STARKVILLE — Fifth-year Starkville High School cross country coach Caroline Woomer feels her squad is ready to compete with some of the state”s elite talent.
The Yellow Jackets will take their first step toward realizing that goal Thursday in the season-opening Choctaw Relays at Mississippi College.
“We are really excited about getting the season started,” Woomer said. “The first couple of weeks (of fall training) have been quite unusual. Most of our runners ran during the summer and did an exceptional job with their conditioning programs. Since school has started, we have focused on sprints and building endurance.
“The dedication during the offseason has been a very good springboard for the upcoming season. I will be very disappointed if we don”t have a really good year.”
Senior Ashley Albritton echoes Woomer”s sentiment. She is one of two seniors and the only squad member who will be receive a six-year certificate of participation at the end of the season.
“I look back on how good we were when we got started,” said Albritton, who also plays on the school”s tennis and soccer teams. “It is so much different now. The seventh- and eighth-graders this year have way more talent. It is good to see so many of them so dedicated to the sport.”
Kamau Bostic is the lone senior male on the squad. Bostic moved from Virginia to the Golden Triangle last summer. In his second year with the Yellow Jackets, Bostic also has seen a renewed effort and intensity by several of his teammates.
“We have a few guys have been stepping it up during the offseason,” Bostic said. “More guys have taken time out to run and work out with some of the elite runners on the team. We are excited about the move down to Class 5A (from Class 6A). That should lead to better competition this season.”
The first meet will provide a twist with four-team relay competitions. Each runner will run one mile or a mile-and-a-half. At each stop, a baton will be passed to the next runner.
“It is designed to be a fun, team-building event,” Woomer said. “I have never been involved in a meet quite like this one. It will be a good thing. We have so many athletes who have worked real hard during the summer. This will allow them to step into competition and feel like they are part of a team right away.
“Even in the relay competition, I expect us to post some really good times and be better than our competition.”
The rest of the schedule is a challenging. Woomer has placed her squad in a position to face some of the top teams in the state and in the region. Instead of one showcase meet, the Yellow Jackets will participate in two.
“Next week, we will compete in the Twilight Invitational hosted by Christian Brothers University (in Memphis, Tenn.),” Woomer said. “Being able to run around the Mike Rose Complex is quite a daunting challenge. In October, we will participate in the Jesse Owens Invitational (in Moulton, Ala.).
“Typically, we have one big meet each year, in addition to the high school postseason competitions. This year, we decided to participate in two. All of the kids have been working real hard, and they deserve this chance to compete against some of the best.”
Starkville has nearly 50 student-athletes on its roster. That number is down between 10 and 15 from past years. Woomer feels it is a positive because it means more of the competitors are dedicated to the sport.
For Albritton, the elite competition presents a challenge. As a senior, though, she doesn”t want her prep career to end any other way. After all, nothing can be more challenging than bouncing back from two anterior cruciate ligament injuries.
“I have really fallen in love with the sport,” Albritton said. “I got started in sixth grade when somebody told me to run cross country since a couple of us were already playing soccer. I did well in some early meets. That motivated me to keep working hard at it. I have really enjoyed being around my teammates and making new friends. That is what I will remember the most from running cross country.
“As a senior, it is my job to be a leader. I am just hoping we can go out with a great year.”
Bostic also enjoys motivation provided by his new set of friends. He also had another motivation from a young age.
“When I was in eighth grade, I was not fit,” Bostic said. “Cross country is something I started doing to get in shape. My older brother (Dupree) ran and was very good at it. He had a personal best time of 16:10 in the 5K. Dupree is the one who inspired me to do it. He was always better than me. My brother was the motivational factor for me to run cross country, work hard at it, and keep getting better.”
Entering his final campaign, the younger Bostic has a personal-best time 16 minutes, 42 seconds in the 5-Kilometer.
Woomer expects continued leadership from her seniors. Sophomore Joseph Magowan is another top boys performer on the team. On the girls side, Woomer has been impressed by seventh-grader Kate Mattox and freshman Walker Mattox.
“We are steadily building something,” said Woomer, who is assisted by Chris Barnett and Joe Magowan. “I think something that is really good for our program is the dedication. We have like six families who all run together. Several of our athletes run with Boardtown Runners on the weekend. Kamau and Joseph ran at two cross country camps during the summer. Even though they are different characters, they do a great job at leading and getting their mileage in.
“This attitude and commitment is carrying over to the younger members on the team.”
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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