With a corps of veteran runners, the Kosciusko boys’ cross country track team is hoping to improve on last year's ninth place finish at the 4A state meet.
“We feel pretty good,” said Coach Greg Cooper. “The kids have set personal goals. It seems like we are taking a turn in the right direction.”
The Whippets will be led by junior Jorge Orduna, who finished 24th at last year's state meet. Sophomore Cole Wilson was 72nd, junior Christian Covarrubias 104th, sophomore Lem Whitcomb 110th and junior Cooper Sparks 117th. They will be joined by freshman Dan Van.
Sophomore Jon Gant was 42nd, but probably will not be able to run this year due to an ankle injury suffered during a soccer game.
Kosciusko's first meet will be September 11 at French Camp Academy. Cooper plans to run in meets at Choctaw Trails in Jackson, site of the state meet. Several meets are scheduled for the course, including two hosted by Jackson public schools.
“We're trying to do as many races there as we can so we can be competition when we get there (for the state meet November 6),” said Cooper.
Girls
The Lady Whippets finished 13th at the 2020 state meet but return only two veteran runners. Reid Hutchinson, a junior, was 30th, and sophomore Emma Rhodes was 41st.
Dawn McLellan has taken over as girls coach after assisting Cooper last year. She has two eighth graders – Marleigh Kelley and Mia Manjarrez – and three seventh graders – Madison Herron, Layla Nicholson and Jadyn Dural.
“If they stick to it, they will be really good in a couple of weeks,” McLellan said.
But this year, they probably will not enter into high school meets until after the middle school meet Oct. 19 at Choctaw Trails. Five runners are needed to compete as a team.
