Voyles Classic (TN)
Claire Cheeseman won the Voyles Classic on Saturday over All-American Taylor Cuneo. Pictured above en route to third place finish at Tennessee State XC Championship last fall. (Photo by Ted Paduck)
Taylor Cuneo has ruled the distance roost in Tennessee upon immediate entry to high school, as she won four state titles (one XC, three track) last year as just a freshman. But it looks like she may have a new rival in junior Claire Cheeseman, who won the Voyles Classic, 18:05.63 to 18:19.14, over Cuneo.
Cheeseman looks much improved from last cross country season, as she ran 19:13.61 to win the same race last year. The junior from Brentwood Academy is coming off a strong spring season that saw her run PRs of 5:08 for 1600m and 10:57.48 for 3200m.
Central Magnet's Cuneo ranks US #19 in the first edition of the Saucony Flo50 National XC Rankings. She was the top freshman finisher at NXN last year in eighth place.
Brentwood High School's Taylor Vroon and Brodey Hasty ran 1-2 in the boys race, clocking U.S. No. 2 and No. 3 times of 15:12.72 and 15:13.3 for 5k. The duo led Brentwood to the team title in a 61-team field, scoring 62 points with an average time of 16:03. The entire top five finished within the top 26 overall. Hasty, just a sophomore, is one one the nation's top returners from the Class of 2018 and the win makes Brentwood look like the type of team to pose a threat to regional rankings.