XC Top Ten Team Countdown: Girls' No. 3 Weddington

The No. 3 girls' team on the pre-season countdown are the Warriors of Weddington.

They were runner-up last fall at the NCHSAA 4A Cross Country State Championship. They return their 2-3-4-6 runners from the event. 

Up front, Elizabeth Ritter and Grace Hanson are in contention for top-three finishes at the state meet. Last fall, Ritter was 8th and Hanson was 22nd. 

On the individuals' side of the pre-season countdown, Hanson is tied for 10th and Ritter is 6th. They are one of two teams with multiple runners in the top ten. 

Rising senior, Audrey Wright, is looking to take that next step in her career and move up with Ritter and Hanson. She ran 18:16.38 at the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championship last December. On the track she ran 11:08.59 for 3,200m during indoor season.

Another senior in Paige Starkie returners after a strong showing in the spring. In 2021, she ran 2:20.01 in the 800m to place 5th at the NCHSAA 3A State Championship, and during 2022 indoor she ran 11:19.33 over 3,200m. As a sophomore, she placed 13th at the NCHSAA 3A cross country state meet and as a freshman she placed 30th.

The battle for their No. 5 runner is going to be tight, but friendly team competition will only make these ladies better, and the team stronger.

Sophomores Janie Davis and Sienna Taylor had solid track seasons as freshman. Davis ran 5:42 for 1,600m and Taylor ran 5:49. Meanwhile, senior Sadie Marek ran 5:52 during indoor season. 

This is a Weddington team that is gunning for nothing short of a championship. They have the pedigree, the experience, and the hunger to compete for the crown come November. All that matters in deciding a state champion is who is better on that one faithful Saturday in November. As we've seen year-in-and-year-out, truly anything can happen.