8 races will be held at Tanglewood Park today

By: Mason Linker | JOURNAL REPORTER
Published: November 07, 2009

The NCHSAA's partnership with Tanglewood Park for the state cross-country championships was supposed to end last season, but because of a conflict at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, the championships will be back at Tanglewood today for the eighth straight, and presumably last, year.

There will be eight races, starting with the 1-A boys at 10 a.m. and ending with the 4-A girls at 3:30, and three of last season's champions will return -- John Harwell of Asheville (3-A boys), Sarah Rapp of Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons (2-A girls, now running in Class 3-A) and Faith Trammell of Robbinsville (1-A girls).

Asheville Roberson has been the most consistently strong girls team in the state, winning the last five 3-A titles and 10 of the last 12. But Roberson has moved to Class 4-A and will try to challenge defending champion East Chapel Hill.

Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons could stand ready to replace Roberson as the dominant 3-A girls team. Gibbons has won the last four 2-A titles but also moved up one classification in realignment.

The boys team from Raleigh Broughton will be shooting for a fourth straight 4-A title, and will be joined by 4-A newcomer Mooresville, which won the last three 3-A titles. Also trying to repeat as boys champions will be Black Mountain Owen (two-time 2-A winner) and Hayesville (1-A).

Three runners from Forsyth County -- Patrick Crawford of East Forsyth, Jack Anderson of Reagan, and Jared Neely of Mount Tabor -- are expected to be in the lead pack in the 4-A boys race.

Matus Kriska of Mount Airy, who was sixth last year among 1-A boys, won a regional title last week and could challenge Tyler Breedlove of Hayesville (third last year) for the 1-A title.

In other NCHSAA playoffs today, North Surry (32-0) will try to win its first volleyball title when it plays Hillsborough Cedar Ridge (26-4) at 2:30 at N.C. State's Reynolds Coliseum, and the soccer playoffs will continue with second-round games.

Of the nine area soccer teams still alive, two are from Forsyth County -- Class 4-A Reynolds (12-10) will play at Greensboro Page (17-0-2) at 6 p.m., and Class 1-A Bishop McGuinness (11-9-1) will play at Misenheimer Gray Stone Day (16-2) at 2:30.

mlinker@wsjournal.com. | 727-7324

Cross-country championships

• Day, site: Today, Tanglewood Park

• Schedule: 1-A boys (10 a.m.); 2-A boys (10:30); 1-A girls (11 a.m.); 2-A girls (11:30); 3-A boys (2 p.m.); 4-A boys (2:30); 3-A girls (3 p.m.); 4-A girls (3:30)