ALABAMA STATE MEET

Sarah Tole's Third State Title Leads Auburn Girls To One-Point Win Over Hoover

Photos and Story By Arthur L. Mack

OAKVILLE, Ala. — Saturday started out cool and overcast and ended up warm and humid with occasional rain, but it didn’t stop scores of athletes who participated in the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Cross Country Championships held at the Oakville Indian Mounds Park.

Here’s a recap of the meet by classification:

Class 7A: Auburn’s Sarah Tole won her third consecutive individual state title, but it didn’t come easy as she was in a battle with Hoover’s Ava Sparks for most of the race.

In the end, Tole held off Sparks and won in 18:13.0, with Sparks four seconds behind (18:17.1). Her win helped the Tigers defeat Hoover by one point, 57-58 (despite the Bucs placing three runners in the top five) for their eighth title in the last nine years. Huntsville was third (65).

“The first mile, I wanted to just settle (into a pace),” Tole said. “The second mile, I just wanted to remain steady then use whatever I had left. We’ve worked very hard this season to keep the title.”

Vestavia Hills’ two-year boys title streak came to an end at the hands of Huntsville, 48-57. Hewitt-Trussville was third with 107 points. As an exclamation point to the meet, the Class 7A boys’ race provided the most excitement of the day as Huntsville’s Eric Moore (14:52.8) defeated James Clemens’ Luke Alverson (14:54.5) in a virtual photo finish.

Class 6A: It’s no secret why Mountain Brook is such a cross-country power. The boys placed five runners in the top 20 to defeat Cullman 62-126, while Homewood was third (134). The girls were even more dominant, using a 3-4 finish by Amelia Erdberg (18:24.4) and Emelia White (18:26.8) to defeat Homewood 44-99, with Bayside Academy third (124).

As a result, Mountain Brook extended its state title streak to four for the boys, three for the girls.

Spartans head coach Mike McGovern said the success was a matter of teamwork.

“Our attitude is that we run as a team, and every week, our order was different,” he said. “I sold them on the idea that as long as we ran tight (as a group) we would be a strong team, and today, it worked out for us. With the girls, we had to overcome a lot today. We had one young lady with the flu and we had a couple of injuries, so it changed our order today.”

Individually, Homewood’s Emma Brooke Levering won the girls race, clocking an impressive 17:46.9.

Hazel Green’s Bryce McCleary was the individual boys winner in 14:55.1.

Class 5A: Scottsboro’s hopes of winning a fourth straight title were dashed as the Wildcats narrowly lost to upstart Providence Christian, which was reclassified as 5A because of the competitive balance rule.

Providence Christian won 38-42 despite Scottsboro’s Ryan Linville winning the race in 16:01.5. The Eagles, led by Cole Smith (third in 16:17.2) placed all five of their scorers in the top 15.

Scottsboro narrowly defeated Lawrence County 42-44, to win the girls competition. The Wildcats packed four runners into the top 10 to get the win. Westminster at Oak Mountain and Providence Christian each had 79 points, but Westminster got third based on a tiebreaker by virtue of having a higher-placed number six runner.

Individually in the girls competition, Brewer’s Rose Betts had a solid race, battling with Lawrence County’s Katie Mae Coan for most of the competition, Betts, however, pulled away and won with a solid 17:54.6.

“I was planning to stay with Katie Mae for most of the race,” Betts said. “The last mile, I felt her catching me, and I just had to save something for that last kick.”

Class 4A: Continuing streaks were the order of the day for Fairhope Bayshore Christian’s Caden Phillippi and White Plains’ Maddyn Conn.

Phillippi won his second consecutive state individual title, fighting off an early challenge from Grant DAR’s Bailey Kendrick to win with a personal best time of 15:33.7. Kendrick ran 15:49.6, while Hatton-Town Creek’s Isaiah Crosslin was third (16:33.3).

“The goal was to go through the first mile between 4:50 and 5:00, because I wanted to control the pace,” Phillippi said. “The first mile, I went through in exactly 4:50, and it left me with enough energy to push the pace. He (Kendrick) passed me at the 1 ½-mile mark, but at the 2-mile mark, I passed him and never looked back. With 1K to go, I let it rip.”

Conn, who signed with Jacksonville State, easily bested the competition, winning in 18:15.4 and secured her third straight individual title. Afterward, she said she tried to break 18 minutes, but a fast early pace prevented her from doing that.

“I got a little tied up with the hills, and that third mile got a little tough,” she said. “But I feel fantastic winning my third race in a row, and the hard work paid off. I’m proud of the other members of our team.”

Hamilton won the boys team title, scoring 58 points to White Plains’ 75, while Bayshore Christian was third with 104. On the girls side, Whitesburg Christian defeated Altamont 48-95, with Bayshore Christian third (119).

Class 3A: J.B. Pennington used a solid performance by placing four finishers in the top 15 to win the boys title, defeating Montgomery Academy 47-54. St. Luke’s was third with 98 points. On the girls’ side, Montgomery Academy placed four runners in the top 15 en route to defeating Cottage Hill Christian Academy 42-77, while St. James was third with 80 points.

Individually, Holly Pond’s Travis Barnett won the boys race in 16:18.6, ahead of Trinity Presbyterian’s John Thomas Mathison (16:39.8) and Vinemont’s Brady Johnson (16:49.0). Olivia Khan of Lee-Scott Academy won the girls race in 19:22.2, ahead of Elley Goff of Montgomery St. James (19:37.3) and Montgomery Academy’s Elle Ingram (19:54.0)

Class 1A-2A: In one of the narrowest team competitions of the day, Mars Hill Bible edged Sand Rock 100-101, with defending champion Cold Springs third with 105.

Sand Rock’s Caleb Yoder (16:08.9) was the individual winner, and though Mars Hill Bible failed to place runners in the top 15, had enough runners bunched close enough in a pack and was able to place higher than the remainder of Sand Rock and Cold Springs’ top five.

Cold Springs routed Athens Bible School 34-82 to win the Class 1A-2A girls division, with Sand Rock third (95). Athens Bible School’s Kaylie Key was the individual winner (20:01.69), but Cold Springs placed four runners in the top 15 to secure the win.

Team Champions

Class 7A - Huntsville boys 48 points, Auburn girls 57 points - RESULTS

Class 6A - Mountain Brook boys 62 points, Mountain Brook girls 44 points - RESULTS

Class 5A - Providence Christian boys 38 points, Scottsboro girls 42 points - RESULTS

Class 4A - Hamilton boys 58 points, Whitesburg Christian Academy girls 48 points - RESULTS

Class 3A - Pennington boys 47 points, Montgomery Academy girls 42 points - RESULTS

Class 2A/1A - Mars Hill Bible boys 100 points, Cold Spring girls 34 points - RESULTS