For the first time in the program’s history, the Columbia Academy cross country team won the MAIS AAA state championship Tuesday at Choctaw Trails in Clinton.
“I’m extremely proud of these young ladies. They’ve worked very hard for the past 17 weeks, logging hundreds miles in adverse conditions including during numerous days with the heat index well over 100 degrees,” head coach Duane Powell said. “They are a close-knit group and the fact that our second through fifth runners were less than 12 seconds apart is a testament to that. The work ethic of both the boys and girls has been amazing.”
Powell was extremely complimentary of a first-year junior high runner.
“I think the biggest surprise of the season and maybe of my career was the performance of sixth-grader Charlee Brees Franks. She came out this summer and showed me from day one she was serious. Charlie worked hard and really turned it up big when we needed it. She finished second on our very talented team. She’s currently the third ranked sixth grader in Mississippi in public and private schools and 27th in the nation.”
The Lady Cougars placed six runners in the Top 25 to edge out Kirk Academy for first place. Natalie Ragan was tops on the team, placing sixth overall at 22:02. Franks followed in 13th at 23:18, and Ina Claire Parker (23:21.52), Hannah Rogers (23:24) and Samantha Ragan (23:30) finished 15th through 17th. Myla McLaughlin (24th), Emily Doane (40th), Maggie Hammond (41st), Ayden Gautreau (46th), Olivia Adams (57th) and Anna Price Mattox (64th) also helped CA claim the title.
“I knew coming into the championship we had a good shot to take the title. They were in the best shape of their lives and were fired up,” Powell said. “However, to win we had to do everything right and run the best times of the season. That’s exactly what they did, and we’re state champs.”
The title was also the first of any Columbia Academy girls program.
The boys squad placed four runners in the Top 25 and placed fifth in the state as a team, but Powell believes the future is bright ahead.
“I had hoped for a better finish for the boys, but I’m still very proud of them. They ran their hearts out and all had personal records,” he said. “We will only lose one senior, and we definitely will be back.”
Senior and captain Warren Parker finished seventh with a time of 18:24 to earn all-state for the second time.
“I was very pleased with Warren Parker’s run, and he’s been strong all year. He was probably at about 90 percent after coming down with a bad case of congestion last week,” Powell said. “However, he came though big in seventh and another all-state award. Parker’s been with me for six years, and he’s going to be missed tremendously.”
James Ragan finished 12th at 19:01, Gavin Woods 19th at 19:33 and Hagen Bracey 22nd at 20:00 rounded out the Top 25 finishers for the Cougars.
Pictured Above: The Columbia Academy girls cross country team won the state championship Tuesday at Choctaw Trails in Clinton. From left are Samantha Ragan, Anna Price Mattox, Charlee Franks, Hannah Rogers, Ina Claire Parker, Maggie Hammond, Emily Doane, Coach Duane Powell, Ayden Gautreau, Natalie Ragan, Olivia Adams and Myla McLaughlin. | Photo by Chris Crawford
