There are 452 schools in GHSA. Roughly between 59 and 101 schools per region, depending on whether it is A all the way up to AAAAAA. A good number of these schools have a Cross Country team. In order to make it to the State Championships, you have to be the among the top four teams in your division in that region. There are 8 Divisions per Region. So in a perfect world with all schools having an XC team, 192 schools out of 452 would be represented by 7 girls and 7 boys at the XC SCs. We all know that all schools cant field a full team, some cant field a team at all, but in the grand scheme of things what took place yesterday is simply mind boggling. #1 - Hats off to the Administration and all volunteers for GHSA for operating such a massive event like a well oiled sewing machine. Their efficiency is unbelievable. #2 - Congratulations to Colins team (wish so bad, as does he, that he could have been well and competed with you) The Walnut Grove HS Warriors. Both the girls and Boys team qualified for the SCs. This is a first ever, and they finished 28th out of 32 boys teams in AAAA. Given the numbers I posted above, just making it there makes you champions and you should be proud of that fact. Good job guys. #3 - Congratulations to the Walnut Grove HS Warriors Girls. 23rd out of 32 teams. We have some strong talent and next year we are going to be even stronger. The girls put on a strong showing today. #4 - To my Brother-n-Law Michael McGuire, Coach for the North Paulding Wolfpack. Getting moved up to AAAAAA this year had to be a challenge, and limping into the SCs with an injured and young girls XC team had to be slightly disheartening. Again 20th out of 31 was a good showing, and I know next year will be a different story with your ability to bring out the best in your talented runners and with the up and coming new runners youll get. It was great to get to visit with yall and watch the big programs run. #5 - Its always fun to get to hang out with Heather McNeilly Grace a little bit, and its even more special to watch (from a distance) her appreciate her Senior runner for Athens Academy Girls competing. Glad I was there for their Region and SC performances. It was quite a treat to witness the effort and special moments. ;) As to the AA Spartan girls, 4th place out of 16 teams, 2 girls on the podium in the top ten fastest, Morgan finishing 22nd out of 118 girls!!! and putting a strong finish to a great Senior season and the team bringing home all kinds of hardware. Are you kidding me??? Unbelievable thing to watch. Great job girls, and the AA Spartan boys did the same with 4th place and capturing their fair share of hardware. All in all, it was a great day and fun to watch. It always inspires me to watch these young spirits, Interminable in their desire to compete, regardless of their place in line. Through the dirt, the grime, the pain and tears, their determination to merely finish is what separates this sport from all others. Watching the Lindsay Billings and Reilly Friedmans of the world is always awe inspiring, but it is the true warrior spirit of the runners, the entire field, to compete and endure after a long season of hard training and injuries, to give it all your body and mind has left, for this one last race, that is a testament to the human spirit and the embodiment of a champion, and every athlete there earned that right, and that title yesterday. Good job everyone!!!
Posted on: Sun, 09 Nov 2014 11:31:23 +0000
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