Clodagh O'Bryant will look to lead North Hall to their first ever team title

Girls Individual

We've got a heavy team favorite who is led by the heavy individual favorite in Clodagh O'Bryant. She's had a tremendous season as an elite runner in Georgia and checks all of the boxes in terms of a favorite. She's got the fastest time this year in 3A by a good bit. She's finished high up in races, including some big meets and has a couple of wins under her belt. she's been here before  and run well. And there have been no flaws from her this entire season. I'm not trying to jynx her right now, but those are all of the things we typically see before somebody throws down a dominant victory. She's definitely a safe bet to win this thing. But it's still the state meet, and we see favorites lose every year, so I'll just leave her with a word of caution that she still has to run a strong race to get the win. It's pretty tough to figure out what's going on behind her though. There are like 5-6 other girls who could all find themselves as state runner up. The best bet looks to O'Bryant's teammate Summer Muxlow. A 1-2 punch could really help them towards that team goal. Carly Black also looks like she could throw her name in the hat after a strong season so far. Evie Robison had her best race of the year at sectionals and could be a force to be reckoned with if she's finishing strong here. Gabriella Hoover had a strong first half of her season but has looked like she's struggling lately. If she can bounce back then she could find herself in the mix. Keli George, Julie Black, Hayden Hand, and Harleigh Smith could also be fighting for top 5 in this race.

GA MileSplit Prediction
1. O'Bryant
2. Muxlow
3. Robison
4. Black
5. Smith

Girls Team

I said in my preseason article that I thought North Hall had a chance to pull of the win this year. And ow we're only days away from that becoming a reality, which would be the first team title in school history for the girls. They've passed every test this season and look like they come into the state meet with everybody healthy and ready to go. They've got great front runners and more depth than anybody else. That's just a recipe for success. They're ready. If they run their race, I don't know how anybody can take them down. On paper, Oconee County and Dawson County are possibly the only ones who even close enough, but most likely these two teams will just be fighting for runner up. I think Oconee has the edge there, but you never know for sure. There's definitely some question marks about Dawson, but if they're at full strength they should finish top 3. After that it could be a really good battle for the last trophy. Mary Persons, White County, Jefferson, and Pickens are all in the mix. Your guess is as good as mine here.

GA MileSplit Prediction
1. North Hall
2. Oconee County
3. Whit County
4. Dawson County

Boys Individual

Here we've got two juggernauts of the sport going at it. I know there are a few other guys who could throw their name in the hat here, and we will get to them, but I see this as an intense battle between Aaron Brodrick and Wyatt Windham. Brodrick won this race two years ago as a freshman but had some injuries last year and couldn't defend his title. But he did beat Windham as they went 3-4 in that race. Windham has put together a heck of a season running some very fast times and winning all but two of his races. They also ran the exact same time at Wingfoot, but in two different races. These two are about as evenly matched as you can get, especially for a race between two elite runners like this. Neither of them is a bad pick, but unfortunately only one of them can win the race. And I think experience plays a big role in a situation like this. Bryant Young has been on one this season and had a great performance at sectionals, so if he's peaking at the right time he should have a big finish. Brock Brush has run some impressive race so far this year and looks ready to go for the big dance. And Witt Windham shows that genetics matter as the younger brother has had a phenomenal freshman campaign and will likely return as the favorite for next fall. 

GA MileSplit Prediction
1. Brodrick
2. Wyatt Windham
3. Witt Windham
4. Brush
5. Young

Boys Team

The boys team race is very interesting. There doesn't appear to be a big favorite on paper. And all of the contenders have similar strengths and weaknesses. So they're all following the same formula and their runners should be able to find each other during the race. Will Oconee county get a three peat? Or will Jefferson or North Hall knock them off? Jefferson hasn't won a boys team title since the 70's and North Hall has only won once, back in 2006. I suspect they're a little hungrier, but Oconee has the advantage of having been in this situation before and pulled off the win. Anything can happen in this one, so get ready for it. Fighting for that final podium spot are Heritage Catoosa, Dawson County, and Lumpkin Co.

GA MileSplit Prediction
1. North Hall
2. Oconee
3. Jefferson
4. Lumpkin