33 Observer-area teams in running for NCHSAA cross-country titles Saturday
The Observer-area will have 33 teams, 10 of them as regional champions, and more than two dozen individuals competing this weekend in the state cross-country championship meets in Winston-Salem.
The 1A and 2A boys’ and girls’ championships will be run Friday, with the 3A and 4A runners competing Saturday. All of the meets will be at the Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville.
The regional champions include both the Ardrey Kell boys and girls in 4A; the Weddington boys and Cuthbertson girls in 3A; the North Lincoln boys and girls in 2A; and the Community School of Davidson and Lincoln Charter boys and the Pine Lake Prep and Thomas Jefferson Academy girls in 1A.
The North Lincoln boys will be going for their fourth straight 2A state championship, while Cuthbertson’s girls (3A) and the Lincoln Charter boys (1A) are aiming for their third consecutive 3A titles.
The Watauga boys (3A) and North Lincoln girls (2A) were runners-up a year ago.
The top four teams in each regional, along with the top four individuals not a member of a qualifying team, advanced to the state meets.
The 1A finals are at 9:30 a.m. (boys) and 11 a.m. (girls), with the 2A finals at 2 p.m. (boys) and 3:30 p.m. (girls) Friday.
On Saturday, it’ll be the 3A boys (9:30 a.m.) and girls (11 a.m.), followed by the 4A boys (2 p.m.) and girls (3:30 p.m.).
Here is how last weekend’s cross-country regionals went:
4A Midwest
Boys: West Forsyth won the regional in Kernersville, edging Myers Park 69-71. Ethan Long of Greensboro Page was the individual winner. The Myers Park team qualifying for the finals consisted of Maddon Muhammad (who was second individually), Dylain Canipe, Luke Terrell, Lee O’Neill, and Brendan O’Neill.
Individual qualifiers for the state meet included Bryce Anderson (Hickory Ridge) and Jacob Laney (Porter Ridge).
Girls: Reagan (35) edged Myers Park (42) for the team title. Reagan’s Gwen Parks was the individual winner. Members of the Myers Park team were Mary Bonner Dalton, Cora Cooke, Mary Cline, Sarah Holshouser and Megan Smith,
Garinger’s Sambetu Franchesco was among the individual state meet qualifiers.
4A West
Boys: Ardrey Kell took the team title with 29 points. Finishing second through fourth, and qualifying for the state meet, were Mooresville (68), Lake Norman (78) and Providence (81). Ardrey Kell’s Murphy Smith was the individual winner.
Members of the Ardrey Kell team: Gavin Sweeney, Dalton Graves, Brad Mankus and Jaidan McClure. Members of the Mooresville team: Tanner Smith, Noah Dunn, Clark Kremar, Cooper Stissel and Andrew Lanning. And members of the Providence team: Wick Hatch, Jon Lakeman, Devin Desai, Carter Trimble and Andrew Kuttner.
Individual qualifiers included Alec McMillan, Caleb Roesch and Maximous Lira of South Mecklenburg, and Anthony Beverso of South Caldwell.
Girls: Ardrey Kell was the easy winner, with 25 points. South Mecklenburg (69), Hough (82) and Mooresville (85) also qualified for the state meet. Individual winner was Lake Norman’s Madeline Stolberg.
Ardrey Kell runners were Anna Wells, Emily Boland, Jenne Thornton, Linnea Maynard, and Taylor Fenton. South Mecklenburg runners: Alice Custrini, Lucy Seitz, Larrabee Hoelscher, Maggie Houpt and Carolina Leahy.
Hough runners: Lilly Walters, Anna Gasrdner, Sophia Regina, Riley Greene and Leah Ritchey. And Mooresville runners: Sami Hornburger, Abby D’Amico, Ella Moore, Briana Pratt and Kailie Rockness.
Individual qualifiers included Stolberg, Providence’s Bennett Key, and Olympic’s Natalia Martin.
3A Midwest
Boys: Weddington (43), Mount Tabor (63), Cuthbertson (94) and Charlotte Catholic (118) were the team qualifiers at Kernersville. Ryan Motondo of Walter Williams High beat out Weddington’s Wesley Larson for individual honors.
Weddington team members: Larson, Caden Townshend, Chauncey Chen, Krystopher Durham and Chase Barajer. Cuthbertson runners: Gage Austin, Mickey Schihl, Peter Schihl, William Walsh and Shawn Raughley. And Charlotte Catholic runners: A.J. Painter, Ian Pierce, Andrew Permenter, Jay Sedam, and Nick Potter.
Individual qualifiers included Marvin Ridge’s Ethan Snyder.
Girls: Union County’s Cuthbertson (29), Weddington (34) and Marvin Ridge (65) led the way, with Mount Tabor (133) fourth. Cuthbertson swept the top three individual spots, with Madeline Hill edging runner-up Alyssa Preisano by 4 seconds. Lillian Nasta was third.
Cuthbertson runners were: Hill, Allyssa Preisano, Nasta, Charlotte Bell, and Justine Preisano. Weddington runners: Emma Jones, Elizabeth Ritter, Paige Starkie, Anna Ritter, and Audrey Wright. Marvin Ridge runners: Carolina Blanton, Ella Pasko, Alyson Rankin, Madalyn Finn, and Riley Basinger.
Individual qualifiers included Franny Tocco of Charlotte Catholic, and Cox Mill’s Kaitlyn Jones and Lexi Hanson.
3A West
Boys: Watauga (54) was first, with T.C. Roberson (70), Asheville and A.C. Reynolds also qualifying, in the meet at Hendersonville. But Stuart Cramer had the two fastest runners, with Nicholas Willer edging out brother Zachary by 7 seconds. Watauga’s runners: Rien Freeman, Korben Anderson, Ethan Cannon, Hastings Holt and Abe Bachman. Individual qualifiers were the Willer brothers, and Forestview’s Austin Brotemarkle and Oussama Ajala.
Girls: Watauga (25) edged Asheville (33) for the team title, with T.C. Roberson and West Henderson also qualifying for the state meet. Watauga’s Sidra Miller was overall winner. Watauga runners were Miller, Sophie Beach, Rachel Cathey, Gwendolyn Andserson, and Brianne Anderso;n.
Statesville’s Karli Townsell qualified as an individual.
2A Midwest
Boys: Team qualifiers for the state meet were Atkins, South Rowan, Oak Grove and Surry Central. Walter Sellers of Atkins was individual winner. South Rowan’s runners: Noah Julian, Eli Julian, Landon Cromer, Grayson Cro;mer and Aaron Jones.
James Shue of West Stanly was an individual state meet qualifier.
Girls: West Stanly took the team title at Dobson, with West Stokes, South Rowan and North Davidson also earning spots in the state meet. Natalie Almond of West Stanly took individual honors.
West Stanly runners: Almond, Savannah Hendzel, Makalyn Morton, Holly Hatch and Karsyn Underwood. South Rowan runners: Bethany Rymer, Madison Beaver, Lindsey Beaver, MacKenzie Chabala and Audrey Weaver.
North Stanly’s Amelia York and Salisbury’s Sutton Webb qualified as individuals.
2A West
Boys: Running at Murray’s Mill in Catawba, North Lincoln took team honors. Franklin, Brevard and C.D. Owen were the other team qualifiers, and Franklin’s Ethan Stamey was the individual winner. North Lincoln runners: Miles Phillips, Jacob Scott, Stephen Fennett, Jarde Campbell and Noah Carte.
The four individual qualifying spots were taken by Observer-area runners: Grant Howlett (Lake Norman Charter), Reid Farrar (Draughn), Van Robbins (R-S Central), and Emmanuel Paddyfote (South Point).
Girls: North Lincoln, Lake Norman Charter, Brevard and Franklin were the four team qualifiers, and individual winner Angie Allen led North Lincoln to the team title.
North Lincoln runners: Allen, Lori Glavan, Bella Wood, Cara Castro and Emily Laramie. Lake Norman Charter runners: Abby Farris, Lily Yampolsky, Jenna Peterson, Megan Rinehardt, and Megan Wozniak.
Individual qualifiers included Katherine Hopkins (Lincolnton), Karina Coulter (Fred T. Foard) and Brooke Hope (R-S Central).
1A Midwest
Boys: In the regional meet at Kernersville, Community School of Davidson took the team title, with Bishop McGuinness, South Stanly and Union Academy also gaining state meet berths. The individual winner was Corvian Community’s Jacob Fiorillo.
Community School of Davidson runners: Luke Whiteside, Braydon Jenks, Daniel Ahearn, Layton Simoes and William Harris. South Stanly runners: David Wright, Ranfere Garcia, Jayden Oliver, Josh Huneycutt and Mason Huneycutt. And Union Academy runners: Andrew Horner, Evan Mitchell, Felix Snider, Zachary Roncace and Jacob Additon.
Fiorillo was the only Observer-area individual qualifier.
Girls: Pine Lake Prep (37 points) won a close battle with Community School of Davidson (48) and Gray Stone Day (50) for the team title. Bishop McGuinness also qualified for the state meet. The individual winner was freshman Emberleigh Pauley-Brown of Gray Stone Day.
Pine Lake Prep runners: Abby Pike, Carolina Ingram, Ashley Jones, Rylee Hegedus and Lauren Neal. Gray Stone Day runners: Pauley-Brown, Grace Eppeheimer, Kimbal Chapman, Anaston Trexler and Addison Carman. And Community School of Davidson runners: Taylor Simoes, Leah Whiteside, Katie Skerpon, Mia Roberson and Camryn Burton.
Individual qualifiers included Mountain Island Charter’s Hannah Butlak, Union Academy’s Hannah Cox, and Bradford Prep’s Madeline Hladik.
1A West
Boys: Lincoln Charter won the regional meet, held in Bryson City. Murphy, Swain County and Christ the King also qualified their teams for the state championship. Murphy’s Chase Pierce was the individual winner.
Lincoln Charter runners were Patrick Rice, Cutter Law, Brandon Wright, Mitchell Swiegard and Matthew Radin. Christ the King runners: Logan Ader, Anthony Quintero, Christopher Goodman, Matthew Taylor, and Joseph Locke.
Individual qualifiers include Highland Tech’s Henry Bene.
Girls: Thomas Jefferson Academy was the easy winner, with Swain County, Lincoln Charter and Polk County also qualifying their teams. Alleghany’s Hazel Pasley was the individual winner.
Thomas Jefferson Academy runners: Kilia Hasty, Kaitlyn Rowe, Maggie Beard, Emma Deviney and Audrey Friedman. Lincoln Charter runners: Katie Elliott, Lydia Guffey, Jillian Aganad, Hannah Rogers, and Katie Rysdon.
Highland Tech’s Lauren Tolbert and Christ the King’s Emily Sansbury were individual qualifiers.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
