Kernersville – Fern Crayton of Tri-County Early College won the 1A cross-country state championship Friday morning.
She ran the 5K course in a time of 20:04.55, 10 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. She is the first cross-country state champion from Tri-County.
In the boys race, Oscar Page of Hiwassee Dam finished in third place to podium at the state meet. Levi Clark of Andrews finished in fifth.
The Andrews boys team and the Tri-County Early College girls team finished in second place in team scores in their respective races.
After the meet, Tri-County cross-country head coach Josh Crayton spoke about Crayton’s state championship-winning performance.
“Fern set some high goals for her senior year XC season, including a win at state. She put in a lot of work to meet her goals, and I’m glad that she was able to get that win,” he said.
“It was a great way to finish her high school experience. She ran at state each year in high school, but having her team there competing really made a difference for her. Fern has had some frustration in meeting expectations from her success as a freshman. She kept working and training, and was very focused this year.
“As her coach, I think this was her strongest, most consistent season in training and competition. Her win at state is a great celebration as she finishes high school.”
Crayton continued by saying how much it meant to him to see his daughter do well at state.
“Our family has an active lifestyle, and we have run together since she was small, exploring the local mountains and trails. Fern has always been a strong runner, and it is wonderful to see her build on the talent we saw in her,” he said.
“To succeed at state takes talent but also consistent training, hard work, dedication and positivity. We are very proud of Fern.”
Athletes from Andrews, Hiwassee Dam and Tri-County traveled to the Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville on Friday morning to compete in the 1A N.C. High School Athletic Association state championship cross-country meet.
The 1A boys went out first to start a day of racing. With 73 points, Andrews came in second place, 10 points behind the N.C. Leadership Academy.
The Wildcats were the highest-finishing Smoky Mountain Conference team, as they finished 10 points ahead of Robbinsville. Hiwassee Dam had 210 points and came in ninth place.
Page was the highest finisher from Cherokee County in third place with a time of 16:49.33. In fifth place was Clark at 17:00.05.
Elliott Salinas of Andrews rounded out the top 10 in tenth place with a time of 17:20.97. Just behind him was Gabe Clark in 11th place at 17:24.02.
Also running for Andrews was Myca Mustin in 24th place and Jayce Donaldson in 25th. Luke Clark came in 42nd place, while Ethan Garrett was 104th.
At the awards ceremony following the race, Mustin received the sportsmanship award.
Just behind Donaldson was Maverick Hawley of Hiwassee Dam in 26th place. Also running for Hiwassee Dam was Travis Allen in 53rd, Xavier Johnson in 65th, Brayden Morrow in 90, Jonah Dockery in 91st and Avery Taylor in 98th.
Tri-County had two boys compete in the state championship. Conner Arrowood finished in 73rd place and Mason Smith came in 86th.
“Most members of our boys team were also playing soccer for TCEC. They had a chance to qualify for state as a team at Regionals but just missed it,” Crayton said.
“We didn’t expect any individuals to qualify but the work they put in for their team allowed Connor Arrowood and Mason Smith to qualify and run at state. They ran solid times and enjoyed their first experience at state. Connor had a season best run at state and Mason dropped time from the regional meet.”
Out of the 12 teams competing in the 1A girls state championship, Tri-County came in second place with 95 points. Tri-County was the only Cherokee County team with girls running in the state championship, led by Crayton as she claimed the state championship.
Sophia Smith was their second-highest finisher as she came in 17th place with a time of 22:50.71. Their third-highest finisher was Bryanna Jaime in 39th place with a time of 24:49.50.
Also running for Tri-County was Jasmine Tran, in 42nd place, Catherine Gonzalez in 43rd, Emma Watson in 95th and Genevieve Gelabert in 96th.
Discussing Tri-County’s girls team, Crayton said, “We are incredibly proud of our girls team. The reclassification allows a fair opportunity for our athletes to compete. We were in a good position with Fern as our leader, and she encouraged several girls to participate. Three of our seven runners had never run a 5K before.
“They started the season just working to get in shape and improve each week. Our second race of the season was at Meeks Park, a really challenging course. The tremendous grit the girls showed on that tough course proved to us that they could do well. As the season progressed, they started to believe in themselves and their potential.
“They bought into the training, saw success at conference, then at Regionals to qualify for state. They worked so hard for each other. Sophia Smith, Jasmine Tran, Katherine Gonzalez, and Emma Watson all ran a PR at state. Our team average pace was a minute faster at state than at regionals.
“These girls really gave it everything they had, and their second-place finish honors that teamwork and commitment,” Crayton added.
“TCEC is a tiny school, and we welcome all students to participate in sports. Any student can take away tremendous value from participating in sports by challenging themselves, setting goals and working hard for them.
“We are so proud of our girls’ success, but just as proud of the growth of our runners. For example, Emma Watson was one of the last finishers at state, but she improved her PR by three minutes.”