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Lincolnton, NC (WNN) - The Cherryville High School boys’ cross-country team finished second and the girls’ team finished fourth on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, in a Southern Piedmont 2a-3a-4a conference meet hosted by West Lincoln High School. The meet took place in Lincolnton, NC, at Betty Ross Park, which contains a very challenging course. Steven Wyatt finished first overall, Geovanny Martinez fourth, Seth Locklear 8th, and Mason Powers 9th as Cherryville had a team score of 32, behind West Lincoln’s 26 points. Higland Tech and East Gaston followed with 89 and 93 points, respectively. In the girls’ division, Clara Skamarock placed eleventh, and the girls finished fourth overall. Coaches Antonio Griggs and Callie Cooke have had great results from the largest cross-country team in school history, boasting 26 runners this season. This is only their second season coaching cross-country, yet they are having tremendous results. Coach Griggs had this to say after the meet, “I’m extremely proud of the effort our guys put forth today. West Lincoln has a strong cross-country team, and the course was intense, but our runners competed hard.”
Last week, both teams made their presence felt at the Gaston County meet hosted by Forestview High School. The boys came in second, and the girls finished in fourth out of all the teams in the county. These were impressive finishes. Individual placements for the boys were Steven Wyatt fourth, Geovanny Martinez eleventh, and Seth Locklear 18th. Clara Skamarock finished fourteenth for the girls, and Cameryn Bell followed in seventh. Team scores in the boys’ division were Forestview 26, Cherryville 77, Hunter Huss 97, South Point 98, Stuart W. Cramer 173, East Gaston 175, North Gaston 176, Ashbrook 187, and Highland Tech 188. The girls’ division team results were Forestview 31, South Point 48, Highland Tech 69, Cherryville 119, Hunter Huss 123, East Gaston 161, and Ashbrook 183.
A cross-country course is not contained within a track or stadium; instead, it is a course that covers 5 kilometers (3.1 miles). Each course is unique and varies in intensity. They can cover a park, subdivision, a roadway, or a green space. This is one of a handful of sports in which the team with the low score wins. Team scores are determined by where the top finishers from each team finish the course. For example, the first-place runner scores 1, the second-place runner scores 2, etc. These scores are combined for each team, and the lowest score wins. Usually, you would think of each runner competing in a race as an individual; however, cross-country is a team sport since each person’s finish matters in the overall team score.
Each course and each meet is essentially a 5k race; therefore, a runner cannot go in an all-out sprint from start to finish. Strategy must be utilized. The top few runners typically set the pace; however, everyone must decide in their own mind if that pace is sustainable for the entire race. At some point, a decision must be made near the end of the race when a runner will begin their “kick”. This is the point when they will put all the effort and energy they have left to sprint for the finish line. The timing is essential to a good finish. Too early and burnout is possibly before the finish, too late, and there is not enough time to catch up. Endurance and speed are the main components of a good finish; knowing how and when to use each is the key.
We congratulate Coach Griggs and Coach Cooke on their success thus far and wish you the best of luck in the remainder of the season. Each member can be proud of their accomplishments as a team.
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