Calhoun County, AL – Munford’s Frank, White Plains’ Conn are hoping to win again as the Class 4A champions. White Plains’ boys, girls, are projected to be the top of the area teams competing for trophy.
By Joe Medley
White Plains’ Maddyn Conn will compete in Saturday’s cross country state meet with hopes of more than just being able to repeat as the individual Class 4A champion.
Munford’s Dakota Frank will be more restful this year as the team tries to win his second the champion of 4A boys.
All the area team and individual qualifiers will travel for Moulton hoping for a better experience than the cold, rain and mud that plagued last year’s state championships.
The Saturday’s race will begin with the Class 6A girls starting at 8:15 a.m. at the Jesse Owens Course and end with the Class 3A boys around 12:10 p.m. They also celebrate the swansongs of two coaches who are retiring the Alex’s Phillip Hartsfield and Donoho’s Hayley Long.
In the case of schools, 16 teams were qualified by finishing in the top four spots in the sectionals of last week’s competition. Additionally, 25 area individuals who do not run for teams that qualify.
Conn and Frank are champions returning to the field Conn and Frank will be champions for the second time, White Plains’ boys and girls are sectional champions.
Frank who played for the Munford football team in their playoff match with American Christian the night before the state meet last year Frank is off on Friday this year. Munford did not make it to the playoffs.
Frank was able to run through the mud and rain to complete the 5K course within 16:00.86 in 2022. He beat Lemuz of LAMP’s Augustin Lemuz (16:05.52). Alabama Milesplit, which projects virtual races basing on personal records includes Frank beat the Providence Christian’s Cole Smith by nearly 27 seconds in this year’s.
“I’m excited about it,” Frank said. “I’ve been working hard the last few weeks, and I’m confident that I’m up to go. We’re hoping that the conditions won’t be treacherous.”
Weather.com’s weekend forecasts for Moulton forecasts clouds with a 19 percent possibility of rain, a temperatures of 47 degrees for the low and a maximum temperature of 62.
This could mean ideal conditions for Conn’s return to the match against Millicent Talmadge of Providence Christian’s. Conn was able to finish with 18:59.61 in 2022 beating Talmadge by 26.55 seconds.
“I have a lot of competitors, but I’m also prepared to go out and win it,” she said.
Conn’s lens is wider than any individual title.
“I’m thrilled to see our team’s dedication result in a positive outcome,” she said. “We’ve been doing our best to put in hard work, and I’m satisfied with each single one.
“It’s thrilling to discover how much they would like to fight for victory.”
Milesplit projections indicate White Plains’ boys and girls coming in third.
White Plains’ girls have been ranked as high as No. 1 this season, and not lower than No. 3. White Plains coach Chase Cotton anticipates a fight with his team of Wildcats, Providence Christian and Houston Academy.
“I’ve been getting the girls ready from before sectionals, with in a sense, the mindset that we’ll be the hunters this weekend” he explained. “It’s going to be their responsibility to determine the number of girls they can beat, but they’re trying to narrow that gap of points we think we’re in right now.
“It’s likely to be a difficult competitors however, the girls have focused their efforts on this race for the entire season. I think they’re ready for the challenge.”
Cotton stated that Providence Christian’s players appear to be the unbeatable favorites in 4A Cotton said “everybody else is battling for second.”
The fight for second most likely will be from White Plains, Westminster Christian, Hamilton and LAMP.
“According to the ranking, there were only a few points that separated the top. 2 to four colleges,” Cotton said. “We’re right there in the mix.
“We think we have the potential to be competitive on that red map next week.”
Area state XC qualifiers
Teams from the area and individuals who have qualified to compete in the Saturday’s Alabama High School Athletic Association cross-country meet in Moulton. The top four teams and the the top six individuals who aren’t in the top six teams of sectionals are eligible. Qualifiers are listed along with sectional rankings.
Class 6A
Teams: Oxford boys (third) and girls (fourth).
Class 5A
Teams: Lincoln boys (third), Southside boys (fourth), Southside girls (second) Central-Clay Boys (first) as well as girls (first).
Individuals
Girls
Kammy Buchanan (Alexandria) sixth, 20:50.93
JoJo Watson (Alexandria) ninth, 21:07.24
Class 4A
Teams: White Plains boys (first), Handley boys (third), White Plains girls (first) and Jacksonville girls (second)
Individuals
Boys
Dakota Frank (Munford), first, 16:43.25
Collin Thurman (Jacksonville) 17th, 19:43.94
Rua Mathis (Jacksonville) 23rd, 20:28.47
Samuel Goggins (Jacksonville) 26th, 20:52.73
Josue Garcia (Munford) 30th, 21:04.94
Girls
Aubree Frank (Munford) 11th, 23:15.34
Danie Fielder (Munford) 13th, 23:27.50
Georgia Veal (Handley) 18th, 24:09.06
Emilee Diamond (Handley) 22nd, 24:36.89
Cadence Hinson (Handley) 29th, 25:32.92
3A Class 3A
Teams:Piedmont boys (fourth), Piedmont girls (fourth).
Individuals
Boys
Luke Pilotte (Westbrook Christian) 14th, 19:12.15
Samuel Neal (Hokes Bluff) 15th, 19:18.79
Owen Beason (Glencoe) 16th, 19:20.56
Micah Brasher (Hokes Bluff) 17th, 19:21.50
Gabe Ruffcorn (Ohatchee) 16th, 18:19.80
Girls
Emma Godfrey (Hokes Bluff) fourth, 20:53.77
Sarah Ponder (Glencoe), sixth, 21:02.13
Mara Brothers (Hokes Bluff) 25th, 23:55.79
Ashlie Easterwood (Ohatchee) 29th, 23:32.50
Jay’Onna Cobb (Saks) 35th, 24:15.06
Class 1A-2A
Teams:Pleasant Valley boys (second), Donoho boys (fourth), Faith Christian girls (fourth).
Individuals
Boys
Cameron Rogers (Faith Christian) 9th of September, 18:09.69
Girls
Zelly Wood (Pleasant Valley) 16th, 24:04.24
Ellie Medley (Pleasant Valley) 24th, 25:02.61
