This might be the best collection of milers we get all season. Keeghan Edwards (Valor Christian, CO) is making the long cross-country trip to race some of the east coast's best at near sea-level. She ran 4:49.60 at the RunningLane Track Championship last spring. Right behind her, however, was Cardinal Gibbons' Hannah Rae Shaffer, who ran 4:51.23 at RunningLane. Shaffer is the defending NCHSAA 4A 3,200m outdoor state champion.
Current NC No. 1 in the 3,200m, Mary Bonner Dalton, is racing her first 1,600m/Mile of the season. She ran 4:50.29 indoors for the full mile, and is the defending indoor 3,200m state champ.
However, we cannot ignore the current top three performers this season in the 1,600m. The Cuthbertson trio of Charlotte Bell (4:46.34), Stella Kermes (4:51.87), and Alyssa Preisano (4:52.39) are looking to all break into the top five in state history. It would take a 4:41.75c (4:43.38 for full mile) to crack the top five in state history.
The fourth of the Cuthbertson relay squad, Justine Preisano, is making her mile debut this season. She is the defending indoor 1,000m state champion, and was all-state in the 800m and 1,600m last outdoor season.
After a state record in 2022, the boy's field want to accomplish even more in 2023. A big in-state versus out-of-state battle takes the field by storm.
Jake Liebert (Wando, SC) is a 3,200m superstar, but he wants to drop distances and still hold on to his dominance. He has clocked 8:55.50 and 8:57.53 in his two 3,200m races this season.
Conner Rutherford (Blackburg, VA) is the defending VHSL Indoor Class 4 State Champion in the 1,600m, where he ran a personal best of 4:14.90. He also ran 4:11.99 for the 1-mile indoors at New Balance Nationals.
Harvard commit Charlie Ortmans (The Potomac School, VA) is the defending indoor VISAA State Champion, where he clocked 4:15.42. During cross country, he ran 14:40.00 and was the VISAA state champion. He was 6th at the Carolina Distance Carnival in 2022 in 4:11.25.
Jacob Laney (Porter Ridge) was runner-up in 2022, and clocked a best time of 4:07.26. Laney battled injury this fall and into the winter, but battled back to win the NCHSAA 4A Indoor state title in the 1,600m, running 4:11.21. He also ran 2:34.23 for the 1,000m. Two weekends ago at Arcadia Invitational in California, Laney ran 8:51.50 for the 3,200m.
Caden Townshend (Weddington) is looking for redemption after finishing runner-up at the NCHSAA 4A Indoor state meet in the 1,600m. Especially as Townshend is the defending outdoor state champ in the same event. He clocked 4:08.30 to win the outdoor state meet. In the 800m, he has a best of 1:54.89, and in the 3,200m his best time is 9:05.51. He was also runner-up in cross country.
Dawson Reeves (Christ School) is looking to break out of the shadow of his superstar teammate. Reeves is a superstar in his own right, and wants to show the rest of the country that fact. He ran 8:57.47 for the 3,200m at Arcadia Invitational two weeks ago. He has some epic speed, as shown by his 1:52.83 best. He was 7th at RunningLane Track Championships in the One-Mile, running 4:11.32.
Will Venable (Broughton) won the Apex Lions' Relays 1,600m last weekend, so keep an eye on him as a surprise pick.