Allen Hamrick
This past week, Dundon was once again home to one of the toughest and most anticipated cross-country events of the season. It was time once again for the Buffalo Creek Invitational. This cross-country race was growing into one of the largest races in the state with schools coming from all over to test their merit but was cancelled last year due to some mix-up between the new Rail Explorers company and the Clay BOE. This run is not about the bottom dollar but about the one place where cross-country athletes could truly test their skills and endurance. So, it was a gathering around the table between big business and Clay’s coach Stricker to sign a treaty and get this event back in place. This year, instead of being held on a Saturday as usual, it had to be run on Tuesday or once again stand a chance of being cancelled. Running on a Tuesday and at short notice meant that the field of schools was limited.
This course, as you can imagine, is a true cross-country course. Many of the events are just grass tracks with a little gravel and maybe some blacktop. Not this race; it was a race that had it all – mountainous terrain, dirt, mud, uphill, downhill, sand, water and paths in the woods. All of those involved in the event hosted an excellent race, and many of those in attendance said they would be back next year and hopefully even schools along with them. This race tested the best runners with a grueling competition, and the last 200 yards required crossing Buffalo Creek and a sprint to the finish line. The middle school competitors ran first, and as you would expect, the CCMS Mustang boys and girls weren’t going to stand by and let the other teams win without a fight. The Mustangs ran their hearts out with running phenom Marissa Atha taking first place, Danae Stricker coming in third place and Tara Conley coming in sixth place. When they all crossed the finish line, it was the Lady Mustangs topping the field coming in first. Madison Middle was second and Sissonville was third. The middle school boys were up next and had a tougher time in the field with Gunner Dobbins being the first Mustang to cross the finish line and placed third in the event. As a team, the Mustangs placed took home the gold with a first-place finish.
CCHS was up next, and their course was a little longer than the middle school run. The girls were up first, and they ran their legs off, placing third as a team. McKinley Mahan was the first to cross the line for the girls, finishing third in the event. The CCHS boys were up next, and from the start, it was all for bragging rights. They began with a blistering pace, and the pack was led by Kaden Fitzwater. When the race finished, the boys took first as a team with Kaden placing first overall.
This is a great race that will draw schools from all over the state once again as long as politics doesn’t play a part. An army of volunteers were on the scene early getting everything set, laying out the track, parking cars, and making sure the event went off without a hitch. It was a well-oiled event with all the people involved making it a race that schools will want to come back to in the future. Dundon has long been an active hub in Clay County for athletes from Little League to running; let’s hope it stays that way.
