By Eric Lusk
Sports Editor
elusk@elkintribune.com

Don’t be surprised to see East Wilkes junior Carol Blankenship move quickly to the front of the pack in Saturday’s 1A state cross country championships.

First, Blankenship is that good. She’s undefeated this season and is projected as one of the favorites to take the gold medal on the 5K course at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons.

But second, she also likes the view from up front. She’d rather put everyone in the rearview mirror early and focus on the open trails ahead.

“I like to get out fast and just run my own race,” Blankenship said. “That’s my strategy.”

It’s been a pretty solid game plan this fall. Blankenship has won all 11 races she’s entered, including taking last Saturday’s 1A Midwest Regional crown by more than a minute. She’s set course records eight times, including breaking the 19-minute mark during a race in Lenoir in early September.

She has her sights set on more than just a gold medal Saturday.

“I’d like to break the record,” she said.

One of the 1A runners who will be trying to chase down the East Wilkes standout Saturday morning shares Blankenship’s last name — and her birthday. Carrie Blankenship also earned a spot in the state field courtesy of an seventh place finish in the regional.

A third Blankenship runner, Candace, placed 24th at regions and just missed joining her two sisters in the season finale. She’ll be cheering them on from the sidelines at Tanglewood for sure.

The three Blankenship girls are triplets and have already shared a gold-medal experience together. The threesome teamed up with then-senior Anna Hayes to win a state championship — and set a new 1A state-meet record — in the 4x800 relay this past track season.

Carol Blankenship has been running the longest of the three, starting to compete in earnest in seventh grade. The other two sisters began dedicating more time to the sport once they reached high school. Carol and Carrie both won a state 4x800 relay title as freshmen, with Hayes and Kelsey Redding, during the 2008 track season.

Carrie calls Carol her rabbit — a running term for pace-setter — in each meet. Candace then tries to keep pace with Carrie, forming a Blankenship train that has helped East Wilkes’ girls cross country team become one of the best in the Mountain Valley 1A/2A Conference this season.

It’s a friendly family rivalry, but an intense one as well.

“My goal is to beat her once in my life,” Carrie says.

“It’s not going to happen, though,” Carol shoots back, a sly smile on her face.

“But I still try every day,” Carrie continues. “That’s my goal for my whole career, just to bear her once. Then I’ll be happy. I don’t even care if it’s at state. Just to beat her once.”

East Wilkes runners have been a common sight at the front of 1A cross country meet packs in recent years. Hayes finished second in 2006 and was top 11 in each of her four years in the meet. Eric Blackburn, who is now running at Mars Hill College, helped the Cardinal boys win a 1A state team title in 2007, then claimed the individual crown last season.

Carol Blankenship finished third in the 1A meet last year, despite battling late-season injuries. She was running among the leaders in 2007 but withdrew from the race before finishing due to illess.

Carol’s top time this season is 18:59.15 on the course at the Caldwell County Invitational. Carrie also set her personal record at that meet (21:02. 91), which featured what both girls described as great conditions.

Things weren’t nearly as ideal last weekend on Bishop McGuinness’ home course. Heavy rains days before left the trails at Beeson Park in Kernersville a muddy mess for the 1A Midwest Regional. Both overcame the adversity.

“You almost had to walk up some of the hills it was so muddy,” Carol said. “And it was slippery. You had to hang on to trees.”

This week has been great weather-wise, so the fan friendly Tanglewood course should be in pretty good shape as the two sisters chase more family history together. Both are aiming to be all-state (top-10).

The biggest challengers for Carol in winning the meet could come from the 1A West Region. Hendersonville’s Kristen Stout placed second in last year’s state meet. Robbinsville junior Tacey Trammell beat Stout by 33 seconds in Saturday’s region meet. Trammell’s sister, Faith Trammell, a senior, is the defending 1A champion. She was third in the regional last weekend.

Two-time 1A champion Zatha Loewen of Topsail (2006 and 2007) will be in the 2A field this season because her school moved up a classification with the most recent realignment.

“We’re just going in, hoping for the best and believing in all the hard work that we’ve done,” Carol said. “We are going to give it our all.”