Croatan Cross Country Teams Place 37th in Cary
The Croatan girls and boys squads completed their run at the Great American XC Festival at WakeMed Soccer Complex.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Track & Field
The Croatan high school cross country teams both secured 37th place finishes during the Great American XC Festival in Cary. Both squads competed among large fields of hundreds of runners at the WakeMed Soccer Complex.
Why it matters
The festival serves as a major stage for regional competition, drawing hundreds of athletes to test their endurance against significant participant volume. These results provide the teams with a benchmark performance against a large, competitive field.
In the girls race of 317 runners, Reagan Clifton finished 31st with a time of 18:04, while Zach Guerrero placed 92nd in the 339-runner boys race with a time of 16:10.
The players
Reagan Clifton
She is a member of the Croatan cross country team who finished 31st in the girls race.
Zach Guerrero
He is a runner for the Croatan boys cross country team who placed 92nd overall.
The details
Jserra Catholic dominated the girls field to win the team competition with 164 points, while Christ School took the top spot in the boys division with 83 points. Averi Lowen won the individual girls race in 16:33, and Marcelo Mantecon captured the boys race title in 14:35.
Timeline
The Great American XC Festival competition took place on October 24, 2026.
Season Trajectory
These results provide a definitive data point for the Croatan squads as they navigate a highly competitive season. Finishing 37th against a diverse field allows coaches to evaluate the teams competitive standing heading into upcoming postseason meets.
Croatan participants now hold established times of 18:04 for Reagan Clifton and 16:10 for Zach Guerrero against the 2026 field. These metrics establish the performance baseline for individual athletes looking to improve their standing in future competitive events.
The takeaway
Large-scale cross country festivals offer athletes the chance to test their pace against hundreds of peers in a single day. Consistent participation in these high-volume events is a key step for runners aiming to sharpen their performance for the championship season.
Further reading
For more updates on regional running, visit the Track & Field section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Carolina Coast Online.
