Columbia finishes fourth in National Cross Country Meet
Courtesy The Columbian Progress
Rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the Columbia Academy Boys Cross Country team in North Carolina Saturday, September 29th. The Cougars traveled to Cary, North Carolina for the American Independent Schools Challenge (AISC). They were met with pouring rain and a very muddy course. The Cougars showed that they couldn’t be intimidated by neither the elements nor 26 of some of the top independent teams in the Nation. They confidently took on the challenging 5K course and some of the Nations best runners as they battled to a very respectable 4th place finish.
Jon Luke Watts led the Cougars finishing 2nd, taking the silver medal, with a personal record and “National Elite” time of 16:14. Michael Reid finished 18th in a personal record time of 17:40 to receive a bronze medal for finishing in the top-25. Trevor Dixon, Luke Coleman, and Sam Carr also set personal records.
“I am very proud of all these guys,” said Coach Duane Powell. “These kids have brought National attention to Columbia Academy, MAIS, and the state of Mississippi. It’s a big deal for a small school like CA to compete at this level,” said Powell, “I feel like we won the thing. Winning the State Championship is great, but this is the Nationals.” CA has won five consecutive MAIS AA State Championships. This was their first attempt at a National meet.
“I told the team I didn’t care where they finished, I just wanted them to dig deep and give it their best” said Powell, “I think they dug a little deeper for Caleb”. The CA Cross Country team has dedicated their season to the memory of Caleb Coleman, a CA All-State runner that was killed in an automobile accident last November.
“It’s unbelievable for these kids to run their season bests and set PR’s on a hilly, muddy course especially after a 15 hour drive. Jon Luke’s second place finish behind the seventh ranked runner in the Nation is awesome, said Powell. Colin Godwin of Cary Academy won the meet and is currently the number seven ranked high school runner in the United States. Powell said, “Michael Reid really stepped up big destroying his PR and going under 18 for the first time. I thank God they were all healthy, that’s always a concern at any meet.”
The Nationally recognized Cougar team consists of Seniors: Tyler Berry, Luke Coleman, Trevor Dixon, Jon Luke Watts; Sophomores: Sam Carr, Joel Hitt, Michael Reid, and 8th Grader Kenny Price.
The AISC is recognized as one of the largest and most prestigious Cross Country meet for independent schools in America. It is sanctioned by the National Scholastic Athletics Association and is part of the annual “Great American Cross Country Festival”, which draws over 500 teams and thousands of runners from across the United States.
The Cougars will be back in action on Tuesday, October 9th, when they host the Caleb Coleman Invitational at the Columbia Water Park. Over 20 schools from Mississippi and Louisiana have entered. Everyone is invited. The meet starts promptly at 4PM and admission is free.
.
Columbia Boys AISC results:
2. Jon Luke Watts ---------- 16:14.2
18. Michael Reid ------------ 17:40.1
37. Trevor Dixon ------------ 18:42.2
41. Luke Coleman ---------- 18:47.8
58. Tyler Berry --------------- 19:15.4
68. Sam Carr ----------------- 19:43.0
80. Kenny Price --------------20:04.4
