It couldn’t have gone much better the last time Auburn High’s cross country teams ran at Kiesel Park, their home course.
Both the boys and girls teams finished first in Oct. 17’s Tiger Classic, winning by comfortable margins over teams from Bob Jones that were ranked right on their heels going into the race.
“I felt like that was our best race of the season on the boys side,” boys coach Dan Norton said. “Not only did we run faster, but we ran competitively.”
The Tigers are hoping that magic continues into their next race at Kiesel Park, at today’s Class 6A-Section 2 meet.
Auburn is competing against Benjamin Russell, Central, Dothan, Enterprise, Jeff Davis, Lee-Montgomery, Northview, Opelika, Prattville, Russell County, Sidney Lanier and Smiths Station, for one of the top three spots in each race, which assures a trip to the state meet in Moulton next Saturday.
Even with a couple of runners missing due to injury and illness, Norton is confident about the team advancing to state and said the main focus this week is improving times.
Girls coach Kay Dee Calloway agrees.
“Our goal is to go out and run well and confidently,” Calloway said. “State’s not a lock for us. We still have to go out and do it. But if we run like we have been, states shouldn’t be a problem for us. We just want to see how fast we can be before we get to states.”
Both teams are coming off a meet in Carrollton, Ga., last weekend that was a bit underwhelming for both sides.
A short-squadded boys team finished third in the meet, and the girls finish sixth.
“It was kind of a slump from doing so well at the Tiger Classic,” Calloway said. “We ran against some of the best 4A teams in Georgia, the conditions weren’t great, there’s lots of excuses, really. But we’re hoping we can do well on our home course.”
The girls race starts at 2 today, and the boys start at 2:45.
dmorrison@oanow.com | 737-2568
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