By Allen Hamrick
The 2020 season for the CCMS Cross Country team has ended at the run for the gold at the CWVAC Championship held at Ravenswood on Saturday. The CCMS Cross Country team members have been running the hills and valleys and putting Clay on the map as far as extreme sports.
Cross country is one of those endurance sports that demands every ounce of determination and discipline a runner can muster from start to finish, and the team continues to grow with top notch runners. Coach Matt Stricker kept them working hard learning different techniques on how to consistently run fast, and it showed each time they raced.
The CWVAC Championship was no different; it was perfect weather if you are a goat. The course was drenched with rain and was as slick as a greased bass. It would be a tough run for any runner. The course is one of the best for cross country with steep hills and uneven terrain, and the weather just made it twice as difficult.
The boys took off first, and Sawyer Dobbins, a soon to become well known name in the world of cross country sports, took a lead in the pack early with team mates Shane Tracy and Daymian Pappas not far behind him. Unfortunately, the mud played a factor as runners were hitting the ground, but the Mustang runners clawed their way to the finish line in style. Adrian Davison, Shane Quinn and Brayden Smith finished out the Mustang pack, and when the points were tallied, the CCMS Mustang boys’ team was in 3rd place, just behind Summersville and Ravenswood.
It was the Mustang girls’ shot at the title next, and the Lady Mustangs were up for the challenge. Sheyenne Quinn, who also will be a force to reckon with in the coming years, lead the pack for the girls followed closely by Jadda Pappas and Jaylyn Holcomb rounding out the top three for the girls. When all was said and done, the Lady Mustangs took 4th place overall behind Summersville, Ravenswood and Braxton. It was a great race to finish the season. Sawyer Dobbins earned the 1st team All Conference award and Daymian Pappas and Shane Tracy were awarded the 2nd team All Conference. The Lady Mustangs just missed the cut off on the points, but ran a great race. Congratulations to the Mustangs on a great season.