11:31.45 in the 3,200m. She also ran 5:08.00 for the full mile. 

This is a Mount Tabor team that has all the pieces to make a run at the podium on November 5th. With so many of their top seven preparing for their senior seasons, they will most certainly leave it all on the course this fall.