NCHSAA State Championship Results
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Both of the NCHSAA 4A state championships were loaded with North Carolina's top individual talent. While both races had the favorites coming in, it felt like five to eight athletes in each race had an opportunity to come away with the win.
Both races played out the same for the most part through about Two Miles. A tight pack of 10 to 15 runners at the front biding their time and running a fast pace, but still waiting for someone else to make their move. On the girl's side, Cardinal Gibbons led the pack down the portion of the course alongside the road three wide with everyone else in tow. Alexander was a step of so back of the lead group on the girls side halfway through the race.d For the boys, Michael Haskin (Asheville) seemingly was setting the pace but was surrounded by all of the classifications contenders waiting for the real race to begin.
Michael Haskin of Asheville after winning the 4A Boys state title in 15:21
As they got beyond the two-mile mark, Haskin was up front with a group of Philip Blum (Riverside), Tate Shore (Reagan) and Cedar Nichols-Barnhart (R.J. Reynolds) who had broken slightly ahead of the group, though others were still in striking distance. Haskin was starting to pick up the pace over the last Mile, but Shore tried to pick up the pace as the kick to the finish line picked up. Haskin and Blum were able to hold onto this move, and eventually move past Shore in what was the battle to the finish line. Haskin had the early step and was just in front of Blum who was able to keep pace with his finishing kick, but was unable to make up the ground to make a pass as Haskin took the win in 15:21 to 15:22.
Sofi Alexander of Asheville after winning the 4A Girls state title in 18:01
Hannah Rae Shaffer (Cardinal Gibbons) pushed the pace as they got to one Mile to go in the girl's race. Alexander had moved from being just off the lead group to right on Shaffer's back with Elle Dawson (Ragsdale), Amelia Medlin (Hoggard), Addie Oversmith (Broughton) and Cali Townsend (Watauga) behind as the top 12 girls were starting to string out, but still all within a big group. Alexander was able to overtake Shaffer, but Dawson was still right on her heels as the freshman was having a stellar race. However, Alexander was able to replicate what her teammate did an hour earlier and make it a sweep for on the NCHSAA 4A titles for Asheville HS running the fastest time of the day in 18:01 to Dawson's 18:02.
While coming into the year, Haskins and Alexander were both coming off breakthrough track seasons and expected to be among the 4A title contenders, it has not been an easy year. On September 26th, Asheville and many surrounding areas in Western North Carolina were devasted by Category 4 Hurricane Helene. Just this week, they went back to school, but they are still without running water, power, or cell service in most parts of the area. While they had every excuse they could need to why they did not achieve the state title goals they'd set coming into the year, they both continued to thrive with Haskin running a personal best of 15:01 and Alexander a 17:35 ahead of their NCHSAA 4A State Championship win.
Both of these Asheville athletes ran the fastest times at the NCHSAA XC State Championships on Saturday. The Asheville boys team won the NCHSAA 3A team title in 2010 and have had individual state champions in John Harwell in 2008, Milos Mitric in 2001, it'll be hard to match the journey Haskin and Alexander had to overcome to make their 2024 4A sweep happen. WNC and Asheville have a lot to be proud of in these two star athletes.