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Photos by Justin Fitzgerald/sports@cherokeescout.com Andrews’ O’Malley Salinas and Tri-County’s Fern Crayton are already the top runners in the county as freshmen. -
Photos by Justin Fitzgerald/sports@cherokeescout.com Andrews’ O’Malley Salinas and Tri-County’s Fern Crayton are already the top runners in the county as freshmen.
Peachtree – They’ve been in high school less than a month, but Andrews freshman O’Malley Salinas and Tri-County Early College freshman Fern Crayton have emerged as the top cross-country runners in Cherokee County.
Not only is Salinas the county’s top runner, but he placed first among all runners in the first two meets of the season at Hayesville and Tri-County, respectively. Crayton placed second at Hayesville and fifth at Tri-County.
Both Salinas and Crayton said running was initially a family affair. Salinas started running with his dad. Crayton is following in the footsteps of her older siblings, Lucy and Will, who ran for the Jaguars, while her father, Josh, is the school’s cross country coach.
For both, running elicits a feeling they can’t quite put words to.
“Even though it’s really hard while you’re doing it,” Crayton said. “Something about the accomplishment after, I really like it.”
Both are also adjusting to running a 5,000-meter race after running 2-mile races in middle school. Crayton said she likes the longer race, but is still trying to figure out how to pace for the extra mile.
For Salinas, the longer the race, the better. He sees the first two miles of the race as a warm-up, then finishes strong on the last mile. That’s what he did at Tri-County, staying with Swain County junior Connor Brown and Cherokee senior Jaylen Bark, both medalists in the 1,600-meter run at last spring’s state championships, before pulling away late.
“The last mile is my jam,” Salinas said.
Both have lofty goals for their freshman seasons. Crayton wants to qualify for the state meet and run under 20 minutes, which only Sydney Bolyard has done at Tri-County.
“She’s been a really big influence on my running.” Crayton said of Bolyard, who is running at the University of North Georgia this season.
“And she is a great role model to look up to.”
Salinas also wants to run at the state meet, as well as the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships in Huntsville, Ala., in December. He could be the start of the rise of cross country at Andrews, too, as Andrews Middle School boys have won both meets so far this season.
“I like helping them progress and sharing tips along the way that I’ve learned by myself,” Salinas said. “Because I haven’t had a bunch of kids who are younger than me to help out.”