It was the second annual Buffalo Creek Run this past Saturday, and approximately twelve high school and middle school teams gathered at Dundon to compete.

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, paths in the woods and threatening rain.  All of those involved in the event put on an excellent race, and many of the people in attendance said they would definitely be back next year and bring other schools with them.  This race tested the best runners with a grueling competition and the last 200 yards requiring crossing Buffalo Creek and a sprint to the finish line.

The middle school competitors ran first, and as you would expect, the CCMS Mustangs weren’t going to stand by and let the other teams win without a fight.  The Mustang girls placed 5^th in the competition with Evie Young coming in at 10^th place as the lead runner for the Mustangs.  Not a bad finish at all. The CCMS boys placed 3^rd, with lead runner Jack Haverty placing 2^nd  and making a statement that the Mustangs are here to stay. Congratulations to the boys for their 3^rd place finish and to the girls for their 5^th place finish; you have proved that cross country begins at Clay County Middle School.

CCHS was up next, and their course was a little longer than the middle school run. The girls were up first, and let no one ever call them chicken legs. The girls left the competition in the dust literally, becoming the new Buffalo Creek girls’ team champs. Maddie Kilpatrick was the lead runner for Clay and blew out the other competitors, coming in as top female runner in the event. Clay placed five girls in the top 20.  It was a good run for the Lady Panther team. They just get better and better.

The boys were up next, and from the start, it was all for bragging rights. They began with a blistering pace and the pack headed through the hills. When they hit the finish line it was Isaiah Spencer finishing first for Clay in 9^th place. The boys placed six in the top 20 and finished 3^rd as a team overall.

This was a great race that will likely draw schools from all over the state next year. The middle school coaching staff, along with their 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.  The high school coaches kept track of all the scores and kept everything moving once the high school teams ran. It was a well oiled event with all the people involved making it a race that schools will want to come to in the future.  Once again, congratulations to both the CCMS and CCHS teams on their finishes. Both CCMS and CCHS teams will be at the Big Ditch Invitational in Webster County on Tuesday.