North Carolina Brooks South Regional Championship Preview

All-Time North Carolina Nationals Qualifiers

McAlpine All-Time Lists: Boys | Girls

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Golden Tickets From South Region:

Boys

Caden Leonard (Southlake Carroll, TX)

Marcelo Mantecon (Belen Jesuit, FL)

Brian Burns (Bentonville, AR)

Girls

Averi Lowen (Bowdon, GA)

North Carolina Boys Preview

Nine North Carolina boys rank within the top 45 entrants based on 5K season best heading into the Brooks XC South Regional Championship Race. In the last three years it has taken 15:09, 15:03 and 15:02 to finish 10th or better and qualify for Nationals in San Diego, CA.  

Kavi Gibson (Cary Academy) was just one spot off in 2024 finishing 11th overall and has had an incredible senior season winning major meets like Friday Night Lights, Hare & Hounds and Manhattan.  He's run 14:50 and 14:49 already on this course this season which should put him in contention for the individual win tomorrow afternoon.  

Myles Jermyn (Orange) was 6th last weekend at NXN Southeast running a seasons best of 15:01 showing he's in top shape looking for a spot to San Diego.  He was runner-up behind Michael Ferguson (North Buncombe) at the NCHSAA 5A State Championship running the fastest two times of the entire state meet.  Ferguson holds a season best of 15:02 and missed the first half of the season after dealing with injury.  He's proven himself with the individual state championship that he's in his best shape and would expect to see his best race of the year on Saturday.

George Lawson (Forsyth Country Day) will be one to watch on Saturday as well with a seasons best of 15:06 already on this course in September.  He's coming off a win at Dash for Doobie in 9:09 two weeks ago where he finished ahead of Jermyn and ran faster than Ferguson at Toad Fest in Tennessee.  Ethan Rich (Western Harnett) was the NCHSAA 6A State Champion this season and holds a seasons best of 15:03 at WakeMed.  He hasn't run at McAlpine this season but did run 15:18 his junior season on this course.  

Other athletes in contention are Owen Munn (Homeschool), Riley Kiziah (Hoggard), John Templeton (FCDS), Jackson Farmer (Reagan) and Eric Gillis (Jesse Carson).  All have run under 15:15 this season and have the ability to hang on up front and be there when they get to the lake the final time with a chance to kick for a top 10 spot.  Munn and Gillis especially have shown no fear in getting up front and pushing the pace.  With nothing to lose on Saturday expect these athletes to contend as long as they can to give themselves a chance to surprise the field and take a spot to San Diego.

Boys Top 45 Entrants On Season Best

North Carolina Girls Preview

The girls field is pretty significantly stronger than the guys field with most of the top girls in the South Region competing and only Averi Lowen taking a Golden Ticket spot.  However, North Carolina girls are stronger than ever before and will have many looking to earn a spot on a loaded Brooks South team.

The last three 10th place times to qualify out of the south region have been 17:27, 17:10, and 17:32.  With how the field looks on paper I'd expect it to be as strong if not stronger than in 2023 when it took 17:10.  

8A State Champion Madeline Dorsch (Pinecrest) has been the best girl in the state over the 2025 season and ranks 8th in the region with her 16:55 at WakeMed.  She's run 17:03 on this course and should be mixing it up in the front of this field.  She was third last week at NXN Southeast running 16:59 and will battle with many of the same girls again this weekend.  Just behind her finishing 5th at NXN Southeast was Georgy Helmers (EE Smith) who ran a personal best of 17:01.  Helmers was 6A State Champion and has been really consistent over the course of this cross country season.  She as has strong finishing speed and will likely be up there with Dorsch in contention for the top North Carolina girl in the field.

Kaitlyn Estep (Cardinal Gibbons) was the 7A State Champion and ranks 13th in the field with her 17:04 personal best.  She did beat Dorsch at Dash for Doobie in a 3200m a few weeks ago where she ran 10:14 and while she's strong on the XC course, she's got great speed on the track with 2:08 and 4:44 800m and 1600m PRs.  

Sophomores Cali Townsend (Watauga) and Emma Balaban (Weddington) both have shown high ceilings this season with a 17:16 and 17:25 seasons best making a huge jump from their freshman years.  Townsend won Wendy's on this McAlpine course winning by 40 seconds in 17:16.  Balaban ran a 17:28 at Ivey Redmon finishing 2nd to Estep at the 7A State Championships and ran 17:37 in August in what was a major breakout race.  

Caitlin Kasten (Marvin Ridge), Kasey Dingman (Lake Norman) and Sofi Alexander (Asheville) were all top 30 (All-Region) finishers in 2024 and will be in contention to move on to the national meet with a strong day tomorrow.  Colby McCollum (Cuthbertson) has run 17:20 this year as well and will be in the mix with this group.  We've seen strong performances from all four of these girls over the last year whether on the track or cross country course.  In most years they'd be much higher up on the rankings heading into this event, but would expect them to be in contention when it gets to the final mile for a top 10 finish.

Girls Top 45 Entrants On Season Best