Jordan’s Edwards tries to defend title
By CHRIS WHITE
cwhite@ledger-enquirer.com
The remaining members of last season’s Class AAA state champion Columbus girls cross country team have learned plenty about pacing and finishing off hills this season, but they’ve discovered there’s little knowledge to be gleaned from being the reigning champions.
“The same determination is still there,” sophomore runner Deborah Postma said. “We’re just not overly confident because we already won. That doesn’t really mean anything when you race.”
The girls squad has a simple plan of attack for today in their repeat bid. Blue Devils speedster Jessica Ridley will take off — and likely finish at or near the top, according to coach Linda Korcha — and the rest of the squad will try to form a pack with Shae Tirado, who has been the pace setter for the team’s younger runners this season.
The strategy has placed the Blue Devils in the top five teams in the state based on average race time, according to Korcha.
“Anything can happen out there, but we’re competitive,” Korcha said. “We have some of the best times so all we have to do is go out there and run.”
Health is an issue, however. With three of the team’s seven runners nursing some kind of injury, the Blue Devils will have to grit out one more race full of aches and pains if they hope to repeat as the best in Class AAA.
“The injuries can definitely hurt us,” sophomore runner Emily Menendez said. “We have to run through them.”
The Blue Devils also have a reliable plan in place for the boys race: Charlie Sparks.
The senior has yet to lose a Region 2 meet in four seasons, but had to sit out last season’s state final due to an injury. This season he’s hoping for a state title.
“This year I’d really like to win state and go out with a championship, and I feel like it’s something we can accomplish,” Sparks said.
Both of the Columbus squads should have little trouble navigating the course at Carrollton. The teams have run it once this season, and Columbus has run there two times a season recently.
“It’s a tough course, but we do hills enough that we’ll be all right,” Columbus sophomore Preston Jones said. “We’ve all run there, so it’s no big deal now. We just can’t be nervous because it’s state.”
Jordan’s Ian Edwards is the defending individual champion in Class AA.
Other local teams joining Columbus in the Class AAA girls race are Northside, LaGrange and Troup. In the boys race, the Blue Devils will be joined by Shaw, LaGrange and Troup. Hardaway’s boys and girls will compete in the Class AAAA races; Jordan and Callaway will send boys runners to the Class AA meet; Brookstone and Pacelli have boys and girls in the Class A races; and Chattahoochee County has girls in the Class A race.
E-Mail
Print
@Nyx.CommentBody@