The Chapel Hill men’s and women’s cross country teams both placed second at the state championship meet in Kernersville on November 3.
Chapel Hill freshman Amelia Maughan and seniors Lilly Crook and Maggie Springer finished in the top 15 places of the women’s race. Still, Cuthbertson High School edged out the Tigers in the cumulative team score, which is made up of each school’s top five finishers.
Crook, a team captain, said her teammates this season were “running for each other and the success of the team, instead of just to reach their individual goals. Our best strength as a team is everyone’s commitment, whether it’s showing up to workouts or doing crazy themes. Everyone is all in.”
In the men’s competition, sophomore Ben Hawley (10th) and junior Owen Rodgers (24th) led the Chapel Hill runners. The Tigers fell short of of the state title, though, as Weddington High School stood atop the men’s leaderboard.
The Tigers had won the Big Eight Conference on October 19, at a meet at which the men’s team filled six of the top seven positions. The women’s team achieved a perfect score there—filling all top seven positions with Chapel Hill runners. Springer was named the conference runner of year as well.