Chasing Greatness: North Lenoir’s Cassidee Fraser Is Just Getting Started
LA GRANGE — There’s fast, and then there’s Cassidee Fraser.
A freshman phenom at North Lenoir, Fraser isn’t just making waves in her conference—she’s officially the fastest girl in North Carolina. Across all classifications, Fraser currently holds the No. 1 time in the state in the 100-meter dash (11.76), the No. 2 time in the 200 (24.49), and most recently added the fastest 400 time in 2A with a 59.14.
All three marks were recorded at a recent meet hosted by South Central High School and verified by NC MileSplit.
And here’s the kicker: she’s only 15, and she’s just getting started.
“I feel like my season is going good so far, for it to be my first year in high school,” Fraser said. “I think I’m running a little bit faster than what I expected to run so far. I feel like I haven’t really been tested yet.”
That’s what makes her rise even more impressive. In an earlier outing, Fraser clocked a 12.50-second laser time in the 100—with no competition beside her. That time alone would have placed her third in last year’s 2A state finals. Her 25.80 in the 200 at that same meet would’ve landed her fourth.
Now, with state-leading times to her name in all three sprint events, Fraser enters the championship phase of the season not just as a contender—but as a favorite across the board.
“I need some push,” she said. “I’m ready for the regional and state meets so I can have someone push me to run faster.”
Fraser’s speed isn’t the product of a breakout season—it’s been building for years. She started running at five years old and now competes with Run U Xpress, a top-tier AAU track club known for producing elite-level sprinters.
“In the offseason, I do AAU track,” she said. “I train almost every day—two days off—and train almost the whole week. I’ve been training like this since I was 5.”
Guiding that process is her father, Dwayne Fraser, who’s also her coach.
“My dad is very important to my success,” she said. “He’s a really good coach and is very hard on me.”
When asked if post-meet conversations come more from a dad or a coach, Fraser didn’t flinch.
“It’s both,” she said. “Some tough love.”
Fraser’s hand-timed personal bests—11.67 in the 100 and 24.74 in the 200 from AAU competition—show just how high her ceiling truly is. But now that the numbers are official, and she sits at or near the top of every sprint leaderboard, she’s no longer chasing the spotlight. She’s in it.
“I want to just keep improving my time,” she said.
Asked whether she believes a state championship is within reach this season, Fraser answered like someone who trains with purpose.
“I am hoping I can,” she said. “That is what we work for. It’s a goal of mine.”
From AAU standout to the fastest freshman in North Carolina, Cassidee Fraser is proving that greatness doesn’t wait—and neither does she.
