Aug 25, 2011

Girls' Preview

Boys' Preview (Championship Race)

Teams to Watch:

Chapel Hill returns to racing as the defending 3A state champs, as well as the consensus best team in North Carolina last fall. Myers Park also has a strong group of returners, as does T. C. Roberson; this will be the first major competition for both of these teams, as well. Dorman (SC) is the best of the out-of-state teams, while Watauga and Broughton both looked solid in their two-mile tune-ups last weekend. Look for an intriguing "race within a race" between Providence Day, the defending NCISAA 3A champs, and Cary Academy, who seeks to dethrone them.

Individuals to Watch:

Thomas Graham (Cary Academy) has his sights set squarely on the meet and course records, and he clearly has the ability to reach them. Cole Rains (T. C. Roberson) may have the best shot to challenge him, but may also find himself leading the pack for second place. That chase pack is likely to include Mitch McLeod, Bradley Viles, and Chris Reeder (Chapel Hill), as well as Peter Vandenberg (Watauga), Sam Roberson (Broughton), Look for Tim Gruber of Cannon School to make a splash in this race, while fellow CISAA runner Ben Huffman (Providence Day) will have to battle Quentin McKinnish (Morristown-West, TN) for the top sophomore honors.

Overview of the Out-of-State Teams in the WNC Carnival

Girls' Preview (Championship Race)

Teams to Watch:

Watauga has one of the best girls' teams in state history, and they are the favorites for this race, but there are several teams close enough to give them serious trouble. Dorman and J.L. Mann are perrenial South Carolina powers with team averages in the 19:20's. Myers Park has the potential to be better than predicted, and this will be their first chance to solidify their claim on a top 5 spot in the North Carolina rankings. Broughton was impressive in their two-mile tune-up last week, even without their returning #1. Providence Day's girls also find themselves in a battle for position in the NCISAA, but this time they are chasing the defending champions in Charlotte Latin. And of course, we'll find out if T. C. Roberson has again vaulted into the top 10 in the state by developing over the summer.

Individuals to Watch:

If the defending North Carolina 4A champion needed to make a statement about her current status, then Watauga's Darby Middlebrook was heard loud and clear when she fired off an 11:04 for two miles last Saturday. Could Kate Niehaus' 18:09.4 course record be in jeopardy? It might be early for that fast of a time. Brooke Gordon (T.C. Roberson) is definitely going to give Middlebrook a challenge, as she often races aggressively. Behind those two, there may be a strong group of girls battling for the remaining top 5 spots: Hannah Barbour and Madison Harman (Watauga), Laura Miller (J.L. Mann), Ashley Hrubala (Dorman), Tristan Van Ord (Chapel Hill), and finally teammates Megan Sullivan and Mattie Blue (Broughton).