It's the greatest time of the year!
While the leaves are still a few weeks from falling and football has yet to kick off, the first signs of fall can be seen out on the grass as cross country runners from across the Tar Heel State have started opening up their high school seasons.
With the 2026 season officially underway, MileSplit will be spending this week previewing all eight classifications in North Carolina. From 1A through 8A, we'll take a look at the top teams, athletes to watch, returning standouts, and storylines that could shape the season as the road to the state championships begins.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
to receive personalized notifications when tagged in results, photos, video & articles
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Top of the 6A Boys Classification is Up for Grabs
Six of the top eight finishers from last fall's state meet graduated, leaving a void at the top of the classification, which will make for an exciting next couple of months.
Brooks Roslonski looks to be one of the two early-season contenders and is coming off an impressive spring, which resulted in a runner-up finish in the 3,200m and a 3rd-place finish in the 1,600m. The rising junior from T.C. Roberson finished 5th in Kernersville last November and will be eyeing the newly vacated top spot in 6A.
Judah Hall is the top returner from last year's state meet and posted the fastest returning time in the classification, which puts him right next to Roslonski as an early-season contender. The Asheville junior is still seeking his first win on the grass and should have ample opportunities to establish himself as 6A's next best distance runner.
Beyond the two favorites, a couple of more names to keep an eye on include Asa Mehler and Cody Sullivan, both of whom finished in the top 10 at last year's championships. The Swansboro duo of Michael Justice and Jasiah Mason, two 6A's fastest returners, are back for their senior cross country season and are slated to open their season at the Fightertown XC Invitational in Havelock on Saturday.
...
Can Asheville Jump From 4th to 1st?
A.C. Reynolds won their first boys cross country state title in program history last fall, scoring 66 points and averaging 16:37 across 5,000m. It was an impressive performance, but the Rockets have been gutted since, graduating six seniors from the state squad in 2025. Second-place Mt. Tabor faces a similar issue after averaging the same 16:37 over 5,000m, graduating three runners from their top 5.
Enter Asheville, who brings back all seven runners and a strong 1-2 punch consisting of two of the three fastest returners in the classification. With just days before the beginning of the North Carolina cross country season, you'd be hard-pressed to find a team more equipped for a deep postseason run than the Cougars.
T.C. Roberson should be in the mix as well. They graduated just two from their top seven and finished 24 points ahead of Asheville in Kernersville, after all. Equipped with a bona fide low-stick and excellent pack running, the Rams are really just a #5 runner away from being considered the team favorites over their cross-town rivals. Whatever happens between now and November is sure to be exciting.
While they will be tasked with replacing a good portion of their roster, the Spartans' drop-off is far from insurmountable, and they could easily jump right back into the mix and compete for a podium position once again in 2026. Watauga is another team that looks strong on paper and will be hungry to improve upon their 6th-place finish from last year's championship race.
...
Dawson vs Townsend: A Blossoming Rivalry
These two girls could be best friends for all I know, but 2026 could be the start of a two-year stretch where Elle Dawson and Callie Townsend share the top spot in 6A.
Elle Dawson is the top returner from last year's state meet, finishing 3rd before running a personal best time of 17:15 at NXR Southeast. She stepped up her game this spring, gliding to a pair of state titles in the 1,600m and 3,200m. The junior from Ragsdale has been nothing short of phenomenal over the course of her first two high school seasons.
Over the last calendar year, Cali Townsend has slowly been climbing the 6A leaderboards. She finished 4th at the cross country state meet last season before collecting a pair of runner-up finishes in the 1,600m state championships in the winter and spring. She shares an identical personal best with Dawson in the 1,600m and is four seconds faster in the 3,200m.
With just 1.8 seconds separating their cross country personal bests, this fall is guaranteed to provide fireworks.
Rachel Riley and Brynn McHale deserve some love as well. Riley, a senior from Mount Tabor, is the third-fastest returner from 2025 and will be leading her team after a 5th-place finish at last year's state meet. McHale enters her junior season hoping to build on her 6th-place finish from last year's fall classic and continue dropping her NC #17 5K time of 17:44.
...
Will Watauga Repeat?
Watauga won its fourth state title in program history, their first since 1995, in Kernersville last fall and enters this season as favorites to win again.
The Pioneers graduate just one runner from their championship squad a year ago and are led by one of the classification's best runners. Josie Mayo finished 9th as a freshman at the state meet and after a year of experience under her belt, could be one of 6A's breakout stars on the grass.
As previously mentioned, Mount Tabor will be looking to improve on their 5th-place finish in 2025 and return six from their state team a year ago, including two of the six fastest returners in the classification.
A.C. Reynolds and Middle Creek will both be in contention later this fall. The Rockets finished fourth a season ago and return five sophomores capable of making significant leaps in 2026. Middle Creek finished 3rd at state last year and brings back five from last year's state squad, one of whom was their top runner.
East Chapel Hill, last season's runner-up, graduated three seniors, but has a very strong core of rising sophomores capable of putting this team back on the podium in November.