It was out-of-towners Chapel Hill High who swept the 2010 championship race titles for the girls and boys Saturday at Jackson Park, where just under 1,300 runners competed in six races.

For the boys, Cary Academy runner and national prospect Thomas Graham finished at 15:28. The first local runner, Roberson's Cole Rains, finished eighth with a time of 16:24.

Charlotte Latin runner Haylee Dawe came through first with a time of 18:48, and T.C. Roberson's Brooke Gordon was just behind her at the 18:56 mark.

"Brooke's time was the eighth fastest time ever at this course. She knows she ran a good race," said Roberson girls' coach Dave Culp on Gordon placing second. "This was a good time for her on a hard course, and it's the first race of the season."

T.C. girls placed third overall in the championship race — the most competitive of the six races Saturday — and the Lady Rams' top seven runners claimed faster times this year than at last year's Carnival race.

"I'm pretty sure all of them ran faster today than last year at this race, which is good to see that we're better at this point in the season," Culp said.

The trend of improving on times continued throughout the Henderson County schools, too. First-year West Henderson boys' and girls' coach Misty Capps was pleasantly surprised at the showing of her Falcons.

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