Over the weekend, the Cherokee cross country team raced at one of their biggest meets of the year. Hosted in beloved Boling Park each year, the Fleet Feet Warpath Invitational attracts a highly competitive and diverse mixture of middle schools, high schools, and youth running clubs across Georgia. Although it can be easy to overlook local meets, this was one race you sure do not want to miss seeing results for. Against all harsh, humid, muddy conditions which were caused by a series of scattered showers throughout the morning and night, the warriors did not back down and battled the course out until they collapsed at the finish.
The Greatest Warpath Yet?
While Warpath has always been a considerably fast course, no one has ever seen it raced on in conditions quite like the ones that were affecting the entirety of the races on Saturday. However, if you did not attend the meet, you would think it was a sunny and dry day at Boling after scoping out the times that were ran. Cherokee had 18 runners beat their previous personal records. Not only is this a huge moment for the program as of now, but it is proving that there is a good chance Cherokee can expect to see these athletes at the state meet once again this year.
Personal Record Breakers
Who are the athletes of the meet? Normally, looking back at times from previous meets, there is only a handful that stands out. However, since Cherokee did not come to mess around at Warpath, it is only fair to highlight every single runner who shined in the spotlight:
- Teagan O’Leary
- Aaron Todd
- Jude Golden
- Elijah Pagan
- Kash Walker
- Tri Nguyen
- Anniston Donley
- Adeline Goodwin
- Matthew Parker
- Matthew Slauson
- Oakley Johnson
- Lane Pitts
- Davis Lloyd
- Caleb Cavendish
- Zoe Mitchell
- Wynn Monnin
- Lily Mollohan
- Elizabeth Heerema
The team has been working hard this season, and it is clear that their work is starting to pay off. One of the most beautiful parts of this sport to me is seeing how it transforms others. That PR feeling is unbeatable, and these athletes deserve the recognition for their performances.
What’s Next for the Warriors?
As the runners head into break, they are taking time off from racing for the next two Saturdays and taking good care of their bodies mentally and physically. During the upcoming weeks, they will look ahead to their next meet, the Alexander Invitational which takes place in Douglasville, Georgia.
