The Eupora Cross-Country competed this past weekend in South Pontotoc. Eagle runners faced less-than-ideal running conditions because of the rain, but they did a great job gaining experience on a muddy course.
"Running in muddy conditions will definitely slow times down. As a coach, you make sure the athletes understand to protect themselves, their knees, and their ankles in turns and slick spots. Definitely don't want to risk an injury to an athlete. Educating them on running strategies allows them to experience that they can pull from in the future. You never know, state championships could be a rainy day too," said Coach Randee Jernigan.
Even though it was a soggy day, the Eagle Runners were still able to put forth solid performances with five runners who placed in the Top 30: John Thomas Frank (2nd), Woods Mitchell (26th), Joseph Rollins (27th) , Anna Katherine Doggett (21st) and Avery McCluskey (28th). Payden McIntyre earned the only PR (personal record) on Saturday in the Junior High Boy's race by shaving off two seconds from his fastest time.
As Team, all teams had great finishes. Junior High competed between 1A-6A schools. Junior High Girls placed 3rd of 10 teams, coming behind Saltillo and Tupelo.
"Looking at the overall team scores and seeing that my junior high girls were able to come in right behind established programs from Saltillo and Tupelo, that's a nod at all of their hard work," Jernigan said. "I'm definitely impressed by their abilities and I hope this will motivate them to continue to work hard in the future."
The Junior High Boys placed 8th of 14 teams. The High School teams competed in the small school division between 1A-3A schools. The High School Girls placed 8th of 12 teams and the High School Boys placed 5th out of 15 teams.
"We are definitely getting toward the end of the season when the aches and pains of running for a couple of months are starting to flare up. It's also the part of the season where runners have to learn to dig deep. Cross-country is a sport with huge sportsmanship, but we are all still competitive. It's great to watch great athletes battle it out on foot. Looking forward to earning fast times this Friday at Cherry Creek in Pontotoc," said Jernigan.
The Eupora High School Boys are tied in points with New Site for 2nd place in 2A, but the 6th runner broke the tie placing them in 3rd of 17 teams. The Eupora High School Girls are currently in 7th place of 15 teams, and are trailing behind 6th place East Webster in 2A Girls. Individually, John Thomas Frank is 2nd in the 2A State for High School Boys, right behind Gabe McElwain from Walnut High School.
Updated Schedule:
10/8 - Pontotoc Invitational - Pontotoc
10/16 - MC Watson - High School Only - Clinton
10/19 - Middle School Classic - Clinton
10/26 - Regional 2-2A Championships - Eupora
11/6 - 2A State Championships - Clinton
