Watch Kavi Gibson win Friday Night Lights in 15:15
Kavi Gibson (Cary Academy) won Friday Night Lights as a junior in 15:19 taking a five second win over Michael Haskin (Asheville). Gibson was our top returning ranked individual and also was ranked 21st in the MileSplit 50 National Rankings.
The race got underway and Sawyer Lisk (Leesville Road) ensured he was getting out strong leading the field through the opening gates of Ivey Redmon. He'd be joined by Gibson and George Lawson (FCDS) as well as Ethan Rich (Western Harnett) and Bryce Cook (Parkwood) going through the opening Mile in 4:46-4:47 as a lead group of 5. Just a step behind was a large pack with 24 boys within 10 seconds of the lead through the opening Mile.
Over the second Mile the lead group would condense to Gibson, Lawson, Rich and Lisk crossing in 9:46 all side by side. Eric Gillis (Jesse Carson) would find himself alone trying to reel in the front pack five seconds back in 9:51.
Gibson would begin pushing the pace with Rich and Lawson holding on. Lisk would just fall off the pace at the front and would look to hold off the field chasing them down out ahead.
It would break away between Gibson and Rich over the final Mile as Gibson would be able to pull ahead, but not out of striking distance of Rich. But Gibson had enough to finish strong down the homestretch and bring home back to back individual titles running 15:15, just off the meet record of 15:14 set by Noah Valyo in 2023. Rich would finish just behind in 15:20 to finish 2nd. The pair were arguably the top two cross country runners in 2024 over the duration of the season and proved to potentially be no different as their senior year gets underway.
Lisk would hold on and move up to third having a strong showing finishing in 15:30. Corban Cazier (Coastal Christian) would move up from 9th at the 2 Mile to finish strong and move up to 4th in 15:36 catching Lawson down the finishing straight who would take 5th in 15:38.
Cruz Ledford (Holly Springs) was towards the front of the chase group that was strung out through 2 Miles and would move up to finish 6th in 15:39 and finish as the first non senior in the field. Gillis, Samuel Cowell (Apex Friendship), Riley Kiziah (Hoggard) and Michael Rivlin (Marvin Ridge) would make up your top 10 finishes coming in between 15:45 and 15:52.