The Columbia Academy cross country teams held their annual qualifying time trial Friday, July 29. Although they've been training for several weeks, this event officially kicks off CA’s 2022 season.
With the conclusion of the trials, CA's rosters have officially been set. Three new girls made the Lady Cougars squad, giving them a total of 13 members. Second-year runner Blair Pounds placed first among girls with a strong time of 21:11 followed by Macy Robertson, Madelyn McKenzie, Briley Speights and Mendi Stringer rounding out the top five.
The boys squad will consist of only six runners this season. In the trials, junior Casey Haddox-Harvey smoked the course with a time of 17:54. Jaxson Speights took second place with a time of 19:05 followed by Braden Ladd, Ethan Armstrong, and Aiden Livingston, all of whom achieved personal records. Jessie Harvey, who wasn’t feeling well on the day of the trials, finished sixth, not quite reaching his personal best.
“I was extremely proud of the kids today” coach Duane Powell said. “They actually performed above my expectations. We’ve only been training just over four weeks, and their times were very strong.”
Both teams are quite young, with the girls having only one junior, four sophomores, three freshmen, an eighth-grader, four seventh-graders and a sixth-grader. The boys team consists of a junior, two freshmen, an eighth-grader and two seventh-graders.
The CA Lady Cougars are the defending Mississippi All-State Champions. However, they lost two of their top five runners from last fall. Their No. 2 runner Natalie Ragan, a six-time All-State performer, graduated, and last year’s fifth runner Charlee Franks transferred.
“Both of these girls will be dearly missed and very hard to replace” Powell said. “Natalie was our team leader and a solid runner for seven years. She will be impossible to replace, but we will find the courage to move on. Charlee had a tough injury-riddled year and was still our No. 5. I wish them both the best.”
On the bright side, the Lady Cougars are still loaded with talent. Team captain and school record holder Briley Speights is a 2021 5A and 2020 3A All-State runner. In 2021, she was selected for Second Team All-State honors. Madelyn McKenzie is a 2019 and 2020 3A All-State runner and a 2021 Overall MS All-State honorable mention. Macy Robertson is a 2019 and 2020 3A All-State runner, and Madison Bond was 3A All-State in 2020.
Then, there’s last year’s No. 4 runner, sophomore Blair Pounds, who turned in the best time of the time trials, along with seventh-grader Mendi Stringer who placed fifth in the trials. Emmi Burrell, who is overcoming a slight breathing problem, is coming on strong as well.
“We’re ranked third in MAIS 5A and are not favored to win the championship this season, but anybody that thinks we’re going to lay down and let them run over us is in for a serious surprise," Powell said. "I know it’s going to be tough, but these girls are dedicated and determined. It’s going to be fun!”
MileSplit, the Nation’s premier cross country information source, ranks the CA girls third in MAIS 5A and seventh overall in Mississippi. MileSplit also listed MAIS 5A as the toughest division in the state, with three teams ¬— Simpson Academy (No. 3), East Rankin Academy, (No. 6) and CA (No. 7) — in the Top 7 state wide.
The boys team will be in pretty good shape with all their top five runners returning. Three-time All-State Runner and team captain Haddox-Harvey will be the only returning All-State runner, joined by a much improved crew of young runners. Their only drawback is the low number of runners. With only six, it’s imperative that they stay healthy. A cross country team must have five runners to compete as a team. Powell says he’s excited about the progress the boys have made.
"Casey has greatly improved his strength, speed and endurance, and he's developing into a next level runner. Blue Mountain College has already shown interest in him, and on his current path others will soon follow,” Powell said. "Our seventh-grader Jaxon Speights continues to impress me. He’s stepped up at every level of our training. Braden Ladd and Ethan Armstrong are also putting up some awesome times in practice.
"It’s hard to say who’s the most improved, but Aiden Livingston is definitely near the top. He certainly has surprised me with his times and work ethic."
The boys earned a strong third-place finish at the state championships last season and are hoping to improve on that this year. MileSplit’s preseason rankings have them second in MAIS 5A, with Cathedral Unit School of Natchez several points ahead.
"I feel good about our team, and how we have progressed," Powell said. "Preseason rankings don’t mean a whole lot. There are so many variables, such as roster changes, injuries, sickness, etc. You have to be your best on the day of the championships. The competition in 5A is fierce, and there's no room for error. However, I feel like if we put it all together, we have a good shot to win it. These young men are tough, and they won’t give up.
The CA teams will test their training at the Summer Beach 5K Road Race in Pass Christian this Saturday. The first cross country meet will be the Simpson Academy “Early Bird 2-Miler” in Magee on Saturday Aug. 13. They will travel to St. Louis, Mo. over the Labor Day weekend and participate in the prestigious New Haven Invitational. Overall, Powell says he can't wait to see both teams in action.
"I’m very proud of all these kids. While most kids are still dreaming, they’ve been at the track at 7 a.m. for the past six weeks putting in miles, speed work and hill repeats," Powell said. "That makes them winners in my book, no matter how the season turns out."
