October 21, the NC Cross Country team ran regionals at Boling Park in Canton, GA hosted by Cherokee High School. The last race started at 2:35 pm, leaving the runners with only a couple hours before Homecoming. The team ran against runners from Walton High School, Kennesaw Mountain High School, Wheeler High School, Osborne High School and Cherokee High School. NC magnet junior Skylar Pulman dropped out of the race the night before, which required NC sophomore magnet Grace Amah to run with the varsity team. Magnet sophomore Kennedi Tolbert also moved up into the varsity team since runner Jordan Homier experienced health problems and could not run till the following Monday. Homier still came to regions to cheer on her teammates.
“[I’m] very proud of what the team has accomplished over this season, especially with the many setbacks we faced. The whole girls’ team went to state for the second year in a row which before hasn’t happened in years. Watching these runners improve even if they did not go to state is what coaching is about,” XC head coach John Huff said.
This race’s girl varsity team included magnet senior Ndiya Onuoha, magnet senior Isabel Baxter, magnet freshman Emma Wells, Amah, Tolbert, magnet freshman Avery Duby and magnet freshman Mariah Brisbane. Onuoha placed eighth place and set another personal record by running ten seconds faster. Tolbert also hit a personal record, running a minute and five seconds faster. The girls placed third overall with 91 points and an average time of 23:58. The state team will include Onuoha, Baxter, Wells, Tolbert, Homier and Brisbane, with Amah as a backup runner.
“I am so happy that my senior year I could go to state. Also, my teammates worked really hard, also it’s a group effort that got us here. I love the team dynamic. I also can’t wait to see most of them during track season,” Onuoha said.
The boys’ varsity team included senior Jackson Parker, sophomore Peyton Lewis, magnet sophomore Tobi Omoteso, freshman Samuel Ngotho, freshman Ethan Githinji, freshman Nganga Kinyanjui and junior magnet Matthew George. The team placed sixth overall and did not make the cut for state. They acquired 153 points and an average time of 20:28.
The girls’ junior varsity also placed third overall with 95 points. This team included magnet freshman Vaughn Thomas, magnet sophomore Cassidy Lumpkin, magnet senior Vivian Nguyen, magnet freshman Ellie Shields, junior Lindsay Lee, magnet junior Sienna Bennet, magnet junior Amanda Alwis and freshman Sanah Gangu.
The junior varsity boys also placed last overall in their race with 143 points and an average time of 20:07. The junior varsity team included freshman Caden Guirty, freshman Hanaz Opata, freshman Maximus Geroge, senior Tyler Sumner, freshman Jayden Uwgu, magnet senior Colin Poarch, sophomore Sebastian Urethra, magnet sophomore Jed Ngugi and freshman Cruz Johnson.
Walton won overall for both boys and girls and Cherokee came in a close second for boys and girls as well, placing similar to this last year. The state race will take place on November 4, so the girls will continue to train to compete in the state for the second year in a row. Only Onuoha and Baxter will run at state for a second time; the majority of the runners will head to state for the first time.
