By David Freeze
Coach Jason Bryan and both his men’s and women’s cross-country teams finished off another fine season last weekend on the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course in Joplin, Missouri. Bryan, in his 10th year, continues to lead the effort as the teams reach higher in national prominence.
The women ran the 6K Championship race and finished 21st out of 34 teams. The final season ranking of No. 21 in D2 improved on the ranking of No. 23 going into the race. The previous best national ranking in program history was 28th, achieved last year.
Sophomore Madi Clay of Morganton again led the team with a solid 44th place finish, just four spots short of All-American designation. She ran 20 minutes, 48.3 seconds in a field of 260 finishers. Other finishers in order for Catawba were Mikayla Jones, Raina Andrews, Natalie Almond, Sydney Cockerham and Jenna Coleman.
The men ran the 10K (6.2 miles) Championship race and finished 22nd out of 34 teams. With that final ranking of No. 22 in D2, the team eclipsed the best prior finish in program history of 33rd in 2021. The men’s team was ranked No. 37 entering the race. Top finisher for Catawba was Oussama Ajala at 31:07.8. Others in order were Erick Ramirez, Tanner Smith, Anthony LeCorche, E.J. Threatt and Andrew Whitehead. There were also 260 finishers in this race.
After significantly improving on her finish from last year’s nationals, Clay said, “Mostly, I’m just extremely proud and impressed with how both the girls and boys team did this cross-country season. Everyone worked very hard and came together to achieve something never done before at Catawba. Personally, my race went fairly well at nationals. I was so close to getting the title of all-American so there is some regret in that I didn’t push just a little harder. But at the end of the day, the memories I made with my teammates were far more important than any race ever could be. Overall, nationals was an amazing experience and I can’t wait to go again next year.”
Bryan said, “We are so proud of this team and the history they made this season. We spoke at the beginning of the year about getting both teams to the NCAA meet and being able to reach that goal. Getting both teams in the top 25 in the country was really special.”
In 2014, Bryan’s first year, the men’s team was 10th of 11 in the SAC conference and the women were 11th of 11.
In other local happenings, the Runner Friendly Community signs at the major entrances to Salisbury will be updated early in 2024 as the previous designation ends in December of this year.
The Butterball 5K race on Thanksgiving morning at The Forum had entrants from New York, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee, California, Oklahoma, Ohio, Florida and Colorado, a total of 11 states represented as of press time. Turkey day races are all the rage across the country now, making Thanksgiving Day the most heavily participated racing day in the nation. Rayna Gardner and Matt Marsh at The Forum deserve lots of credit for presenting a first class and runner-friendly event locally.
Other races coming up soon include the Freeze Your Buns 5K and Fun Run on Dec. 2 in Spencer. As part of Winterfest, the afternoon 2 p.m. start offers a different option for runners who don’t prefer an early morning start and for those who will stay around to enjoy the festival and its skating rink.
The long-running Santa 5K, set for Dec. 9, moves across the road to Sloan Park and the Country Life Museum. A visit by Santa has again been arranged and weather permitting, he will drive a tractor to lead the race. The annual Bigfoot Reunion takes place the same weekend in the woods next to the 5K course. Occasional sightings have been rumored in the past, but no proof exists.
The Jan. 1 Resolution 5K is back at The Forum. Look for more information on these and other events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.
