On Tuesday, Oct. 18, the CHS cross country team competed at the Martin Westview Invitational. Unseasonably cold temperatures and a north wind greeted the runners vying for the top 20 individual medals and top three team trophies.
The girls’ varsity 5K race was won by Augustine’s Victoria Markham in 18:58. Camden’s top finisher for the meet was freshman Kayedence Christopher, who earned the 17th medal in a time of 22:23. Maribel Conchas ran a 1-minute personal record (PR) time of 25:10. The final three scorers for the Lions were Katlin Martin, Alyssa Travis, and Katie Ramlow, with Taylynn Boggs also running for the Lions. The CHS girls team finished in 8th place overall amid a tough crowd.
The boys’ varsity 5K race saw Camden senior Will Douglas get out to an early lead that he never relinquished, winning by over 30 seconds in a time of 15:41. Teammates Pete Douglas and Ridge Bruce raced with a chase pack through two miles, with Pete earning a 20-second PR and the 7th medal in 16:41. Bruce crossed in 17:07 for the 9th place medal.
Lion Kevin Knight also earned a new PR in 19:11 for 41st place, with freshman Matthew Arnold as the final scorer in 19:30 for 49th place. Evan Pate ran his second-best time of 20:11 for 67th place out of 203 total runners. The strong showing by the CHS boys’ team earned them the second-place trophy, with Chester County getting the win.
After the race, seniors Boggs, Conchas, and W. Douglas were honored by their teammates and Coaches Amber Douglas and Sarah Comuzie with the presentation of memorabilia shadow boxes, flowers, and cupcakes.
“We celebrated our XC seniors tonight. It has been a pleasure to coach Will, Maribel, and Taylynn. I sure will miss them as the move on to conquer their dreams!” said Comuzie.
The Lions raced in the Region 7 AA/A meet at Obion County on Tuesday, Oct. 25, but results were not available by press time. The region meet determined who would qualify for the state meet. It is almost a certainty that several CHS runners will advance to the state contest.
