French Camp finished fifth in both the boys and girls MHSAA 1A state cross country meet last Saturday and senior Ami Sherrif won a silver medal by finishing second in the girls race.
Sheriff covered the 5,000 meters over the difficult Choctaw Trails course in 21:28.3, 14 seconds behind race winner Allison Hanby of Tupelo Christian.
“Everyone of our team members really stepped it up,” said Coach Joe Watkins. “I was very pleased.”
The French Camp girls had a team score of 114 to trail Tupelo Christian 43, Myrtle 80, Hickory Flat 84 and Pine Grove 103.
Other runners for the Lady Panthers were seventh grader Averie Jane Gundy, 15th in 23:17.4; freshman Ruthie Storment, 23rd in 24:21,7; sophomore Tessa Mullins, 43rd in 28:26.3; freshman Cassie Taylor, 47th in 30:30.3.
Sherrif had the best time ever for a French Camp girl. Watkins said she was about 30th after one mile, moved up to fourth at the two mile mark and passed two girls for second.
Gundy just missed joining Sherrif on the podium for the all state team, a designation that goes to the top 14. She finished four-tenths of a second behind
Abby Hutton of Tupelo Christian for the final spot on the all state team.
Gundy’s time was about a minute faster than at a meet a week earlier and that time was nearly a minute better than the previous week. “She’s only in the seventh grade and it’s her first time running,” Watkins said.
Junior Colby Walters was all state with a 10th place finish in the boys race in 19:03.7, despite playing a football game for the Panthers the night before the meet. “For him to come out the next day and finish 10th was just great,” Watkins said.
Junior Peter Clark was 24th (20”43.4), sophomore John Blaylock 27th (20:57.3), freshman Cameron McDaniel 34th (21:14.2), freshman Josh Deal46th (22:15.2), sophomore Brady Peacock 51st (22:35.3) and Lyric Owens, a seventh grader, 56th (22:55).
With s team score of 138, the Panthers trailed Tupelo Christian (22), Hickory Flat (95), Tremont (101) and Myrtle (137). The race winner was Tupelo Christian junior Brock Kelly in 16:33.5.
Each team may have up to seen runners, but the team score is for the top five.
With Sherrif the only senior on either team, Watkins feels there is a bright future for French Camp cross country.
