It is said that knowing is half the battle. For cross country runners, however, that mental battle is always more uphill than most. 

On Saturday, August 28, CCCHS’s cross country team competed in the Voyles Classic at the Hermitage in Nashville, Tenn.

Strength in numbers is one thing. But when faced with a legion of thirty-eight schools, anyone would feel scared or intimidated. Especially for a  small-town team in the middle of Tennessee. 

But not CCCHS.

With one of the largest rosters (forty-five people,) our team has seen in some time, both the girls and guys put up some fierce competition. Their hard work would eventually pay off, resulting in placing tenth out of the thirty-eight schools present. Not a bad way to open up the season. 

But there’s more. Seven members from the boys’ team finished running under twenty minutes, which is a threshold any runner, veteran and novice alike, could be proud of.

Amongst these individuals, some notable examples include sophomore Cayden Miller who ran 19:52; junior student Jacob Slabaugh with a 19:12; and freshman Fletcher Bernard with a time of 18:15. 

 (To all the non-runners out there, going under twenty minutes for three-point-one miles is nothing to scoff at. It’s the threshold where casual running ends and competitive running can really begin.) 

The girls put up quite a fight as well. Several of them opened up just as strong as the boys’ team. Some of the highlights of this group include: sophomore Rylea Mcnamara ran a 27:14; junior athlete Maddie Sullivan with a 26:16; sophomore Kailee Rossman with a 26:58; and finally senior Athlete Patricia Barrera with a 20:34. 

For a smaller school within our division, this is a strong season opener. Many local onlookers and spectators will be looking very closely to see what the 2021-2022 season will bring for this year’s team.

From the results alone? Other runners beware. It looks like  Coffee County’s team is going to shake things up this season!