by Mark Turner
White County News
The 2025 high school cross country season started this week for high school runners around the state.
For the White County High School teams, the season began Tuesday with the Gorge to Beach event at the Farm Course in Tallulah Falls. In a few months, the WCHS runners are hoping to end the season in a familiar place in Carrollton at the Class AAA meet.
Both WCHS squads are coming off solid seasons in 2024. The girl's squad continued it's yearly tradition of finishing on the podium with a fourth place finish in the team competition, while the boy's team posted a Top 10 finish in ninth place.
The goals are the same this season as there are plenty of talented runners on the squad. The team has been preparing for the season for the past couple of months with long distance runs, sprint work and sessions in the weight room.
“We had a great summer,” WCHS coach Carrie Vandegriff said. “The kids have been working really hard. We've had a good turnout; we took more than 20 kids to our team camp at Nantahala. This group is special, they are self-movtivated. They are some of the best kids we've ever coached. They love each other and want to see each other succeed.”
WCHS coach Megan Runkle said the coaches noticed something different in the group at the team camp.
“We talked about 'why' each person wants to be on the team,” Runkle said. “This is a very united group. They all have a purpose for being out here and they are unified on what their goals are. Everyone is focused on Nov. 8 (state meet). That goal is driving this group. That's the common goal.”
The summer work seems to be producing results across the board for both teams.
“So far, we see improvement for everyone from last year,” Runkle said. “Our workout times have improved, but we want to see how they compete when there are other runners on the course. That's what we're looking forward to seeing.”
The WCHS teams opened the season on Tuesday, which started the grind they will face over the next two months that lead to state meet in November.
“Cross country is a long season, so we try to make things as fun as possible for the kids,” Vandegriff said. “These kids are a joy to be around and they make it fun to coach them. They show up at every day with a good attitude. I wish every coach could experience what we do with this group of kids.”
The Lady Warriors have a core group of runners back from last year's Top 5 team. Senior Julie Black had a breakout season last fall and finished fourth overall at the state meet. Sophomore Carly Black made a big splash during the freshmen season, finishing 11th at the state meet, and senior Emma Windham was 15th. Maddie Evans, another senior, was 42nd in the state field, giving the girl's team a stellar core in the seven runners in the varsity lineup.
Senior Darla Wright and junior Alexis Kelley also bring varsity experience to the team's deep lineup, and Angela Lozada, Kelsey Lovell, Addison Grizzle, Hadassah Lyon, Stephanie Hernandez, Molly Free and Caylee McKay round out the girl's roster.
“This team is the definition of experience,” Runkle said. “That is huge for us . They have all been to the state meet and they understand what that's like. We are hoping to add a couple more to the podium this year.”
Runkle said having a core of runners who have had success at the state meet gives the team a boost heading into the season as they get set to take on the best teams in the state.
“That's huge for us too to have several girls who have done that,” Runkle said. “They all lead by example and they do the work in summer. That's part of the reason the girls have been so successful.”
Vandegriff said the work ethic goes a long way in the continued success of the program.
“Consistency is a big part of it,” Vandegriff said. “They are consistent in everything they do and that makes a difference. These girls also run track and that has helped them get better.”
On the boy's side, seniors Alex Brannon and Avery Stewart, and junior Aiden Cline were all key parts of the lineup last season. Brannon was the Warriors' top finisher at the state meet, finishing 22nd, with Cline, Stewart and sophomore Weston Weller all part of the group that competed in the state meet.
“Alex and Aiden have been neck and neck this summer,” Vandegriff said. “They are both running so well, and it's the closest we've had two guys running together in a while. We are adding some new faces to the boy's team, we've got several freshmen and we're still trying to pull in some new kids to join the roster.”
Sophomore Vincent Lance and freshmen Ayden Mendez and Weaver Bartlett are pushing to be in the varsity lineup, with Aden Hill, Graham Hulsey, James Rodil, Williams McSpadden and Jonah Campbell rounding out the roster.
“Like the girls, there is some experience on this team,” Runkle said. “We lost a couple of guys to graduation (Aiden Pickett and Collin Fernandez), but our younger guys are stepping up.”
The boys got the season started on Tuesday with a first place finish at the Tallulah Falls meet. The Warriors totaled 62 points to finish first among eight teams in the field. Brannon was third overall with a 3,000-meter time of 9:50, with Cline next in fourth place at 9:57. Stewart was 13th at 11:08, with Waller 15th at 11:17. Lance (12:09), Bartlett (12:19), Mendez (12:26), Hill (12:58), McSpadden (14:26) and Campbell (17:04) rounding out the lineup.
The girls race at the TFS event was cancelled due to weather issues.
In Class AAA, most of the top running programs are found in the north Georgia. Last year, the teams at the top of the field at the state meet included WCHS, North Hall, Oconee County, Jefferson, Lumpkin County, Dawson County, Pickens and Cherokee Bluff. The Georgia High School Association changed the post-season format last year, eliminating region meets and moving to sectional meets to determine the state field. That means, the WCHS teams find themselves in a sectional meet along the rest of the top programs from north Georgia.
“Our region was always the toughest region in the state for cross country,” Vandegriff said. “It's the same powerhouses as always. Now we have the toughest sectional. The good thing is by the time we get to state, we've already competed against the best teams in the state, so there aren't any surprises when we get there.”
The regular season schedule consists of nine events including Tuesday's kickoff. The team has a big meet early in the season this weekend when they travel to Jasper for the Pickens Preview.
“We'll see how we match up with some of the top teams on Saturday,” Vandegriff said.
The WCHS runners will make their annual trip to Gainesville on Sept. 4 for the North Hall Invitational and then compete at the University of North Georgia Invitational Sept. 13 in Oakwood.
“This meet is on the same day as the Homecoming dance, so we told the kids we didn't have to do it, but they wanted to,” Vandegriff said. “It's a fast course and the kids really like it. Emma is Miss Warrior and she said she wasn't missing the race. She'll run and then go put on her dress and go to the dance.”
The annual Mountain Invitational will be held in early October at Unicoi State Park. The two-day event will include more than 25 middle school teams and more than 40 varsity teams.
“We'll have more than 2,000 runners at the course,” Runkle said. “It's a big event and it gives the middle school teams a chance to compete in a high caliber meet.”
At the end of the regular season, the team will head to Ringgold on Oct. 21 for the NGXCL 5 Fast Break Challenge. The race will be held on the same course that is the host for the Class AAA sectional on Nov. 1.
WCHS hosted the state sectional last year and wanted to do it again,but the WCHS coaches said that some schools didn't like having to run on the hills of the Unicoi State Park.
“We wanted to host it again, but the GHSA decided to move it,” Vandegriff. “Some of the other teams didn't like it; they weren't used to running hills. Our course is tough and it's taxing on the runners heading into the state meet, so we understand. It was also a lot of work for the coaches, the kids and our volunteers, so it will be nice to just show up and run.”