The Clay County High School and Middle School cross country teams have been on the move this month, competing in three major meets with strong showings from local athletes.
On October 4, all four teams traveled to Lake Stephens in Surveyor, West Virginia to compete in the Liberty Raleigh Invitational. Awards were given to the top fifteen finishers in each race.In the high school girls’ division, standout performances came from Abigail Grandon, who placed 5th, and Cheyanne Taylor, who finished ninth – both earning medals. The high school boys also brought home hardware. Kaden Fitzwater earned fourth, Toby Yeager came in 11th, and Evan Bass secured 15th place. Isiah Woods and Andrew Tanner also contributed to the team’s impressive second-place overall finish.
The middle school girls had an exceptional showing as Marissa Atha dominated the course, winning the race with a time of 12:55. She was supported by strong efforts from Danae Stricker, Tara Conley, Lilian Goebel, and Delores Poland. In the middle school boys’ race, Gunner Dobbins earned a medal with his sixth place finish. He was joined by Mason James, James Mullens, and Scott Butler.
On Thursday, October 9, the middle school teams traveled to Holly Gray Park in Sutton for the LKC Championship Meet. Marissa Atha continued her stellar season, placing third overall and earning First Team All-Conference honors. Teammates Stricker, Conley, Goebel, and Poland also competed well. For the boys, Gunner Dobbins earned Second Team All-Conference with his 20th place finish. Sam Hubbard, Holden Reed, James, Mullens, and Butler rounded out the roster.
On October 11, the high school teams headed to Elizabeth to compete in the Wirt County Wetlands Invitational. McKinley Mahan earned a medal in the girls’ race with an 18th-place finish, while Grandon, Taylor, Jayda Stricker, and Ashley Roberts also turned in solid performances. In the boys’ event, Kaden Fitzwater medaled again, finishing 19th, joined by teammates Woods, Yeager, Bass, Tanner, Jackson Stricker, Daymian Stricker, and Bret Smith.
With the season nearing its end, the athletes are preparing for their final competitions. The middle school teams will travel to Ravenswood for the CWVAC Conference Meet on October 18th. The high school teams will compete in the LKC Championship Meet at St. Mary’s High School on October 16, followed by the regional meet at Wirt County High School on October 25. There they will compete for a chance to advance to the WV State Championship.
As the season winds down, both athletes and coaches are hopeful their hard work will pay off with strong finishes and potential state qualifications.
