Audrey Hotard will attempt to defend her title at the Apalachee Season Opener this year
I was once talking with a coach who I have a tremendous amount of respect for about about how she approached coaching middle school runners. And what she told me has kind of stuck with me every since. She told me that she wanted to give the kids "just a taste" of the sport to give them an idea of what it was about but to not overwhelm them at such a young age. That's how I'd sum up last weekends races, they were just a taste. The season had officially started, but it didn't feel like it really did since most everybody who raced only raced a two mile. While those races for me will always bring back nostalgia to the days of the stage races (somebody PLEASE bring that meet back for me!) it really doesn't give us a very good picture of how the season will shake out. Very few top teams and athletes raced and even those who did held people out. And even then coaches will argue about how well a two mile race will translate to a 5k.
But this weekend we've got some actual legit races that it feels like it's the real deal this time. So I wanted to break down the action that will happen at several of those top races. For you history buffs, make sure you check out the all time rankings for some of the top meets that will take place over the weekend. But for those of you who look to the future and can't wait to see how things shake out tomorrow, here's what we might have in store over the weekend:
Pickens
Arguably the most competitive meet this weekend is the Pickens Preview. This meet has seriously grown in the last few years. Some of us like the name of their other meet better, but the competition seems to get stronger and stronger each year. I think the spectator friendly course and great meet management are a big reason why. On the boys side we will see two teams square off who might both be on the podium in class 7A in November. I'm giving Lambert the early nod here if they're healthy, but definitely don't count out West Forsyth. At this point none of us know who had a better summer so either of those squads could come away with the victory. Harrison is also there and while it looks like they mostly just let their two stud freshmen race last week, if they have a full squad they could also come away with the victory. Other teams who could be in the mix for a trophy include Pace Academy, South Forsyth, and Marietta. Individually this thing could be a barn burner. You've got several high profile athletes who are probably licking their chops for their first chance to show off their fitness after a summer of grinding out miles in the heat. Diego Fernandes comes in as the top seed and has all of the tools to pull out the victory. But I definitely expect him to be challenged by Jackson Hogsed and Malachi Burnett. I see this as kind of a class battle of sorts. Fernandes represents the senior class, Hogsed the junior class, and Burnett the sophomore class. And the three of them will battle it out for class superiority. After those three it's a little more open and hard to predict, but other top individuals who could find themselves in the top five include Reid Latimer, Parker Chase, Ben Winn, Seth Grogan, Matthew Wells, and Clint Huggins. But don't forget about Harrison's freshman duo of Riley Comstock and Sam Comsudes who could make some noise.
On the girls side this appears to be the Pace Academy show. They are the obvious favorites on paper and it will be hard for anybody to challenge their front runners AND their depth. But still, you never know who on the freshmen lottery until the races have been run. South Forsyth girls appear to be capable of giving them a run as they match up similarly on paper, and their history suggests they'll have a strong showing. Harrison is probably the biggest threat to Pace at this meet, especially if they're healthy and at full strength. And finally West Forsyth is always a consistently strong team that will not go down without a fight. Other teams fighting for top podium spots include Wesleyan, Parkview, Woodstock, and Lambert. Individually this could be a fantastic race if everybody is healthy. Two of the best runners in the state are entered with Caroline Hood and Samantha McGarity. Both of these runners might have their eyes on the post season though and might not be ready to go all out just yet. Their respective teammates in Zahara Bernal and Peyton Reeves are also ranked fairly high on paper for this meet and could do some damage and compete for top spots giving both teams a strong start. But the individual most likely to break things up is Isabel Yonas who has plenty of experience at this race and at the front of meets.
Apalachee Season Opener
Probably the next most competitive meet is the rapidly growing Apalachee Season Opener. It' must be a pretty good course over there to draw some top talent this weekend. There are several teams in attendance who will be looking to bring home a trophy from Carrollton in November. On the boys side we start with Brookwood who is the on paper favorite. This will be their first test of the year to see if they're ready to compete for the win in class 7A. If they're at full strength, they'll be tough to beat. Oconee County is a team that could give them a run, but it appears they won't have all of their top runners and might just be trying to finish on the podium at this one. Milton is probably the biggest competitor and they performed well at this meet last year so experience and knowledge of the course could play a role. Other contenders include Gainesville, Habersham Central, and Lakeside Evans. Individually Conner Proffitt is probably the favorite. He had a strong track season and also a strong start to his season last week. But the Brookwood trio of Charlie Thomas, Austin Dezwart, and Carter Dehnke are all probably ready to step up and be front runners for the broncos. Justin Sevel and Zach Patell from Milton will try to break up the bronco parade along with Patterson Graham of Oconee County.
On the girls side things appear to be a little more open, but Brookwood again might have too much depth for anybody to truly challenge them for the win. The one exception is Milton girls who match up nicely with Brookwood. Expect those two to be the top two podium spots if there are no surprises. Norcross will certainly give it a shot as they have the better front runners, so if they were able to find a little more depth in the offseason, this could be their race to lose. Other top contenders include Gainesville and Oconee County. Individually this should be a good battle. Audrey Hotard is the defending champion and will almost certainly figure in the final battle for the win. She will have some tougher competition this year and will be challenged by Emily Rodriguez, Ella Grace Malcom, and Erin O'Brien. Any of these girls could win it this year and it's incredibly hard to predict who has improved the most from last year. Other girls who could be competing for top spots are Elkin Regina, Calista Cacciatore, and Sarah-Corrine Collins.
Zack Wansley
The other big exciting race this weekend is the Zack Wansley Clash. Taking place at the historically fast Clinton Farms venue, this one will likely produce the fastest times of the weekend. On the boys side we should have a pretty good battle that is the epitome of the classic XC question: is it better to have front runners or depth? Carrollton comes in with the front runners, but I'm not sure they'll be a full strength as they don't quite have as much depth as their closest copetitors in Chapel Hill. I won't be surprised if either of those teams win, and it's hard to predict who will be better at this point in time. Another team that will challenge and make a case for depth being more important is Newnan. And rounding out the top team competition are Hillgrove and Lovett. Individually Carrollton could easily go 1-2 in this race with Noah Martinson and Hagan Russell. I think the next best competitors are probably William and Finn Herlihy. But don't count out Chase Beck, Braven Davis, or the Hillgrove duo of Joseph Brooks and John Shepherd.
On the girls side this one is alot harder to read. I could see any number of teams taking home the win and that makes it very exciting. On paper I think Hillgrove has the slight edge over Lovett and Carrollton, but I'm not very confident in that pick. And two other teams that wouldn't surprise me if they win are Brookstone and East Coweta. Individually this might be even more wide open than it is in the team battle. Abby Newton has the top PR of the bunch but Yolanda Brooks wouldn't surprise me if she came in as the actual favorite. Emily Whipple and Emily Thrailkill are also both capable of competing up front for the win. And don't be surprised if somebody comes out of nowhere with a big jump or as a fast freshman to take the win here.
Other Meets
There are a few other meets on the calendar that could produce some good races from some top teams. Kosh Klassic doesn't often get too many top teams because it's such a hard course, so the overwhelming boys favorites are the hometown Westminster boys and Joseph Jacquot. the girls race will be much more of a battle as North Hall, Walton, and Riverwood duking it out with the home team sitting this one out. Clodagh O'Bryant and Daniela Delgado are the favorites on paper, but Abi Moore, Jessie Dubnik, and Harleigh Smith, and Mallory Old are all contenders here as well.
At Fowlkes Memorial Paideia boys are the favorites with Johnny McCarthy battling Clark Thompson, Ben Walton-Scott, and Matt Walton-Scott for the win. On the girls side Decatur will try to defend their home course against McIntosh. Individually this one is led by Natalie Tully but Anna Blaich and Sophie D'Elena could have the home course advantage over her.
At the NEGA championships Beck Wolf-Hardy will be favored to lead Clarke Central to the win over challengers from Hart County and Buford. In the girls race Maya Davis is the favorite to lead Athens Academy to the win over Hebron Christian and Buford.
At St. Mary's Academy Invitational Thomas Brandon is the favorite and so is Northgate in the team race, but they could be challenged by Strong Rock Christian. In the girls race it should be a close battle between Alexis Wingenbach and Abbie Forbus while Fellowship Christian is favored to take the win over Northgate and Strong Rock Christian.