Story by Cinthia Rico
The end of the summer vacation, for many, marks the start of the cross-country season. However, teams across the county are holding voluntary summer practices during which both newcomers and returning veterans were able to put some base mileage and become reacquainted or acquainted with their teammates.
Plainview High School boys and girls cross country team is entering the program’s second season under the leadership of XC coaches Eddie Adkins, Shea Bruce, and Sarah Parker.
PHS XC Coach Eddie Adkins said the teams performed exceptionally well their first season, with four runners qualifying for state.
In Class 3A, Plainview’s Jaxon Bruce, Alex Smith, Ephan Benjume, and John Mathis Arnold earned state berths.
“They did well for their first year, just making it to state was a huge achievement,” said Adkins. “We also had several that made all-county honors.”
Entering its second year, Plainview XC has gained around 12 new athletes overall, with seventh graders making up the bulk of them.
PHS XC Coach Sarah Parker said the goal is to take teams to state, and one of their points of focus includes increasing their long runs.
Reflecting on their first season, she said they have been pushing to add extra mileage at all of their practices.
“I think that’s going to make a big difference,” noted Parker. Most of the PHS XC team participated in the 14th annual Rainsville Freedom Run in June, a first competitive run for many members.
“We could tell they all did much better during the competition than they did at practice. So we can see the motivation,” she said.
Echoing Parker, Adkins said this year they are working on building a strong junior varsity team thanks to the multitude of new participants who are interested, excited and performing well.
The duo noted athletes have been putting in the work leading up to the start of the season and making good progress.
The runners’ presence and dedication have not gone unnoticed by the local Rainsville runners who share the path with students during their post-season efforts, often sharing encouraging sentiments.
Parker said the program picked up interest amongst the students, seeing a jump from 18 to around 30 participants this year.
“We appreciate all the support we’ve had from the community, parents and administrators that helped us have a great season last year,” said Adkins. “I am sure we will have an even better season this year.”
— Editor’s note: This is the first of three XC features. Look for the next one in an upcoming edition of Mountain Valley News.