The first statewide competition — the Injury Fund X-C Carnival — is complete, and the dual meet season began early this week. Along with last year’s performances, it’s given us a clearer picture of some of the top runners to keep an eye on this fall. Over the next week, we’ll feature some of those harriers we believe will make the biggest impact this season.
We begin with Cumberland’s Cecelia “CC” Ludwig. After winning back-to-back titles at the junior high state meet, the Clippers’ talented underclassman wasted no time making her mark in her high school debut in 2024. A well-calculated freshman season was highlighted by a third-place finish at the State Meet, where she ran a personal best of 18:40.06 on Ponaganset’s five-kilometer course. She followed that effort with another sub-19 performance at the New England Championships, clocking 18:51.0 at the challenging Wickham Park course in Manchester, CT.
The Cumberland sophomore also enjoyed a strong outdoor track season, highlighted by PRs of 4:51.16 for 1,500 meters and 10:27.84 for 3K at the State Meet. Ranked No. 2 among returnees this fall, Ludwig looked sharp in her season opener at the Injury Fund Carnival, where she clocked a “relaxed” 19:01.99 — the second-fastest time of the day. Come championship time, we’re anticipating the Clippers’ star harrier to once again finish among our leaders at the states, perhaps stealing the show with a victory.
