Rising Stars: Lake Norman's Kasey Dingman

The Rising Stars series is back for cross country season and it is starting off with quite the standout athlete. 

Lake Norman's Kasey Dingman has already taken the state by storm after dropping a 18:34 at the Providence Cross Country Invitational finishing as the top in-state runner. It was just her first race, but her time is already NC freshman No. 39 all-time. Only eight girls in state history have broken 18:00 as freshmen. 

She is toeing the line this Friday at the Friday Night Lights Festival, where she will be put to the biggest test of her young career. With nine of the top ten NCRunners ranked girls competing, it is the freshman's time to establish herself as a star, not a rising star. She currently has the No. 2 time in the state and was moved from unranked to No. 6 in the first NCRunners Rankings Update.

She won the NCRunners Middle School Elite Invitational 800m last spring running a personal best of 2:24.79. She also took runner-up in the 1,600m at the same meet, running another personal best of 5:16.30.

She was NC Middle School No. 2 in both the 800m and 1,600m in the spring. 

During indoor season, she ran 5:14.80 for the 1-mile run. 

Last cross country season, Dingman was runner-up in the NCRunners Elite XC Championship Middle School race running 12:10.40.

The high school scene in North Carolina is on fire right now, with arguably the deepest level of talent the state has ever seen at one time, and Dingman just adds to that star-power. 

Personally, I'm amped to see Dingman race Friday on the largest stage that North Carolina will provide this fall.