XC teams place highest in nine years at Cap-8 meet

Senior+Trelek+Jones%2C+who+placed+1st+for+the+Cougars+at+the+Cap-8+conference+meet%2C+is+cheered+on+by+JV+teammates+in+the+closing+stretch+of+the+race.+

Mayla Gilliam

Senior Trelek Jones, who placed 1st for the Cougars at the Cap-8 conference meet, is cheered on by JV teammates in the closing stretch of the race.

Connor Cochrance, co-sports editor

Both the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams had strong showings at the Oct. 20 Cap-8 meet.

The boys finished 4th, while the girls’ team finished in 3rd place.

Both teams finished in the highest place under coach Patrick Marshall’s tenure. Marshall has been head coach for nine seasons.

Freshman Erin Spreen led the girls with an impressive 3rd place finish. Spreen’s 18:32.34 was only 5 seconds off of the 2nd place finisher from Leesville.

The girls narrowly edged out Millbrook by two points 100 to 102. The girls took 3rd, 16th, 20th, 29th, and 32nd while Millbrook had finishers at 8th, 9th, 26th, 28th, and 31st place.

“I was happy they were able to finish the highest in my time as coach. I would have liked to have taken second place, but we were able to hold on to third without one of our top runners,” Marshall said.

Senior Trelek Jones was lead boy runner, cracking the 17 minute mark with his 15th place 16:56.12.

The boys’ trailed Millbrook in the 3rd spot by a score of 88 to 113, but edged Enloe in the 5th spot with 121 points.

“We had a lot of sickness,” Marshall said of the boys’ team. “We were predicted to finish third, so fourth was still good. I’m proud of them for doing well.”

With a healthy boys team and the girls’ team at full strength, Marshall hopes for a stronger performance at the regional meet.

At the regional meet this Saturday, Oct. 31, the top four teams in both boys and girls advance to the state meet. In addition, the top seven runners—not on one of those top four teams—advance as individuals.

A run-down of the top seven Cougar finishers in both girls and boys at the Cap-8 meet is below.

 

Place Athlete Time
3 Erin Spreen 18:32.34
17 Casey Turro 20:24.62
21 Sydney Quate 20:36.87
32 Natalie Mitchell 21:04.87
36 Tyler Bland 21:15.59
50 Mary Ward 22:35.90
61 Reghan Flores 23:21.31
Place Athlete Time
15 Trelek Jones 16:56.12
22 Bailey Autry 17:28.46
23 John Autry 17:34.44
24 Aidan Hayes 17:36.24
41 Benjamin Hayes 18:08.56
43 Joseph Lawhorn 18:17.24
50 Markian Kuropas 18:29.24