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.
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No Shortage of Excitement in the 7A Boys Classification
While Grayson Dill returns to defend his state title, the 7A boys classification should provide some of the best racing in North Carolina this fall.
The senior from Topsail is the top returner, having run a 15:10 in 2025 to go along with his first championship, but there will be plenty of suitors coming for his spot at the top of 7A.
James Elliott was last year's runner-up at the state meet and will once again be a top contender in the individual race. Cruz Ledford went 15:18 in October last year, which is the second-fastest returning time in 7A. The rising senior from Holly Springs is coming off a strong spring that resulted in a second-place finish in the 3,200m and he is hoping to keep that momentum rolling into the fall.
Among other returners, Michael Enriquez enjoyed a breakout spring and could be due for significant improvement in the 5K this fall. Charlie Mangum finished 7th in Kernersville last season and is the top returning junior in the classification, having run 15:30 in Louisville last September.
This group will be joined by Adam Haggart, formerly of Charlotte Country Day, in 2026, and he will immediately become one of the classification's top distance runners. The junior joins a Marvin Ridge squad that lost its top two runners from a year ago. Haggart ran the state's 34th-fastest 5K last fall before taking another step forward on the track, clocking a 14:57 over 5,000m.
Whether he immediately rises to the top of 7A remains to be seen, but there's no denying that winning state this fall just got a whole lot more difficult.
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Cardinal Gibbons Seeking First Title Since 2020
Cardinal Gibbons, one of the most decorated cross country programs in the Tar Heel State, has gone five years without a boys state championship, but the Crusaders appear to have their best chance yet to end that drought in 2026.
Cuthbertson took down Cardinal Gibbons at last year's state meet, scoring 86 points - two more than the Crusaders. But with Cavaliers graduating two of their top three runners, we might be crowning a new champion in 2026.
The Crusaders return their top five runners from last year's state team, which averaged 16:10 over 5K and includes two of the four fastest returners in the classification - James Elliott and Charlie Mangum.
With the recent addition of Haggart, Marvin Ridge maintains their status as a top contender, despite graduating their top two finishers from last year's state meet. The Mavericks bring back two seniors, Gavin Jordan and Matthew Lussardi, who could play pivotal roles in how the 7A team race in Kernersville pans out.
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Who Can Stop Kaitlyn Estep?
The answer might be as simple as "nobody."
Kaitlyn Estep had a phenomenal calendar year, collecting state titles in the fall, winter, and spring, while also earning All-American honors in each of the three seasons. The rising junior from Cardinal Gibbons won last year's state championship, running a 17:16 in Kernersville, and later qualified for the Brooks XC National Championships at historic Balboa Park.
Fresh off a busy and dominant spring track season, Estep eyes her second consecutive state title and will look to make another run at an even better finish at one of the national meets this postseason.
Her biggest returning competition in 7A will come from Emma Balaban and Colby McCollum. Balaban, the rising junior from Weddington, finished runner-up at state last fall, running under 17:30 on four occasions. McCollum, a junior from Cuthbertson, ran 17:20 at the VA XC Showcase last October and most recently took down Estep to win the 7A state title in the 1,600m.
Caitlin Kasten is another top returner in 7A, having run the third-fastest returning time in the 5K at the Great American XC Festival last fall. The rising senior finished 2nd at the outdoor state meet in the 800m and 3,200m this spring and will be looking to carry that momentum into the fall season.
And don't forget Athena Pluchos, one of the best middle school distance runners last year. The future Maverick ran a 2:09 (800m), 4:48 (1,600m), and 10:41 (3,200m) after an undefeated 8th-grade cross country season, which included a win at the Brooks South XC Championships, running a 18:15 over 5,000m. The freshman should be one of the classification's best in 2026.
Among other individuals looking to find their way onto the podium this season are Sadie Mersereau, Savannah Gentille, and Claire Zimmerman. While it's early, the Lake Norman junior sits second in the classification 5K just one week into the season. Zimmerman ran an 18:46 at the South Mecklenburg CC Invitational.
Speaking of the South Mecklenburg CC Invitational, Kristen Starkey, a sophomore from Davie County, picked up her first win of the season, running an impressive 18:04, establishing herself as a legitimate threat to finish on the podium this November.
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7A Girls: We've Got a Great Team Battle
Cardinal Gibbons continued their long-lasting tradition of girls cross country, racing to a third straight state championship at the 2025 state championships and will be hoping for a fourth this fall.
The Crusaders bring back all four of their top finishers from last year's state championship-winning squad, who all finished inside the top 15 in Kernersville.
Cuthbertson and Marvin Ridge appear to be their biggest threat, each returning three from last season's top five. The Cavaliers' returning squad recorded a 1-5 split of 1:55 in 2025, which is likely to come down even further this season, while the Mavericks add one of the best freshmen in the country to their squad and should instantly contribute at a high-level.
While they are still on the outside looking in, Holly Springs returns five runners who went under 20-minutes in the 5K last year and will be one of 7A's best teams. Erin Ahearn will lead the Golden Hawks squad in 2025 and could play spoiler to the top three teams in the classification.