An influx of runners from the middle school team helped Choctaw County boys finish eighth at the 3A state cross-country meet at Choctaw Trails Monday. Coach Andy Young moved some of his talented seventh and eighth graders up to the varsity after the middle school season ended.
‘They didn’t run quite like they did last week, but this is a difficult course,” Young said referring to the Region 4-3A meet six days earlier. “My younger guys did well. I’m excited about them for the next couple of years.
Choctaw County’s top finisher was seventh grader Richard Fowler in 30th place out of 121 runners with a time of 20:45.8 for 5,000 meters over the hilly course. He was followed by senior Trenton McGee 41st, senior Jared Bellew 53rd, eighth grader Hayden Tuck 63rd and eighth grader Jalon James 66th.
Choctaw County did not enter a girls team.
Senatobia won the team championship and Coulter Clement of Water Valley was the individual winner in 17:51.3. Other team winners at the 1A/3A/5A meet were Brookhaven boys and Saltillo girls in 5A, St. Andrew’s girls in 3A and Tupelo Christian boys and girls in 1A.
Choctaw County warmed up for the state meet by finishing first at the Region 4-3A with six runners in the top nine. McGee was third in 20:40.28, followed by Fowler fourth, Bellew sixth, Isaac Burdine seventh, Tuck eighth (21:43.35 and James ninth.
Choctaw County finished with a team score of 28, followed by Winona with 41 and Houston with 60.
Winona had the top two individual runners. Noah Durham crossed the finish line first in 19:58.16, followed by Sam Matriasciano in 20:26.28.
