Pre-Season Picks & Previews

Ronnie Brown

 

GATFXC.com Pre-Season Top 10 AAAAA Girls
1 - North Gwinnett
2 - Collins Hill
3 – Brookwood
4 – Milton
5 – Parkview
6 – Alpharetta
7 – Walton
8 – Centennial
9 – Roswell
10 - Woodstock
 
1 - North Gwinnett
Ranked #20 nationally in the Harrier Top 25 XC Preseason Poll, 2009 State Champion North Gwinnett returns 5 of their top 6, losing only Chelsea Peele who has moved out of state. Left behind though are 4 sub-20 Carrollton performers, led by seniors Laura Serres, Rose Howell and Lauren Recchia and junior Jordan Humphrey. Not far behind are seniors Katie Vanover and Courtney Ragan, both of whom have been low- to mid-20’s at Carrollton.   Word from Coach Mark Karen is that Serres and Howell may get a slow start due to some summer set-backs, but expect them to make a strong run in November for their 2nd consecutive (and 2nd ever) state title.
2 - Collins Hill
After winning a million state titles in a row (actually 6), Collins Hill missed the lucky #7 in 2009, but are sure to be back with a vengeance come November. Up front they have seniors Vicky Winslow and Sydney Williams and junior Chloe Whitworth, all three of whom cracked 20 minutes at state (Winslow running 18:55). Last year their uncharacteristic Achilles heel was depth….they matched up nicely with North Gwinnett at the 1 – 4 spots but 5 - 7 made the difference. This year Coach Hudson will be looking for seniors Mackenzie Brady and Natasha Fredrick to step-up as wing-women for his top 3 standouts. Huddy also welcomes back sub-21:00 senior Brittany Yates after a year off with injuries.
3 - Brookwood
The Lady Broncos rode side-kick to their boy’s team in 2009, but nevertheless were a very good team themselves. In 2010 they return 4/5ths of a a rock-solid top 5, all boasting 2009 state times that range from 19:28 to 20:23…a very respectable spread of only 55 seconds. Junior Caroline Kissel and senior Sarah Perry lead the way, with senior Anakaren Lopez and sophomore Payton Wilson just a step behind.   Coach Carter concedes that injuries have hampered the progress of his top 3 this summer, and that their action may be limited in the early season.   Early season success will depend largely on who steps-up to fill in those voids. Smart money is that Brookwood will be a factor late in the season, as Coach Carter knows how to get his girls ready when it counts. 
4 - Milton
Milton welcomes two (at least) nice additions to its 2010 roster. Senior Lauren Jones didn’t compete in XC the last two years, but her 19:46 from the 2007 state meet shows what she’s capable of. A solid 2010 track season suggests good things are in store for her senior campaign. Also transferring in from Lakeside (Dekalb) is sophomore standout Annie Kelly who ran 19:18 last year in finishing 4th in AAAA. Junior Lindsay Gruca and the sophomore trio of Olivia Koerner, Jacqueline Mahoney and Maddie Butzer put Milton squarely in the hunt for a podium spot. All 6 of these young ladies boast Carrollton PRs of 21:01 or better.
5 - Parkview
Parkview has a chance to make it a Gwinnett-only affair “inside the fences” during the November awards ceremony. Led by juniors Sara Brown and Julianne Kurke, they return 5 sub-21 minute Carrollton performers. Although on paper appearing to lack the depth needed to make a state title run, they have the strength up front to be a “podium force” with some nice efforts at their 3 through 7 spots.
6 - Alpharetta
The Lady Raiders (except Dylan Hassett) sat home on last year’s state meet Saturday. Not because they weren’t good --they clearly were – they just happened to be in a tough region that had 5 of the top 10 AAAAA ranked teams. They were definitely a top 10 team last year and they look to pick up this year exactly where they left off….albeit with a little more ammo. Jessica Borchert returns this fall after missing most of last season and after posting a nice 5:18 in the spring. She’ll be right up there with Hassett, top 5A returner from last year’s state meet (finishing 3rd there and narrowly beating Winslow). On their shoulders will be sophomore Rachel Thorne (5:09 in the spring), Nissa Mai, Suzy Riem and Savannah Levins.
7 - Walton
The Raiders had an outstanding freshman pair up front last year in Alexa Womack and Christine Gnecco, both of whom cracked the 20 minute mark at the state meet. They return for their sophomore campaign backed up by seniors Danielle Boyle and Mara Canning and junior Lia Sewell.   Count on the always strong Walton program to be in the hunt come November, as Coach Gower looks to equal or better their 4th place position from last year’s meet.
8 -Centennial
Centennial boasts 3 legitimate frontrunners in seniors Kelly Meyer, Katie June and Brooke Koblitz, all of whom have bettered 20:10 at Carrollton (Meyer with a best of 19:20). Their spread between 3 and 4 and then 5-7 needs to close a bit if they are going to contend in 2010, but they have a large crew of returning freshmen and sophomores who could make a difference.
9 - Roswell
A top 10 team from 2009 who showed flashes of brilliance, the Lady Hornets are led by a solid top 5 who have all bettered 21:25 at Carrollton. Current senior Jessica Muse led the way in 2009, followed closely by juniors Whitney Sweet and Alma McCarty and sophomores Morgan Green and Erica Muse. They face a tough Region 6AAAAA with Milton, Alpharetta, and Centennial and 3 other quality programs in Northview, West Forsyth and North Forsyth, and (like most) will need to stay healthy to advance to Carrollton.
10 - Woodstock
Rising freshmen Morgan O’Toole and Hannah Frantz appear to be ready to make an immediate impact on the Woodstock program. They ran 20:54 and 22:25 (respectively) at Carrollton in 2009, and O’Toole actually won the JV Region meet….as an 8TH GRADER!! Senior Brittney Booz and sophomores Makensie Block and Keeton Wallace all had 2009 times in the low- to mid- 21’s on an early-season Carrollton course. This is a program that is young and could turn a few heads in 2010.
GATFXC.com Pre-Season Top 10 AAAAA Boys
1 - Parkview
2 – Peachtree Ridge
3 – Brookwood
4 – Collins Hill
5 – Mill Creek
6 – Woodstock
7 – North Gwinnett
8 – Marietta
9 – Harrison
10 - Norcross
 
1 – Parkview
Coach Tigue’s Panthers return 5 seniors who have cracked the 17 minute mark at Carrollton. Steven Spevacek (15:52) and Alec Klassen (15:58) had solid track seasons and have a legitimate chance to go 1-2 (not sure which order!) at state. Joe Weiler, Louis Roger, Noah Tucker, Ryan Mcfall and Kyle Gibson are fine runners in their own right, and offer depth that would seem to put Parkview in the driver’s seat. The Panther boys program has brought home 8 state championship trophies, and a win this year would tie them with Brookwood at 9. As an added incentive, none of the harriers on this year’s team have been on the top stand of the Carrollton podium, as the Panther’s last state title came as they were 8th graders in 2006.
 2 – Peachtree Ridge
Peachtree Ridge enjoyed running “off the radar” during their 2008 run to a state championship, but those days are over.   Senior Matt Weickert (16:01 at 2009 state) leads a talented crew and is sure to be pushed by junior Matthew Cornwall and sophomore Josh Brickell. Brickell showed tremendous improvement in the spring posting 4:27 and 9:35 as a freshman, slightly ahead of even Weickert’s numbers. Senior Ben Jacques has broken 17:00 at Carrollton, giving the Ridge 4 under that mark. Filling the 5th spot would seem to be Coach Clanton’s challenge if they hope to repeat their success from 2 years ago.
3 – Brookwood
The 2010 Broncos are left with the unenviable task of following the 2009 Broncos -- arguably the best boys team in Georgia XC history. The crew that’s left behind is still very good and has a great shot at bringing home a 10th state championship trophy. Seniors Sean Brennan, Michael Giuliano and Jackson Wearn are very solid up front, and posted some stout times on the track in the spring. With this much talent up front, there appears to be an expected gap between their 3 and 4 spots, but with the Bronco’s depth it’s likely that Coach Dehnke and crew will be able to slip another couple of guys under (perhaps well under) the 17 minute mark at Carrollton come November.
4 – Collins Hill
The Hill returns a very experienced senior squad, led by legitimate frontrunners Alex Kellams and Andy Gonzalez (16:05 and 16:07 at Carrollton last year). Michael McLaughlin and Robby Ainsworth back them up, and there’s a slew of solid returnees following them. These seniors were freshmen when the Eagles last held a state championship trophy (2007), so you can bet Coach Hudson wants them to finish what they started 3 seasons ago.
5 – Mill Creek
Austin Boetje is the clear front runner for the Mill Creek program, boasting a 16:06 from last year’s state meet and 4:26/9:38 spring efforts. Mitch Flammang (17:07) and Brandon Gaunt (17:12) have run well at Carrollton, and they’ll need help from Tyler Kvietkus, Glen Feller and Thomas Varnson in closing the gap at the 4-7 spots.   The Creek faces the added challenge of running in the tough Region 7-AAAAA.   Coach Christie suggests that his men had a great summer of mileage, which should bode well for a chance to equal or better their 6th place finish from last year’s state meet.
6 – Woodstock
Woodstock doesn’t really jump out on paper as a contender, but a closer look at their 2009 results reveals that they didn’t run on ANY fast courses last year. Junior Jared Richmond (16:33 at 2009 state) and senior Brett Carter (16:55) are solid up front, while sophomore JC Cornett and senior Seth Duncan have both run 17:31 at Carrollton. While they don’t appear to be particularly strong from a depth perspective, they are a 5th runner away from being a VERY competitive team. Alex Broome might be that man….he ran 17:02 as a sophomore at the 2008 state meet and 4:33/9:55 in May of 2010. He did not run XC in 2009 and it’s unclear if he’ll be in the mix this season.
7 – North Gwinnett
Matt Ursprung had a solid track season (4:33/9:57) to suggest that he might be ready to break out during his senior year. Sophomore Andres Littig ran a superb 17:07 at Carrollton as a freshman, actually leading the North Gwinnett squad at state. Senior Dallin Carroll (17:28) is another solid performer, and seniors Nick Briggs and Michael Flores were right on the cusp of breaking 18 last year. Like many teams on this pre-season Top 10 list, they’ll need the 4-7 spots to step-up to have a chance at a podium spot in November.
8 – Marietta
The Blue Devils have 4 returners that were under 18 minutes at the 2009 state meet, and appear to be one runner away from having a really solid squad. Junior Cole Robertson leads their group, followed closely by the experienced senior trio of Kevin Garreau, Jackson McHugh, and Davor Jungic. Their training grounds are the hills right next door at Kennesaw Mountain, so they’re always ready for the hilly terrain at Carrollton Elementary School.
9 – Harrison
Coach Scott’s 2010 Hoyas will be an experienced squad, returning a solid group of upperclassmen.   Senior Nat Estes appears to be their front-runner, but they have a solid group in the 17:45 – 18:20’ish range at Carrollton. They finished 15th at last year’s state meet but seem poised to be a Top-10 contender this year with just a little improvement. 
10 – Norcross
Seniors Daniel Winters (4:31/9:38) and Cameron Turner lead a relative young squad that will rely heavily on sophomores.   Their solid top 4 will need someone to step up and close the gap to the all-important #5 spot. They’ll face a tough task making it to Carrollton in the tough 7-AAAAA Region, with Collins Hill, Peachtree Ridge, Mill Creek and North Gwinnett also appearing to have strong 2010 squads.

AAA Article

This classification see large changes this year. Several teams move up to AAAA and until after the first races there is no way of knowing who is and isn't running this year, who had a great summer, etc. Here is a best guess on who has a shot of running well this season.

Girls - St. Pius and Woodaward appear to have a gap between themselves and the rest of the field with St. Pius having the edge right now. Woodward is notorius for starting slow but coming on strong late in the season. In third for now, Columbus has a habit of laying low until the state meet. Never count them out.

Boys - The St. Pius boys had a good track season and open as #1. North Hall graduated their #1 but return 2009 State 3200m champion Cody Barger who was hurt much of track season. They also have a ton of tradition so look for them to try and keep the AAA title with region 7. Eagle's Landing brings 5 experienced seniors into the season along with strong freshman in Brian Cato to start at #3. Riverwood was very young last and have had a great summer. They could be a team to watch late in the season. Led by last year's state champ, Nathen Vassey, Woodward rounds out the top 5.

Girls
1-St. Pius
2-Woodward
3-Columbus
4-Druid Hills
5-North Hall
6-Westover
7-White Co
8-Allatoona
9-Spalding
10-Oconee

Boys
1-St. Pius
2-North Hall
3-Eagle's Landing
4-Riverwood
5-Woodward
6-West Hall
7-Oconee
8-Westover
9-Washington County
10-Perry

 

Pre – Season
4A
 
Welcome to the 2010 season. With all the reclassifications, 4A has become extremely competitive on both the boys’ and girls’ sides. At this point I have been looking at each team, but we do not know several things: who did their summer, who has moved/is not running/has freshman/in some cases graduated, and who is healthy. All these factors will be played out as we get into the season. Please let me know if I missed something or if there is just a mistake.
 
Boys:
  1. Chapel Hill – with Eldridge, Voyles, and Gaines who could all finish in the top 5 it is hard to pick anyone else at the moment.
  2. Flowery Branch – last year’s 3A champ is once again loaded with Slavik and Riden
  3. Lakeside- DeKalb – Ewing’s back and they only lost Dixon of their core top 7
  4. Lakeside-Evans – they lost 2 solid runners, but return everyone else lead by Wilson (5th in 3200)
  5. McIntosh – 4th place last year and return 4 guys basically under 17:00
  6. Union Grove – lost their leader Prosper and Worsham, but still returns a solid group
  7. Marist – I know Marist this low, but they lost 1-4 and number 8, but they always seem to reload each year, let’s see how they do at Kosh
  8. Alexander – returns Gray, Starnes, and Chambers to make a very solid team
  9. Dunwoody - they finished 5th in 3A and only lose Ausley out of their top 6
  10. Lambert – last year was their first year, so they lost no one from a team that finished 12th in a loaded 3A
 
Others to Watch:
Kell – can they replace losing all, but 2 of their top 7
Northgate – Golay leads a team that runs in a tight timed pack
Greenbrier – has a solid top 2 in Coombs and Wilder
 
 
Girls:
  1. Lakeside-Evans – returns both Bowles and Townsend with 2 new freshman coming in
  2. Marist – returns 6 of their top 10 and is the 2 time champ, lead by Harkins who returns as their number 1
  3. Whitewater – they return all their top 7 that finished 4th last year in 4A
  4. Lakeside-DeKalb – they also return everyone from a team that finished 5th last year scoring only 146 points
  5. Lambert – 9th last year in 3A, but they return everyone including Schaich who can challenge for the top spot
  6. Chapel Hill – they also return everyone led by Lord that finished 13th in 5A
  7. Creekview – they finished 2nd in 3A and only lose their number 4 out of 10
 
  1. John’s Creek – they are another team that returns everyone from a 7th place finish in 3A
  2. Pope – from finishing 6th in Region 6AAAAA last year, but they return all but number 3 and are led by Schenck
  3. Winder Barrow – they are led by Cope, but they lost their number 1 and must replace their 6 and 7 that were 3rd last year in 4A
 
Others to Watch:
Woodland – must replace numbers 4 and 5 from a team that finished 7th in 4A
McIntosh – only lost #5 from a 8th place finish
Union Grove – they finished 15th in 5A and return Green, but must replace 2 and 3
 
 
Boys:
  1. Chapel Hill
  2. Flowery Branch
  3. Lakeside-DeKalb
  4. Lakeside-Evans
  5. McIntosh
  6. Union Grove
  7. Marist
  8. Alexander
  9. Dunwoody
  10. Lambert
 
Girls:
  1. Lakeside-Evans
  2. Marist
  3. Whitewater
  4. Lakeside-DeKalb
  5. Lambert
  6. Chapel Hill
  7. Creekview
  8. John’s Creek
  9. Pope
  10. Winder Barrow
 

 

 

 

Class A

Boys:

1. Mt. Paran

2. Athens Christian

3. Wesleyan

4. Pace Academy

5. Darlington

6. Providence Christian

7. Galloway,

8. First Presbyterian Day

9. Our Lady of Mercy

10. Athens Academy

 

 

Girls:

1. First Presbyterian Day

2. Holy Innocents

3. Athens Christian

4. Darlington

5. Wesleyan

6. Athens Academy

7. Pace Academy

8. Savannah Country Day

9. Landmark Chrisitan

10. Providence Christian

 

      1A Boys is wide open and whoever works the hardest/smartest and can avoid injury late in the season will have the best opportunity to win a State title. Last season, Wesleyan put it all together when it counted most and ran impressively to overtake favorite Athens Christian by 25 points. Wesleyan only lost Ramsey and Duvall to graduation and historically has good depth, so I would pan them as pre-season favorites led by Bradley Gossett and Drew Sutton. Athens Christian should be right in the thick of things led by brothers Joshua and Josiah Jenkins as well as Will Hayes. Watch out for Colin Bishoff's little bro Morgan also and a talented rising Frosh class. Mount Paran Christian returned the meat of their squad led by Darryn Hutchinson and Jeff Perason finished 6th and 7th respectively at State in 09'. Expectations are large for sophomores Taylor Hall and Jake Anderson to bring the Eagles to the top of the Podium in 2010. Providence Christian (James Watkins-17:19@State), Galloway (17:24@ State), Darlington (Jesse Baker 17@ State) and Landmark Christian will all field competitive squads and newcomer First Presbyterian Day (Gray Lindley-16:57@ GISA State) will get its feet wet on the GHSA level. The big question is will defending 800/1600m Champion Cameron Thornton of Whitefield run XC this season? All of the athletes mentioned above will be in the thick of it for an Individual title at Carrollton.

 

      1A Girls may have a new Sheriff in town with the long awaited arrival of First Presbyterian Day out of Macon. These girls blitzed the field in the GISA state championships with an average time of 20:28....Yes, it was not on the GHSA State Course and I would rate GA Industrial Children's Home course (I've been there) about 30-40 seconds faster than Carrollton. But, even with that factored in, who is going to rise up and challenge FPD? And, can any girl in the state hang with Foot Locker National Finalist (20th) sophomore sensation Grace Tinkey who sports a pr of 17:23 from the Foot Locker South Regional? FPD has an impressive supporting cast in Jessica Smith, Danielle Ferro, Maddie Anderskow and Caroline Stroud. There's a gap separating pre-season fave FPD and the old GHSA guard, but its a disturbed hornet's nest that will give chase and it's too close to call early.on. Landmark Christian is back led talented sophomore Lindy Long who will be back to defend her title after an impressive 19:02 at Carrollton and a successful Track season along with teamate Lana Hojeig. If her supporting cast steps it up a bit FPD could be hearing footsteps in November. Darlington may be a darkhorse that rises up and makes the A race an absolute frenzy behind talented frontrunner Ansley McDurman (19:56pr) Athens Christian is bringing up a talented MS squad into the fire of HS competition and veterans Destiny Jenkins (1600m Champ), Bryanne Acker and Lauren Pineo will be the backbone that drives this squad's chances. Holy Innocents, Savannah Country Day and Athens Academy will provide good competition when it comes time for Region and State and watch out for Wesleyan late in the season. Individually, also giving chase to Tinkey could be Lindsay Sanborn of Atlanta International, Erika Ramsey of Wesleyan and Andrea Raville of Our Lady of Mercy.

 

 

AA  Girls

1.  Westminster
2.   Lovett
3.   Blessed Trinity
4.   East Jackson
5.   Greater Atlanta Christian
6.   Buford
7.   Bleckley County
8.   Pike County
9.   North Oconee
10. Jefferson


AA  Boys

1.   Westminster
2.   Lovett
3.   North Oconee
4.   Blessed Trinity
5.   Pike County
6.   Bleckley County
7.   Union County
8.   Dawson County
9.   Toombs County
10. Jefferson

 

AA Boys

      Last season Westminster calmly reloaded after losing everyone but William Barber and rolled to another championship. The Wildcats will provide a tougher challenge this Fall as they return everyone but Barber. They will feature a tight top 4 led by Spencer Nash, Jake Candler, John Lambert and Cody Tedesco (17:16-17:41 at State in 09'). Lovett returns 5 of its top 6 and Parker Whitlock who placed 8th at State (16:59pr) could be a challenger for the Individual title. Also putting the Lions in the hunt to topple the Cats' are Dan Hall and John Maddox. North Oconee cracked the top 4 in 09' behind the duo of 1600 meter champ Tripp Hurt and Ian Wraga. Hurt has been impressive this Summer, but the Titans lost Josh Wheeler as he transferred back to Oglethope County and will need help from Chad Campobianco and company to move up the Podium. Blessed Trinity was in rebuilding mode in 09' finishing 7th at State but looks to be stronger led by returners Dylan Dimartino and Michael Lang. On the move this season could be Pike County led by Brett Edmondson who easily won the Spalding Jag this past Saturday in 17:53 and Bleckley County led by Chase McCulley and Anthony Jones.

      The Individual title is up for grabs with the departure of many excellent harriers (including the flamboyant Ian Edwards) although Cross Keys' Leonel Ayala will be back to defend his title. North Oconee's Hurt and Wraga are sure to put up a challenge as well as Edmondson from Pike County, Whitlock of Lovett (who won the Kosh Classic Invitational in 17:26 last Saturday) and Westminster's Nash and Candler.

AA Girls

      The triumviarte of Atlanta private schools will be the power teams again in AA. Has Westminster begun another long streak of State titles in Girls XC with their dominant performance in 09'? The Lady Cats placed 5 runners in the top 9 scoring 23 points and return defending AA champ Sahara Fletcher and runnerup Parker Rhodes and 5 of their top 7. Lovett looks at this point to be the only other squad in the ballpark with Westminster although some big shoes will need to be filled with the departure of Elizabeth Rucker and Alexandra Horst. Top returner Emmala Moffet along with newcomers Hailey Branch (21:27@Kosh) and Kimberlin Rogers will need to step it up a notch this Fall to keep pace with Westminster. Blessed Trinity had a good outing at Kosh finishing just behind Marist and team winner Lovett. Looking to bolster the Lady Titans hopes are top returner Natalie Kile and newcomer Anna Gandolfo who placed 8th at Kosh in 23:23. No predictions, but that final Podium spot is wide open for many teams and there's a vast gap after the top 3 afforementioned teams. East Jackson's Sherrie Blaylock is the top harrier for the Lady Eagles (19:44pr) and the entire top 5 from a 6th place finish in 09' is back. Greater Atlanta Christian is back led by Lauren Kester who placed 3rd in the 3200 at Albany along with strong running mates Sophia Artusa and Abigail Mistretta. Buford, Bleckley County, Pike County and North Oconee will all field competitive teams.

      Sahara Fletcher is definitely the favorite to win the Individual title with a runaway victory in 09' at 19:02 and having swept the 1600/3200m races down in Albany last Spring. A cast of newcomers and veterans will be in a large chase pack including teamate Rhodes, Madyln Waters of Dawson County, Brittany Aikens of Jackson County, Kile of Blessed Trinity, Blaylock of East Jackson and newcomer Hailey Branch of Lovett. Keep an eye out for Sheila Donovan and Olivia Pigg of North Oconee later in the season.

 

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