McHugh races to top 25 finish at North Carolina state meet

Former Avon High runner Maddi McHugh

KEARNESVILLE, N.C., Nov. 1 — Former Avon High runner Maddi McHugh finished 22nd in the girls Class AAAA (4-A) state championship meet in North Carolina Saturday running for Hough High with a time of 19:24.02 over the 3.1 mile course at Ivy Redmond Park. 

Class 4A is made of the largest schools in the state, similar to Class LL in Connecticut. 

North Carolina hosts four state championship meets and runners qualify on performances from regional meets. There isn’t a single State Open-type of meet in North Carolina as there is Connecticut. McHugh was fifth at the 4A West Regional at McAlpine Greenway Park in Charlotte with a time of 18:23 over 5,000 meters as Hough finished fifth. 

Hough did win its conference championship (MecKA) with McHugh, a senior, taking first at the league championship race with a time of 18:58 at McAlpine Greenway Park.