The French Camp girls and boys cross country teams enjoyed a banner season last fall. The girls finished third and the boys were fourth at the MHSAA Class 1A state meet. That represents an improvement for both after fifth place finishes at the 2018 meet. It was an all time best showing for the girls, but not for the boys. The Panthers won back-to-back state titles in 2011 and 2012. The girls finished with a team score of 63, trailing Tupelo Christian (20) and Myrtle (58). The boys score was 96, trailing Tupelo Christian (20), Tremont 83 and Hickory Flat 93. Tupelo Christian dominated the meet with the top three runners in both races. The girls improved despite the graduation of Ami Sherrif, who won a silver medal at the 2018 meet with a second place finish. “We had a great new young team,” said Joe Watkins, who coaches the boys and girls.”They all kind of stepped up and worked really hard. Ami came to a couple of our meets. We were wishing she was still there. It would have been the full package.” The Lady Panthers were led by Averie Jane Gundy, who finished ninth with a time of 23:09.4 for five kilometer (3.1 miles) over the difficult Choctaw Trails course. She was followed across the finish line by her sister Olivia Gundy, 17th in 24.19.1; Maddi Davis, 18th in 24:26.1; Kelsey Bridges, 20th in 24.49.8; Lucy Littlejohn, 26th in 25:07.4; McKenzie Griffin, 27th in 25:17.7; and Martha Ferguson, 39th in 27:06.3. Ferguson is a senior, but the first six are underclassmen. Averie Jane Gundy in an eighth grader, Davis a sophomore, Griffin a freshman, Olivia Gundy, Bridges and Littlejohn seventh graders. They were the top three seventh graders in the meet That's a strong nucleus for the fall and Watkins said he expects to have some additional recruits from the track team. “I'm looking for even a better finish this year.” The Panthers were led by senior Colby Walters, who was sixth with a clocking of 18:41.1. It was the second straight year that he was in the top 10 after a 10th place finish in 2018. David Ferguson was 15th (19:43.3), Stratton Choppala 22nd (20:26.1), Silas Hodge 27th (20:38.2); Cameron McDaniel 32nd (21:03.6), Brady Peacock 49th (22:07.8) and Josh Lopez 69th (24:47.7). Lopez and Peacock were juniors, McDaniel and Ferguson sophomores, Choppala and Hodge eighth graders. Unlike athletes in most other sports, cross country runners are able to work out and stay in shape during these times by running. “When everything went crazy, we encouraged them to just keep running,” Watkins said, adding that they have to do it on their own. 'The MHSAA has made it clear that we cannot be hands on, can't be coaching.”
