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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Who Will Replace Riley Kiziah?
It's not very often you see a runner of the caliber of Riley Kiziah, last year's 8A state champion, up and move in the middle of the summer, but that's exactly what happened, leaving the top of the classification up for grabs once again.
Samuel Cowell is the top returner, having run a 15:43 en route to a 3rd-place finish in Kernersville last November. The rising senior from Apex Friendship will be joined by Charlie Slawinski, a senior from Broughton who won the 8A 3,200m on the oval this spring. These two enter the fall season as the early favorites to take Kiziah's top spot in 8A.
Nathan Vo will be in the mix as well. The rising junior has already gotten his season started, running under 16:20 in both races and is only going to get faster as the year rolls along. Vo, the second-fastest returner from last year's state meet, finished 10th in 2025 and will be hoping to improve upon his position in 2026.
Tyler Burke and Gavin Clewley are two more names you'll want to keep an eye on. Burke finished 4th in this year's 3,200m at the outdoor state championships after finishing 14th on the grass last November. Clewey, Burke's newest teammate at Broughton, finished 21st at state in 2025 and will be one of the state's biggest breakout candidates, having transferred into one of the state's premier distance programs.
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Broughton Going for Title #10
The Capitals tied for the second-most state championships in North Carolina boys cross country history last season and will be looking for title #10 in 2026.
While Broughton loses their top two runners, they bring back the other five from their championship-winning lineup, which managed an amazing spread of just seven seconds from their #1 and #5 runners, while also bringing in Clewey to shore up the top 5.
Hoggard and Panther Creek finished 2nd and 3rd last fall and will both be tasked with replacing a good portion of their roster. The Vikings graduated two of their top three runners, while also losing the individual state champion. Panther Creek returns just two from their seven-man lineup, but seems to have found some quick replacements in the early portion of the season and could still be a team lurking around in October.
| Rank | Athlete/Team | Grade | Meet/Date | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JR | 16:56.23 | ||
| 2 | SR | 17:10.50 | ||
| 3 | SO | 17:18.62 | ||
| 4 | JR | 17:24.54 | ||
| 5 | JR | 17:42.79 | ||
| 6 | SO | 18:12.70 | ||
| 7 | SR | 18:18.55 |
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The Madeline Dorsch Show
In 2024, Madeline Dorsch averaged 20:52 across seven 5,000m races. In 2025, the Pinecrest sophomore became one of the nation's best, running 16:55 en route to a 5th-place finish at the Great American XC Festival and winning the 8A state title in Kernersville.
The rising junior has added two more state championships to her name since and will be the favorite to win another this fall.
Amelia Medlin finished runner-up last November and is back for her senior season. Medlin ran a 17:37, a season best, en route to a win at the Coastal Conference Championships last fall and will be looking for another podium finish to wrap up her high school cross country career.
Beyond the top two returners, Alessia Potts and Katlyn Brumback will be vying for spots on the podium this season. Potts finished 8th at last year's state meet and is coming off a victory in the 1,600m at the 8A outdoor championships this spring, establishing herself as one of the classification's best. Brumback finished 9th at state in her freshman season and will be hoping to climb further up the 8A distance ladder after a strong first year.
The remaining depth in Class 8A is impressive and could provide one of state's most competitive races this year. A couple of other runners eyeing spots on the podium this fall include Alaina Zabel, Abigail Norman, Nikol Makarevych, Jillian Luke, Kaylene Bustos, Naomi Greengrass, as well as Providence's distance duo of Claire Page and Molly Uher.
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Can Green Level Repeat?
After winning last year's state championship by 23 points, Green Level returns six runners from their state-winning team in 2026. Led by three rising seniors, the Gators have three underclassmen who are all capable of taking massive steps forward in their second high school cross country season.
Myers Park, last year's runner-up, returns five from last year's squad and will be trying to replicate similar success in 2026. The Mustangs will look to fend off threats like Hoggard and Broughton, who both bring back significant pieces from last season's 3rd and 4th place teams.
Apex Friendship and Panther Creek are the two teams due for the most improvement in the 8A girls classification. The Patriots bring back everybody from 2025 and are within striking distance of a podium spot, while the Catamounts have a legitimate low-stick leading the way (Abigail Norman) and are bringing back their entire team.