The start of any sports season is the time when the proverbial proof shows within the pudding, where all of the offseason work visibly shows.
Jones County’s cross-country programs put that into practice at Saturday’s Peach State Preview in Hazelhurst as the Greyhounds and Lady Greyhounds both won first as a team.
Luke Thornton’s sub-16-minute time led the Hounds in the boys race as they ran an average time of 16:34, a mark that head coach Geoff Moore said is about 20 seconds better than their average.
“To break 16 minutes, that’s big-boy stuff right there,” Moore said of Thornton’s time that was also a county record.
JCHS posted three finishers in the race’s top seven and five in the top 10. Thornton’s second-place run of 15:56.60 led that effort in front of Gavin Robinson’s 16:13.80 in fifth, Tyler Marshall seventh with a 16:45.80, Grady Newby in eighth with a time of 16:50.90 and Andrew Marshall’s 10th-place time of 17:06.40.
“It builds on itself; we made a big jump in track last year. Last year, we had a big jump in our first meet, and it carried us through the season,” Moore said. “So hopefully, it’ll be the same this year. My second through five kids and running like Luke was last year.”
Despite nagging injuries and illnesses, the Lady Greyhounds also came home with a first-place trophy. The charge was led by Addison Robinson, who was the race’s top individual with a time of 19:42.30.
“Addison is about to have a phenomenal season,” Moore said. “She made a big jump last spring in track, and she’s about to have a huge season.”
But a team cannot win in cross country without a strong run throughout its top five. The Lady Hounds dug deep Saturday, putting four runners in the race’s top eight and five in the top 12. Lilly Palmer timed in third as she ran 20:36.80 in front of Camryn Wommack’s time of 21:11.90, good for sixth place. Freshman Tanner Watts finished eighth by way of a time of 21:46.10.
“She’ll really help us,” Moore said of Watts. “Her time, that’s really good for a freshman.”
Despite battling illness, Isabella Sanchez fought to a 12th-place time of 22:10.10.
“We still have the injury and sick bug, so our times were not where they needed to be,” Moore said. “But the girls, they always kind of bounce back when it matters.”
