Southwest Wake Athletic Conference cross country preview, 2016

While the Apex boys narrowly won their third straight Southwest Wake Athletic Conference title, state runner-up Green Hope claimed its eighth straight girls’ SWAC championship.

The Green Hope girls were runner-up in last year’s 4A championships, stopping a streak of six straight titles.

BOYS

Apex is primed for another good season with SWAC runner-up Ben Savino back, as well as David Cart.

Green Hope returns most of its top runners, including Peyton Barish, Nick Veilleux and Daniel Vo.

Third-place Panther Creek is led by senior Kyle Fawzi.

Gavin Kinkead, sixth in the SWAC last year, is back for Holly Springs. The Golden Hawks’ fourth-place finish was their best since 2008.

James Lundergan is the top returner for Cary, which was fifth in the SWAC.

Apex Friendship was sixth in its first season and returns everyone, including junior Wesley Provost.

Seventh-place Middle Creek graduated Jack Cawley, the first conference champ in program history, but returns senior Jack Saha.

Eighth-place Athens Drive returns junior Marc Lombard and ninth-place Fuquay-Varina has its top runner, junior Devin Kent, back for another season.

GIRLS

Green Hope loses conference champ Elly Henes, who won the 2014 4A title, but brings back a lot of depth as always. Sarah Taylor, Alessandra Rodriguez, Samantha Kolor, Emily Jordan and Emma Benson were all top-20 in last year’s SWAC championship.

SWAC runner-up Apex returns junior Calli Parlier, senior Sarah Hajnos and seniors Josie McGee and Kylie Hofmeister. Third-place Panther Creek is led by Lydia Connor and fourth-place Middle Creek is led by junior Lauren Copperthwaite.

Fifth-place Holly Springs has sophomore Caitlyn Morton, who was ninth in the SWAC last year.

Cary, sixth in the SWAC last year, brings back senior Sophia Uthe.

Apex Friendship is led by sophomore Jade Martin.

Fuquay-Varina, eighth in the SWAC last year, has top runners Katelin Gagliano and Jillian Scharf back as sophomores.

Athens Drive’s top runner from a year ago, Katie Williams-Frey, is also back for her sophomore year.

This story was originally published July 31, 2016 at 10:50 PM with the headline "Southwest Wake Athletic Conference cross country preview, 2016."