JHS captures first in West Sabine cross country meet
By GEORGIA PURDY Newsboy Correspondent

Newsboy photo/Georgia Purdy JASPER HIGH SCHOOL'S VARSITY girls' cross country team includes Charlotte O'Brien, Heather Vickers, Allison Collins, Lauren Morgan, and Harlena Hadnot

Jasper High School cross country teams won first place in three divisions at West Sabine High School in Pineland, Saturday, Sept. 8. It was their first competition of the season.

Zach Riggins led the varsity boys to their first place finish and was top medalist in the three-mile event with a time of 19:36. James Adams was sixth at 22:13, followed by Robert Adams, eighth at 22:18; David Cleveland, 11th at 24:23; Trayton Oates, 17th at 28:01; and Marco Mijares, 20th at 30:04.

Coach Terry Young said he expects this team to win first place in the district.

"We're really excited about this year's group," Young said. "We should have good leadership as three of our returning lettermen, David Cleveland, Zach Riggins, and Marco Mijares, will literally be using cross country as a way to prepare for their military careers."

Varsity girls, led by freshman Charlotte O'Brien also won the first place team trophy. O'Brien was second in the individual medals with a run of 15:56. Lauren Morgan was fourth at 16:38, followed by Kelsey Walker, 12th at 18:11, Harlena Hadnot, 33rd and Tenesha Hadnot, 37th.

Newsboy photo/Georgia Purdy JASPER HIGH SCHOOL'S VARSITY boys' cross country team includes front row- James Adams, Marco Mijares, Dylan Riggins, and DJ Jackson. Back row-Zach Riggins, Robert Adams, Matthew Burrows, and Jack Sanderson.

Junior varsity boys followed suit with the third team trophy. They were led by Matthew barrows, fourth place at 15:01, followed by Jaren Bronson, fifth at 15:14; Dylan Riggins, sixth at 14:14; DJ Jackson, seventh at 15:32; and Jack Sanderson, 10th at 15:49.

In the junior high boys division, four runners finished in the top ten: Chris Armstron, third; Carrion Grant, fifth; Crosby Jackson, seventh; and Brandon Tukes, ninth.

Latashia Beatty finished fourth in the girls' junior high run and Alexus Scott was ninth. Clarilique Wallace finished 20th followed by Laschericka Armstrong, 22nd; and Amaya Johnson, 25th.

"It's a good way to begin the season, but we have a lot of work ahead of us," Young said. " We want our girls and boys to win district and put ourselves in position to go to state meet in Old Settler's Park in Round Rock. We also want to bring kids from the junior high School and familiarize them to the sport in order to develop long-term stability and success within our cross country program."

Jasper will host the second annual Lloyd Weatherspoon Memorial Cross Country Meet next Saturday, Sept. 15. Because the JHS campus course is so demanding, it usually attracts a lot of schools that want to train their runners for the state meet in Round Rock. The first event begins with the varsity boys Class 3A and under at 8:40 a.m. An awards ceremony will be held at noon.