No. 7: Cardinal Gibbons (NC)
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Analysis: The Cardinal Gibbons girls are the new team to beat in North Carolina, dethroning the Cuthbertson girls who have been long the dominant team in North Carolina. Last season, the Cardinal Gibbons girls secured top finishes by winning the adidas XC Challenge by 67 points, finishing 2nd at the Great American XC Festival, winning the MileState XC Invitational, winning the NXHSAA 4A State Title and finishing 4th at the NXR Southeast Regional.
The Cardinal Gibbons top five runners return for the 2024 season, led by NXR Southeast #6 finisher, Hannah Rae Shaffer, and #40 finisher Maggie Whitham. Overall, their returning top five has a 5K average of 17:58.30 which ranks them #7 nationally, and one of the only seven programs going into the season with an average under 18 minutes.
COROS MILESPLIT50
PRESEASON GIRLS TEAM RANKINGS
*Click on the teams below for analysis
RANK | Team |
|---|---|
| 25 | Champlain Valley Union (Vt.) |
| 24 | Wayzata (Minn.) |
| 23 | Flower Mound (Tex.) |
| 22 | Saratoga Springs (N.Y.) |
| 21 | Timpview (Utah) |
| 20 | Jesuit Portland (Ore.) |
| 19 | East Aurora (N.Y.) |
| 18 | Brentwood (Tenn.) |
| 17 | Lincoln (Ore.) |
| 16 | Downers Grove North (Ill.) |
| 15 | Webb School (Knoxville, Tenn.) |
| 14 | Union Catholic Reg (N.J.) |
| 13 | Barrington (Ill.) |
| 12 | Romeo (Mich.) |
| 11 | Ventura (Calif.) |
| 10 | Lone Peak (Utah) |
| 9 | Bethlehem (N.Y.) |
| 8 | Santiago Corona (Calif.) |
| 7 | Cardinal Gibbons (N.C.) |
| 6 | JSerra Catholic (Calif.) |
| 5 | Trabuco Hills (Calif.) |
| 4 | Niwot (Colo.) |
| 3 | Buchanan (Calif.) |
| 2 | Mountain Vista (Colo.) |
| 1 | Air Academy (Colo.) |