The Clay County cross country teams are off to a strong and promising start to their 2025 season, with multiple medalists and continued improvement from both middle and high school runners. After competing in four challenging meets across the region, the runners from Clay County Middle School (CCMS) and Clay County High School (CCHS) are showing grit, growth, and determination.
The season kicked off at the Cornfield Crawl Invitational at Riverside High School on Aug. 23. Leading the charge for the CCMS girls was Marissa Atha, who claimed her first medal of the season with a third place finish out of 59 runners. She was joined by Danae Stricker and Tara Conley, who put in strong efforts of their own. For the middle school boys, in his first ever cross country race, Gunner Dobbins was the top Clay finisher, placing 21st in a competitive field of 100 runners. Sam Hubbard and Holden Reed also represented the team well. In the high school girls’ race, Abigail Grandon led the way, with Ashley Roberts also competing. For the high school boys, Kaden Fitzwater placed 22nd out of seventy-four runners, followed closely by Andrew Tanner, Bret Smith, Evan Bass, and Isiah Woods.
The second meet took runners to the Cabell Midland High School XC Festival, one of the largest cross country events in West Virginia, on Aug. 30. With nearly 200 runners in some races, Clay County athletes rose to the occasion. Middle school standout Marissa Atha continued her impressive streak, earning her second medal by placing 19th out of 190 runners. Teammates Stricker and Conley also ran strong races. On the boys’ side, Dobbins again led CCMS, supported by Hubbard and Reed. In the high school girls’ race, McKinley Mahan was the top runner, with Grandon, Cheyanne Taylor, and Roberts rounding out the field. Fitzwater led the high school boys again, followed by Daymian Stricker, Woods, Tanner, Jackson Stricker, and Bass.
At the Irish Invitational held at Coonskin Park on Sept. 9, the medals kept coming. Marissa Atha earned her third medal of the season, finishing 8th overall out of 98 runners. She was joined by teammates Stricker, Conley, Dolores Poland, and Lilian Goebel. The middle school boys had another strong showing, with Dobbins leading the pack, followed by Hubbard, Reed, and James Mullens. In the high school girls’ race, Mahan again led the team, with Grandon and Taylor close behind. Fitzwater made his mark in the boys’ race, earning his first medal of the season with a 25th-place finish. Tanner, Bass, Woods, Smith, and Jackson Stricker rounded out the team.
The most recent meet, the Braxton No Excuses Invitational at Holly Gray Park in Sutton, saw perhaps the strongest overall team performance yet. Atha dominated again, capturing fourth place out of 93 runners from 17 schools, earning her fourth medal in as many races. She was joined by Stricker, Conley, Goebel, and Poland, who all ran competitive races. For the CCMS boys, Dobbins earned his first medal of the year with an impressive 15th place finish out of 110 runners from 18 schools. Hubbard, Reed, and Mullens also had solid performances.
The Clay County cross country teams continue to improve, with runners across the board setting new personal records and gaining valuable racing experience. They are showing steady improvement and a lot of heart as they head into the next stretch of their season. With personal bests being set in nearly every race, the athletes are peaking at the right time. Next up the teams will compete at the Big Ditch Lake Invitational in Cowen on Sept. 16, followed by the Calhoun Invitational at Calhoun County Park on Sept. 20. Good luck to all runners as they continue to chase success this season!
