News & Announcements
Season Preview: Varsity Cross Country
Last season saw growth and improvement for several young runners on the cross country team. Both the boys and girls placed 4th in Region 8-A DI, while the girls came in 12th and the boys 17th at the state meet. With several top runners back on both sides, 2023 should be a step forward for both squads.
The boys lost one of their top runners in Canon Brooks to graduation, but back are the top two in Timothy Beck and Jackson Shadburn, with Carter Miller returning with a chance to be part of that top group.
Freshmen Ryan Anderson and Teagan Penland will get a chance to push the other boys as well and are set for breakout years.
“We look forward to the challenge of earning the right to qualify to state and move up the list of better teams in our classification,” says coach Scott Neal. “The process of that quest is what highlights our ‘Season of Significance’ goals. Contributing to the life of the team, creating a resilient mind, being accountable to each other, and improving our heart, lungs, and legs is our primary focus on a daily basis through leadership opportunities, traipsing on trails throughout northeast Georgia, and being a ‘GREAT’ teammate.”
For the girls, Stasa Beratovic, Miranda Chapa, Ellesen Eubank, and Emma Jackson all graduated off the roster. Still, the quartet of Allison Bailey, Sara Bailey, Meredith Orr, and Dani Prince will be back to pace the team. Freshmen Delaney Johnson and Avery Keim were some of the top middle school runners, and will push the upperclassmen.
“With a strong leader in Dani and a young, energetic, positive, solid group of returners and newcomers, the 2023 harrier season hopes to be memorable as we run along numerous mountain trails, host ‘GREAT’ XC meets, bond via various team activities, take on a range of personal and team responsibilities and pursue our season theme of ‘Xchange’, meaning we will sacrifice some things so we can unite, succeed, and overcome adversities together,” adds Neal.
TFS aims to qualify for state for a 5th straight season for the boys and 3rd for the girls. The cross country teams open the 2023 season on August 19 in the Northeast Georgia Championships at Athens Christian. TFS will host the Gorge to Beach 3K Experience on August 22, Cookies ‘n Quotes XC Festival on September 5, TFS Heroes Invitational on September 23, and the ever-popular TFS Harrier Harvest on October 17.