The first
varsity race will start this Saturday, 08/31, at 8 p.m CST. The race takes
place under the lights around the Mike Rose Soccer Complex fields. The 5k
course consists of two large loops and one small loop that leads into the finishing chute in front of the stands. This is a spectator-friendly course with an
electric atmosphere.
The boy's race is absolutely stacked. There are ten boys who have posted times at or below the 16-minute mark and 35 boys below the 17-minute mark. With a 5k PR of 15:08, Henry County Senior Silas Winders comes in as the favorite as the top returning finisher from last year's race. Winders won the D1 Large Section 3 3200m State Championship this past spring in a personal best of 8:58. Another big name to look out for will be Texas native Isaiah Billingsley. The sophomore of Miller Grove ran a personal best of 15:43 his freshman year.
The boy's team to watch will be Huntsville Highschool. These boys absolutely dominated the 7A Alabama state championship last year with a score of 52 points. Keaton Watts and Will Pinson, Huntsville's top two boys, will also be in the mix for a chance at the individual win.
The girl's race is headlined by Presley Miles. With a last name like Miles, it's no wonder she's a distance stud. Miles is coming off a historical track season winning the Alabama state championship in the 800, 1600, and 3200. She also went on to finish second at New Balance Nationals in the 800 with a PR of 2:11. With a cross country state championship under her belt and a PR of 17:24, she is the obvious favorite for this race. Dinah Winders is also a big name to look out for after a 5th place Tennessee state cross country finish in 2018. Maggie Aydt, Ciara O'Shea, and Allison Newman are also names to watch for this Saturday.
The girl's team race should be a close battle between Hewitt-Trussville High School and Houston High School. Our virtual meet predicts that their team scores will be separated by only eight points with Hewitt-Trussville taking the win.
Be sure to check back on Tennessee Runner after the race for results, interviews, and a full race recap.