Running on its home course, the French Camp boys cross country team opened the 2019 season by finishing first at the French Camp Invitational. The girls team was second behind Lafayette.
“I was excited,” coach Joe Watkins said. “I felt like all of our athletes really stepped up. It showed their hard work.”
Choctaw County also competed at the event, finishing fifth in the boys race and first in the boys middle school 3,200 meter race. The Chargers did not have any entrants in the girls high school and middle school races.
Led by senior Colby Walters, the Panthers edged East Union 44-46. Walters finished second in 19:40.71 for 5,000 meters, 13 seconds behind Bralen Williams of Lafayette. Watkins pointed out that Walters ran the race in extreme heat after playing in an overtime football game the previous evening.
David Ferguson was fourth for French Camp with a time of 21:05,28. He was followed across the finish line by Silas Hodge, 11th in 21:44,50; Cameron McDaniel, 16th in 22:41.06; Stratton Choppala, 17th in 22:43.15; Brady Peacock, 24th in 24:48,65; Josh Lopez, 29th in 25:58.62; and Kaleb Armstrong, 31st in 26:45.46.
Lafayette won the girls race with a team score of 22, followed by French Camp with 44. Lafayette had the top two runners. Mia Dawson was the winner in 21:05.81, followed by Caroline Wilson in 22:49. Both are freshmen.
Averie Jane Gundy was French Camp's top runner, finishing fourth in 23:49.60 She was followed by Maddi Davis, 11th in 26:00.91; Olivia Gundy, 15th in 27:13,88.; Kelsey Bridges, 17th in 27:41.66; McKenzie Griffin, 18th in 28:11.66; and Lucy Littlejohn, 22nd in 28:54.85.
There were 43 runners in the boys race and 39 in the girls race.
“Besides Colby, I have a very young team,” Watkins said. “I was happy the young athletes did as well as they did. I was really proud of them.”
Walters is the only senior on either team. The boys team has two juniors, Peacock and Lopez, and two sophomores, Ferguson and McDaniel. Armstrong is a freshman, Hodge and Choppala eighth graders.
For the girls, Davis is a sophomore, Griffin a freshman, Averie Jane Gundy an eighth grader, Olivia Gundy, Bridges and Littlejohn seventh graders.
The Choctaw County boys finished with a team score of 106, trailing French Camp, East Union, Lafayette (74) and Kosciusko (80). The Chargers were without Jared Bellew, the team’s number two runner. He was injured playing basketball on the eve of the race.
Trenton McGee was the team’s top runner with a ninth place finish in 21:42.24. Other runners were Isaac Burdine 20th (23:19.50), Micah Gammill 34th (28:01.21), Landon Miles 35th (21:01.56), Braden McGee 36th (30:36.90). Carson Betts 38th (30:41.84), Kole Vowell 40th (31:41.17) and Jacob Miller 41st (31:43.27).
“We didn’t run very well overall,” said coach Andy Young. “Last year, we had a really good, quality group. They always pushed each other. This year, we’re lacking on pushing each other.”
Choctaw County’s middle school boys easily won with 34 points to 53 for runner-up Winona. “It was a great performance,” Young said.
Richard Fowler led the team, finishing second with a time of 13:39.52. Jalon James was fourth in 14:23.41. Other Choctaw County runners were Seth Miller (10th), Brodie Arnault (11th), Hayden Tuck (12th), Tate Miller (13th), Allen Landrum (24th) Jason Jones (25th) and Anderson Chamblee (44th).
For the first time this year, the Mississippi High School Activities Association will hold middle school championships October 21 at Choctaw Trails in Jackson, site of the state meet. Seventh and eighth graders who have not run in any high school meets are eligible.
Young feels he has a team that can contend for a state title. He plans to move his middle school runners up to the varsity after the middle school meet so they can run for the Chargers in the state meet Nov. 4.
Due to a scarcity of runners in the upper grades, French Camp’s middle school runners compete with the varsity teams.
French Camp will run in a meet at Saltillo Saturday. Choctaw County’s next competition will be Sept. 26 at Northeast Lauderdale.
