Boys Championship
Two of the southeast's best make the trip to North Carolina for the 2021 adidas XC Challenge. Conner Wingfield (Daniel Boone, TN, Class of 2022) has been off to a fire start to the season running 15:13 at Knight's Crossing last week. On the track last season, Wingfield ran 9:08 over 3,200m. Wingfield has only competed at WakeMed once during his high school career, a 15:56 performance as a sophomore. His teammate Levi Streeval opened up his season with a 15:32 personal best at Knight's Crossing. Georgia's Joey Sandel (Johnson Ferry Christian, GA, Class of 2022) is making his season debut this weekend and holds a personal best of 15:21 from RunningLane last season.
The top dogs from North Carolina are not going to give in to the out-of-state competitors. Elliott Kleckner has started off his season on the right foot clocking 15:56 and 15:37 in his first two races, both good for runner-up finishes. Kleckner does not want any more No. 2 finishes, so look for him to really try and assert himself and go all out for the win come Saturday.
Rocky Hansen (Christ School) opened up his season with a huge breakout run in South Carolina. Hansen shattered the 16:00 barrier for the first time running 15:32. He holds personal bests on the track of 4:16 and 9:21 in the 1,600m and 3,200m respectively.
UNC commit Will Soule opens up his much-anticipated senior season this weekend. The senior holds a 5,000m personal best of 15:41 from last season. During his junior track campaign Soule really emerged as one of the best distance runners in the state. He ran 4:14 in the 1,600m, which was NC No. 5 last season, and 9:15 in the 3,200m, which was NC No. 1 last season. Soule was 4th at last season's NCHSAA 3A XC state meet.
Other runners to watch are the duos from Weddington and Lake Norman.
Lake Norman's Gavin Sweeney and Griffin Horner have emerged as possibly the best 1-2 combo in the state.
Sweeney is the top returner from the 2019 adidas XC Challenge where he ran his still-personal best, 15:39. Horner has secured two top ten finishes this season already: 9th at Providence Cross Country Invitational, and 6th at Friday Night Lights.
Weddington's Chauncey Chen and Caden Townshend both have top ten potential if everything goes their way.
It is likely a four-team race for the team championship between North Carolina's Weddington, Mount Tabor, Green Hope, and Tennessee's Daniel Boone. In a large race like this, the advantage might go to Green Hope and their tight pack. If the front of the Green Hope pack can work their way into the top 20's this very well could be a runaway. Daniel Boone's No. 5 runner will be the key to their success. Weddington should still be the favorites to walk away with the team championship, but anything can happen in cross country.
adidas XC Challenge Virtual Meet
MileSplit Winner Predictions:
Will Soule wins championship race in 15:22
Weddington takes team title by less than 10 point margin over Green Hope and Daniel Boone