Courting victory
- Updated: October 11, 2019
PV girls, White Plains boys win Pleasant Valley Twilight 5K, Anniston’s Myles sets boys course record
By East Alabama Sports Today
JACKSONVILLE – The Pleasant Valley girls and boys cross country teams put aside the excitement of the Homecoming Parade for a couple hours to finish first and second in their respective races and Anniston’s Christian Myles set the boys course record to highlight the action in the Pleasant Valley Twilight 5K Thursday.
Myles ran 17:21.44 to obliterate the old boys record by 31.5 seconds. He beat White Plains’ Jake Moore to the wire by four seconds and pulled away from a tight battle in the final 400 yards of the football stadium finish. Springville’s Beth Ann Tucker won the girls race (20:54.90).
The race was moved up to accommodate the PV runners participating in the school’s Homecoming Parade and the PV girls made the most of it, placing two runners among the top 10 counters and six overall in the top 20. The Lady Raiders scored 61 points to edge runner-up Southside by three and third-place White Plains by four.
Trinity Roberts was the fastest PV runner across the line, coming in seventh at 22:50.48. Teammate Eva Bryant was right behind here at 22:51.98. Emma Hood, a member of the Homecoming Court, was 12th(23:23.52).
PV coach Brad Hood said it was “pretty cool” the girls were able to overcome the Homecoming distraction to win.
“We were off our game a little on the girls side worrying about Homecoming,” Hood said. “The big thing was Trinity is back. She’s been fighting an iron deficiency for about nine months now and she’s finally figured out what it was and sis taking some medication to help with that. She’s had a great week of practice and she showed out today.”
White Plains put four runners among the top 15 scorers, but its fifth runner placed 23rd, behind all five PV and Southside counters. Jacksonville placed two runners in the top five – No. 3 Olivia King (22:11.40), No. 5 Sarah Sloughfy (22:25.46) – and was fourth.
The top three runners in the boys race all came in under White Plains’ James Middlebrooks’ old course record. Middlebrooks finished sixth overall Thursday.
The Wildcats put four counters in the top 12, all five among the top 17, and scored 46 points. PV had three in the top 10 and scored 50 points. Southside was third with 55. Their runners occupied the top six scoring slots behind Myles, who ran as an individual and ineligible for points. White Plains went 1-5 among counters (as well as 11-12), PV went 3-4 and Southside 2-6.
The meet served as a preview to the Calhoun County Meet being held there on Oct. 24. PV, White Plains and Jacksonville are the projected top three and they all battled it out Thursday. Jacksonville finished seventh.
“I’ve said this and I said it to (White Plains coach) John Moore,” Hood said. “We may not beat you at County but even if we lose we win because they’re pushing us to be better for state. We closed it from 20-something points (22) the first time we raced a month ago to four points today and that’s with my 5 off his game.”
PLEASANT VALLEY INVITATIONAL
GIRLS RACE
Team scores: Pleasant Valley 61, Southside-Gadsden 64, White Plains 65, Jacksonville 100, Glencoe 107, Springville 147, Cherokee County 189, Lincoln 221, Randolph County 269, Saks 279.
Individual Top 15
Beth Ann Tucker, Springville 20:54.90
Camryn Davis, Southside 21:53.83
Olivia King, Jacksonville 22:11.40
Katie Giles, Glencoe 22:18.20
Sarah Sloughfy, Jacksonville 22:25.46
Catherine Clements, Gadsden City 22:40.49
Trinity Roberts, Pleasant Valley 22:50.48
Eva Bryant, Pleasant Valley 22:51.98
Savannah Yates, White Plains 22:56.25
Camden Wilson, White Plains 23:14.24
Zoie Menk, Southside 23:15.45
Emma Hood, Pleasant Valley 23:23.52
Anna Strickland, White Plains 23:29.72
Adriana Sotelo, White Plains 23:31.77
Anna Beth Giles, Glencoe 23:32.10
BOYS RACE
Team scores: White Plains 46, Pleasant Valley 50, Southside-Gadsden 55, Lincoln 114, Springville 119, Gadsden City 220, Jacksonville 229, Jacksonville Christian 244, Glencoe 253, Randolph County 281, Faith Christian 283, Saks 299.
Individual Top 15
Christian Myles, Anniston 17:21.44
Jake Moore, White Plains 17:25.31
Ryan Maudsley, Southside 17:50.91
Cayden Nelson, Pleasant Valley 18:10.99
Coleman Haynes, Pleasant Valley 18:23.49
James Middlebrooks, White Plains 18:34.27
Mason Williamson, Southside 18:39.00
Peyton Young, Springville 18:39.71
J.R. Proctor, Lincoln 18:45.17
Luke Holcombe, Southside 18:48.09
Oliver Young, Jacksonville 18:48.49
Luke Larson, White Plains 18:54.06
Kayd Hightower, White Plains 18:56.56
Evan Garner, Jacksonville 18:59.30
Kaige Roberts, Pleasant Galley 19:03.66
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