The No. 5 team on the girls' side of the cross country pre-season countdown are the Vikings of Hoggard. 

The Vikings were runner-up at the NCHSAA 4A East Regional and 7th at the NCHSAA 4A State Championship. However, they return their entire top seven. In that top seven are senior Molly Parker and junior Ashlei Summers. 

Parker, who was 21st at the cross country state meet, went on to place 10th in the 1,600m at the NCHSAA 4A state meet. She was runner-up in the event at her regional and conference championship. She ran her personal best of 5:00.25 at the Mideastern Conference Championship. She also proved she has closing speed with an 800m time of 2:18.41.

Summers was 31st at the cross country state meet just a week after placing 5th in the regional. During track season, she took 4th in the 3,200m at the regional and went on to place 10th at the state meet. Her personal best in the even comes from the regional where she ran 11:11.42.

Parker and Summers were right on top of each other at the regional in cross country. Summers placed 5th, just .19 ahead of Parker who was 6th. 

If you take their team's 3,200m times and scored it like a cross country meet, they would be NC No. 2. Parker ran 11:08.35 at adidas Raleigh Relays this spring. 

Senior Shea Hoffacker ran 2:21/5:20 for the 800m/1,600m this spring which is gearing her up for a big fall. 

Junior Annie Mulligan was 11th at the NCHSAA 4A East Regional in the 1,600m and Luci Hosley was 13th in the 800m.

The Vikings are looking to regain their spot atop the NCHSAA 4A East Regional. With a full team of returners, even hungrier after last year's runner-up finish, the sky is the limit for Hoggard.