KERNERSVILLE — The North Carolina High School Athletic Association state championships in cross-country for both men and women return to Beeson Park in Kernersville for the third straight year on Saturday.
Top runners from across the state qualified from regional competition last week to the state finals in each classification. The eight cross-country championships include one in each of the NCHSAA’s four classifications for men and women.
The first race of the day will be the 2-A men’s championship at 10 am, followed by the 4-A men, 2-A women and 4-A women at thirty-minute intervals. After a break, the program will gear back up at 3 pm with the 1-A men, followed by 3-A men, 1-A women and 3-A women starting at thirty-minute intervals, the last race to start at 4:30.
Raleigh Broughton is the defending men’s 4-A team champion and a Wake County school has won each of the last five state team titles in that classification. Charlotte Providence, Winston-Salem Mount Tabor, Broughton and Pinecrest won regional titles in men’s competition last weekend.
Cary Green Hope is the three-time defending state 4-A women’s champ and won the Mideast Regional last week to join Providence, Pfafftown Reagan and Fayetteville Jack Britt as regional women’s team champs.
In the 3-A classification, Cardinal Gibbons was the men’s state titlist a year ago, breaking a two-year hold on the state crown by Chapel Hill, while Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons has earned the last two 3- A women’s team titles.
Chapel Hill once again won the Mideast 3-A Regional in men’s competition, with Cardinal Gibbons second. Other men’s regional champs included Asheville, Weddington and West Carteret. In women’s competition at the 3-A level, West Carteret, Gibbons, Waxhaw Marvin Ridge and Fred T. Foard from Catawba County took top team honors to advance to the state meet.
Carrboro has won the last three women’s 2-A championships and Grace Morken of Carrboro has led her team to victory in the last two finals, winning the individual women’s championship. She won the Mideast Regional last weekend and Carrboro runners took the top four individual spots. Swansboro, Cuthbertson and North Lincoln were the other regional champs.
Defending men’s state 2-A champ North Lincoln won its West Regional, with Cuthbertson, Hillsborough Cedar Ridge and Richlands winning in their respective regionals.
Durham’s North Carolina School of Science and Math captured the 1-A men’s state crown in 2011, the fifth different champion in that classification in the last five years. NCSSM won the Mideast Regional last weekend while Bishop McGuinness and Lake Norman Charter are also regional champs.
There have been six different 1-A women’s state team champions in the last six years, with Lake Norman Charter taking top honors last year. Lake Norman Charter was second to Lincoln Charter in last week’s 1-A West Regional, with Bishop McGuinness and Franklin Academy winning in their regions.
The town of Kernersville is a host city sponsor for the cross country championships.
NCHSAA FastFacts
Event: NCHSAA Cross Country Championships
Date: November 3, 2012
Time: The first race starts at 10 am and the final race will begin at 4:30 pm.
Site: Beeson Park, Kernersville
First Held: 1956
Qualifiers: The top four teams in each classification at the regional level qualify for the state event. In addition, the top five individuals not on a qualifying team advance from the regional to the state.
Of Interest: This is the third consecutive year that that event has been hosted at Beeson Park.
