By Ricky Quintana

Cary, NC – Over 4,000 athletes, the largest in meet history, will contend for individual and team honors at the Great American XC Festival at WakeMed Soccer Park. Events include middle school races and the HBCU Cedric Walker Challenge on Friday beginning at 4:15pm and the high school boys and girls competition beginning on Saturday at 8:00am.

Participants from 22 states including California, Oregon and New York will face highly competitive fields in the 12 races over the two days of competition. This is the most number of states represented in the history of the meet.

The Boys and Girls Race of Champions will bring together some of the top rated teams and individuals in the country on the super-fast WakeMed course which will host the Nike Cross National Southeast Regional on Saturday, November 23.

Important links

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Top entrants in the boys and girls competition:

Girls

Individuals

• Hannah Rae Shaffer (Cardinal Gibbons, Raleigh, NC) – the senior and UNC- Chapel Hill commit was runner-up last year, 17:24.20 and has a best of 17:18.00 on the WakeMed course.
• Carolina Areheart (Webb School, Knoxville, TN) – the junior is undefeated this season and has the fastest entry time 17:19.68.  Her best on this course is 17:55.50.
• Abby Downin (Tatnall, Wilmington, DE) – the junior finished 12th last year at the Great American XC Festival and the Nike Cross Southeast Regional. Her best time on this course is 17:39.70.
• Maysen Fletcher (Herbert Hoover, Elkview, WV) – the freshman has lost only twice this season to 2023 Foot Locker All American, Alyssa Sauro. She boasts a best of 17:22.9 and ran a 4:59.72 mile as an 8th grader to win the Nike Indoor Nationals middle school championship.
• Caroline Elliott (South Lakes, Reston, VA) – the junior enters with the fastest mile time, 4:44.48, of the field. She finished 39th last year (18:18.10) and will look to improve on that performance.
• Caroline Barton (Carolina Day School, Asheville, NC) – the senior finished sixth last year 17:36.0. Her best this season is 17:34.50.
  
  

Teams

Last year, Tatnall (Wilmington, DE) beat Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, NC) 68-96. They equaled that score at Nike Cross Southeast Regionals to take the title and qualify for the Nike Cross Nationals where they finished ninth. Their top three, sixth and seventh from that team return: Abby Downin, Ruby Schwelm, Katie Payne, Krissa Woods and Addison Schwlem.

Other top contenders:

• Webb School (Knoxville, TN) - Carolina Areheart, Jazzlyn and Calysta Garmer and Kristian Weaver are a formidable foursome who will be tough to beat. Ariana Vargas will be counted on at fifth person to try to hold off any other contenders.
• Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, NC) - The Crusaders are fresh off a win at the Roy Griak Invitational (Falcon Heights, MN) over some of the top ranked teams in the country. The addition of freshman Kaitlyn Estep, a nationally ranked middle schooler last year, has added to an already strong team that lost no scorer from last year’s runner up team.
• James Robinson (Fairfax, VA) - Sophomores Karina and Alexandra Bird, freshman Petra Gruendel have a strong top three. Isabella Willard and Emily Morosco will need to close the time gap for the Rams to have a chance at a top finish. 
  
  

Boys

Individuals

• Tommy Latham (Marist, Atlanta, GA) – Latham’s resume is nearly unmatched among the nation’s best runners. He is the fastest returning miler, 4:01.74, and seventh fastest returning 3,200m runner, 8:46.88. Last year he recorded 14:44.7 to finish second at Great American before finishing 15th at Nike Cross Nationals.
• Brady Mullen (Jesuit, New Orleans, LA) – Last year, Mullen had his best year yet in the spring. His 4:06.15 in the 1,600m was the 12th underclassmen time and his 3,200m is the 9th fastest of all returnees this year.  He finished ninth on this course at the NXR South Regionals in 15:12.40 and will look to be among the contenders on Saturday and in the post season. This will be his first appearance at Great American and on this course.
• Marcelo Mantecon (Belen Jesuit, Miami, FL) - Last year he finished 3rd in 14:48.0 before going on to finish 23rd at the Nike Cross Nationals. His stellar freshman campaign continued in the spring when he erased storied Lukas Verzbicas’ (Lincoln-Way Central, New Lenox, IL) freshman 3,200m record with his 8:50.02 at the Arcadia Invitational. His only defeat this year came at The Southern Showcase where he finished 3rd in 15:00.2. He shattered two course records in his two wins- one held by Patrick Koon by 14 seconds and the other held by Joshua Ruiz  by 18 seconds.
• Riku Sugie (Thomas Nelson, Bardstown, KY) – Last year, Sugie claimed 18th place at the Foot Locker Nationals. He carried that fitness into the track season where set personal bests in the mile, 4:11.12, the 3,200m, 8:48.83, and 5,000m, 14:28.63- winning the national title at the Nike Outdoor Nationals. This will be his first appearance on this course and at Great American.
• Malachi Schoenherr (Sheldon, Eugene, OR) – Schoenherr stunned the nation when he ran 14:27.71 in the 5,000m at the Portland Track Festival. That came after winning the 3,000m and finishing 3rd in the 1,500m at the Oregon 6A state championships. All as a sophomore. He’ll look to transfer that fitness to the cross country surface and contend for a state cross country and national All American honors. This will be his first time at Great American and on this course.
• Michael Haskins (Asheville, NC) – the senior finished 23rd at the highly competitive Woodbridge Cross Country Classic in 14:09.0. The runner-up in the 3,200m at the North Carolina 4A state championships, 9:03.96, is off to his best start of his career this season and will be vying to contend for top hoonors against a national class field.
  
  

Teams

Last year Belen Jesuit (Miami, FL) crushed the field with a 65-160 win. They returned six weeks later to again run away with the victory at NXR Southeast Regional to earn a berth to Nike Cross Nationals where they finished 4th.
They graduated three from that team, but this year haven’t missed a beat as they have cruised to victories in all of their meets. Marcelo Mantecon, Tiago Socarras, Justin Ruiz have yet to gel on the same day, but have been getting better each race. Add Diego Magarino, Armando Cruz, Marco Prieguez, and Michael Brunet, they have one of the deepest teams in the country. Expect a fast race from the Wolverines as they begin their trek towards another appearance at Nike Cross Nationals.

Other top contenders:

• Jesuit (New Orelans, LA) - Jesuit scored a team low 79 points to win the Wingfoot Classic which include Marist(Atlanta, GA). Their 15:38 average came from their top five: Brady Mullen, Brady Monahan, Joe Accardo, Andrew Nimmo and Connor Fanberg. Their they average 15:38.2. They match up well against Belen Jesuit depth wise and could be the toughest competition Belen will face in the regular season. 
• Huntsville (AL)- The Crimson Panthers came the closest to Belen Jesuit in finishing second just 57 points behind at The Southern Showcase.  Eric Moore, Jack Gruber, Charles Pearson, Ben Casperson, and Owen Otto powered through the muddy conditions on their “home” course to stay close. At WakeMed they’ll have a faster surface and will need to be FAST to repeat their performance at the Great Southern Showcase.
• Trinity (Louisville, KY) – Trinity has gone undefeated this season and will face their biggest test yet. Eli Oetken, Drew Koon, Ryan Kimery, Ayden Taylor and Haydon Spears have all dipped under 16 minutes this season and will have an opportunity to do that again on the WakeMed course. If they do, they’ll be in the mix for a top showing or even the team title.
• Marist (Atlanta, GA) – The trio of Tommy Latham, Andrew Stricklin and Liam Hanneman are all seniors looking to go out with their best season yet. Stricklin has improved the most out of the threesome running a 30 second personal best to finish seventh at Wingfoot XC Classic. It was the third consecutive personal best in as many races. They’ll need great races from Kyle Klinges, and Alexander Mildzikov, and Thomas Koziol to finish among the top five.