NORTH CAROLINA STATE MEET

Will Soule Leads Mount Tabor Past Weddington For State Title

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

The Mount Tabor boys stood up to a late-season challenge from Weddington to win the North Carolina Class 4A state championship. It was a program effort that began in the aftermath of the January state meet and continued through the summer and into a fall season that included a victory at the Great American XC Festival. 

Senior Will Soule led Mount Tabor with an individual win 15:31.6, pulling away from the field with a big move with 600 meters left as the Spartans pulled out a 64-73 victory. 

Weddington pressed the issue with Mount Tabor at the 4A Midwest regional, finishing just a point behind (45-46). And at state, the former Class 3A power made a great attempt at the school's first 4A crown. Weddington pushed five scorers over the finish line in a 19-second window, with Isaac Clark's 11th place finish in 15:57.77. leading the way. 

Mount Tabor's state meet win was its first since 2017 and fifth all-time (four 4A titles, one 3A). 

The Cuthbertson girls maintained their dominance this season by scoring 50 points to secure the 4A title, placing five scorers in the top 17 overall finishers. 

Senior Sarah Mitchell from Apex won the state final in 17:26.9. 

North Lincoln swept the 3A titles, moving up a level after winning both the boys and girls championships for Class 2A last January. 

Senior twin brothers Zach and Nick Willer from Cramer went 1-2 in the 3A final, separated by less than three seconds. Zach won it in 15:42.6. 

Senior Nevaya Zales from Croatan won the 3A girls race by 29 seconds in 18:12.9. 

Lucy Murray, a junior at Brevard, won the 2A girls race in 19:26.5. N.C. School of Science and Math put five scorers in the top 22 overall and won its first title since 2015.

Brevard made it a sweep of the 2A individual races with senior Knox Witherspoon taking the boys final in 16:17.7. He also led his team to a victory as Brevard beat runner-up Lincoln Charter, 51-67.

Freshman Arizona Blankenship from Swain County won the 1A girls race in 19:06.1 and led her team to its first state championship. 

Senior Jacob Fiorillo from Corvian Community ran 16:34.2 to pull out a close 1A boys race. Bishop McGuinness took the team honors with 65 points. 

Team Champions - 

Class 4A - Mount Tabor boys 64 points, Cuthbertson girls 50 points - RESULTS

Class 3A - North Lincoln boys 106 points, North Lincoln girls 59 points - RESULTS

Class 2A - Brevard boys 51 points, North Carolina School of Science and Math girls 36 points - RESULTS

Class 1A - Bishop McGuinness boys 65 points, Swain County girls 89 points - RESULTS