Can Clodagh O'Bryant help deliver North Hall girls their first team title?
Cross Country seasons officially started and the first meets are about to get underway. So now we want to take a look at the upcoming season. In case you missed it, we ran a rankings for the top returners in each classification. Keep in mind that no ranking system is perfect and no season preview is perfect. Nobody can account for injuries, big jumps, transfers, breakthrough runners that we haven't seen yet or anything else that can affect a season. But one of the great things about Georgia MileSplit is that we do have a great ranking database and it allows us to quickly and easily take a look at rankings like this. So check out that ranking for a more in depth look of each classification heading into the season.
3A Girls
I try to be impartial here and not show my biases. But I am about to show a little bias. North Hall could really use a state title this year. Talk about a program with tremendous success and just bad luck at the state level, winning no state titles on the girls side despite frequently being in the conversation. You really feel for them, and it'd be fun to watch them get that monkey off their backs. And I think pretty much everybody in 3A would be happy for them if they pulled off the win this year. They are the favorites, and by a decent margin too. They have two absolute studs up front with Clodagh O'Bryant and Harleigh Smith and they have the depth to pull it off even if they don't have the perfect race. They'll be tough this year, but it's always hard to win your first one. Battling it out for the other podium spots are some really strong programs. Dawson County is led by Hayden Hand and a tight pack at 2-3-4. If they can find a 5th, they'll be dangerous. Oconee County is missing the firepower up front, but they've got a solid team of girls that can get the job done and land their team on the podium. Jeffersonis almost identical to Oconee in every single way. Mary Persons had a really strong season last year, landing on the podium for the first time since I can remember, and they'll look to run it back as they're led by a strong 1-2 punch with Gabriella Hoover and Kolbi McBrayer.
Individually O'Bryant is the heavy favorite. But we've all seen this story before, and nobody is a lock. Ever. Hand, Hoover, Smith, and MacBrayer could easily give her trouble and spoil her party. But right now it is her party to spoil, and she's looked every bit the part for years now. It does feel like it's her turn. Others in the mix up front include Jayla Fouse and Emma Windham. Anybody who is ready for a big jump could shake up the order up front here.
3A Boys
Well it doesn't get any tighter than this up front. Oconee and North Hall are separated by only one point, and behind them you've got Jefferson only 12 points back and Lumpkin Countyonly 15 points back. That is a PACKED top four and anything can happen when things look this close. I've already mentioned my bias for North Hall, and I would be very happy for them if they swept state titles this year. But I think the crowd favorite has to be Lumpkin. Really any of the schools winning would be a cool story. Jefferson hasn't won since 1976. North Hall only has one title. And Oconee County is going for a 3 peat after years of playing 2nd and 3rd fiddle like North Hall did. But Lumpkin is going for their first, and that trumps any other fun story line. Just some fun stories overall in class 3A. And to make things even better, all 4 schools have one of the top four seeds, which means they've all got similar enough teams with a front runner and similar 2-5. Oconee is the strongest at 5, but they're the weakest at 2. It's just gonna be a crazy race if things pan for us, and the fans are in for a treat. Chestatee looks like the only other school capable of breaking into the top four, barring some big freshmen or transfer somewhere. And given their success at state in recent years and cloth performances at Carrollton, you would be a fool to completely count them out.
Individually you gotta figure Aaron Brodrick is the favorite here. But again, nobody is a lock. And 3A has some studs. Wyatt Windham is a really good runner and if anybody will challenge Brodrick, it'll be him. I know on paper they seem pretty even, but I think given their full story, Brodrick is the favorite based on potential. But we don't run the race on potential, so don't be surprised to see Windham as the last one one to ascend the steps on that podium to get his medal in November. Brock Brush and Bryant Young are also very good and are probably will have 3rd and 4th on lock. Can't count them out for top two, but they've got some work to do to catch the top two in this race. Other runners who could mix it up include Demetrius Clavino and Leo Tedder who look pretty strong as well.
