The Preseason MileSplit50 Top 25 Girls Team Rankings

No. 16: Cardinal Gibbons (NC)

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Analysis: Five returners are back from last year's third-place finisher at the North Carolina Class 4A State Championships -- the squad also won the Team Southeast Region Championship -- including state runner-up Hannah Rae Shaffer, who's a sophomore in 2022. But in North Carolina, it's going to be a competitive season this fall. 

With returning state champions Cuthbertson also returning almost all of its team, Gibbons will need to find the right ingredients on race day to beat its biggest challengers. Undoubtedly, though, this team has potential. From Shaffer to her teammate, Ina Lazarczyk, who was 12th at state a year ago, the Raleigh-based squad sports a formidable 1-2. But this team will also be young -- there will be only one senior from the top seven in 2021 returning -- which means every member of this team will have to continue to earn experience along the way. 

Biggest Question: Who's going to be No. 1 in North Carolina? 

It's as simple as that. Cuthbertson won the NCHSA Class 4A title in 2021 and returns almost all of its top runners. But Gibbons is laden with sophomore talent and traditionally has been one of North Carolina powerhouses. Will that history serve this team well in 2022? We'll find out. 

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