This past weekend, the Avery cross country team traveled to Jackson Park in Hendersonville for the 2008 NCHSAA 1A West Regional Championships.In men’s competition Avery did not have enough competitors to qualify for team scores. However, Avery’s Jose Munoz ran a personal best in the 5K event, finishing with a time of 21:00.3.
In girls competition, Avery sophomore Mary Chesnut Smith proved again to be one of the strongest runners at the high school level in the Western region, finishing in fifth place overall in the 5K run with a time of 20:58.0, a full 30 seconds ahead of the sixth place finisher. Other Lady Vikings competing in the 5K (times in parentheses) included Caroline Crenshaw (23:55.2), Elyse Perry (25:12.8), Taylor Lacey (26:58.9), Katelynn Eudy (26:59.4), and Deborah Anderson (29:15.4). Teammate Teddi Jablonski was unable to compete at the meet due to illness.
Ladies finishing in the top ten overall spots at the event earned All-Regional honors. The runners (schools in parentheses) earning All-Regional accolades include Kristen Stout (Hendersonville). Faith Trammell (Robbinsville), Tracy Trammell (Robbinsville), Brittney Chastain (Hayesville), Mary Chesnut Smith (Avery), Janet Anderson (Hayesville), Hillary Long (Hayesville), Ana Unda (Hendersonville), Emily Craven (Murphy), and Ana Reyes (Hendersonville).
Runners who qualified for state competition include Avery’s Smith, Jessica Viscusi, Rebecca Hawken, and Meghan Gilchrist (each from Swain County), Cabot Lee Petoia of Polk County, as well as Alyssa Chet, Lilly Rolfe, and Crystal Manning from Hendersonville High School.State championships take place at Tanglewood Park in Winston-Salem on Saturday, November 1st.
