Running on its home course, the French Camp boys cross country team opened the 2019 season by finishing first at the French Camp Invitational. The girls team was second behind Lafayette.
“I was excited,” coach Joe Watkins said. “I felt like all of our athletes really stepped up. It showed their hard work.”
Kosciusko competed in the meet, finishing fourth in the boys varsity race, third in the boys 3,200 meter middle school race and fourth in the girls middle school race. The girls varsity team had four runners, one short of the number needed to compete as a team,
Led by senior Colby Walters, the Panthers edged East Union 44-46. Walters finished second in 19:40.71 for 5,000 meters, 13 seconds behind Bralen Williams of Lafayette. Watkins pointed out that Walters ran the race in extreme heat after playing in an overtime football game the previous evening.
David Ferguson was fourth for French Camp with a time of 21:05,28. He was followed across the finish line by Silas Hodge, 11th in 21:44,50; Cameron McDaniel, 16th in 22:41.06; Stratton Choppala, 17th in 22:43.15; Brady Peacock, 24th in 24:48,65; Josh Lopez, 29th in 25:58.62; and Kaleb Armstrong, 31st in 26:45.46.
Lafayette won the girls race with a team score of 22, followed by French Camp with 44. Lafayette had the top two runners. Mia Dawson was the winner in 21:05.81, followed by Caroline Wilson in 22:49. Both are freshmen.
Averie Jane Gundy was French Camp's top runner, finishing fourth in 23:49.60 She was followed by Maddi Davis, 11th in 26:00.91; Olivia Gundy, 15th in 27:13,88.; Kelsey Bridges, 17th in 27:41.66; McKenzie Griffin, 18th in 28:11.66; and Lucy Littlejohn, 22nd in 28:54.85.
There were 43 runners in the boys race and 39 in the girls race.
“Besides Colby, I have a very young team,” Watkins said. “I was happy the young athletes did as well as they did. I was really proud of them.”
Walters is the only senior on either team.
The boys team has two juniors, Peacock and Lopez, and two sophomores, Ferguson and McDaniel. Armstrong is a freshman, Hodge and Choppala eighth graders.
For the girls, Davis is a sophomore, Griffin a freshman, Averie Jane Gundy an eighth grader, Olivia Gundy, Bridges and Littlejohn seventh graders.
Gustavo Orduna and Jorge Orduna led Kosciusko boys to fourth place with a team score of 80, trailing French Camp, East Union and Lafayette (74). Gustavo, a junior, was third in 20:51.20 and Jorge, a freshman, sixth in 21:19.59. They were followed by Dan Lindsay, 21st in 23:51.75; Cooper Sparks, 32nd in 26:47.62; and Anthony Greenwood, 37th in 30:38.72,
Runners for the Kosciusko girls team were Markayla McBride, fifth in 24:14,60; Reid Hutchinson, ninth in 25:30.38; Tyler Merritt, 16th in 27:30.84; and Emmalee Myers, 36th in 36:19.81.
Kosciusko’s middle school boys had a team score of 63, trailing Choctaw County with 34 and Winona with 53
The team was led by Perry Lewis, fifth in 14:25.44; Lem Whitcomb, sixth in 14:29.56; and Andrew Mancell, eighth in 14:34.50. Other runners were River Keith (18th), Bradley Stanley (34th), Jayden Walker (38th), Grayson Blaylock (40th) and Donteavious Manning (45th).
Kosciusko middle school girls finished with 81. Lafayette was the winner with 33, followed by Eupora (63) and East Union (66). Emma Rhodes was fifth for Kosciusko in 17:05.28. She was followed by Katelynn Cessna (16th), Kimora Winters (20th), Chloe Huffman (28th), Lauren Lindsay (29th), Takiyah Wilson (30th), Zyasia Randle (35th) and Ke’Layjah Veasley (37th).
French Camp does not have middle school teams. Middle school runners compete with the varsity.
