Recap from the Marshall County Invitational
It was a cold, cloudy morning for the Graves County Eagle Classic. The wind whipped over the course bringing chill through layers of clothes.
The rolling hills of the Marshall County Invitational welcomed runners to a challenging course and a meet packed with excellent competition. Cloud cover in the early morning did not last long, making way for full sun and warm temperatures. This was not just another meet on the schedule. For several runners this was a preview of the course that they will be competing at for regionals this year.
A sunny Saturday morning and a flat course set the stage for the St. Mary High School “Viking Cross Country Invitational”. Growing in attendance every year since its founding, the St. Mary Invitational once again boasted a record number of entries. This year the meet had 650 registered athletes, with 107 high school girls and 144 high school boys running in the varsity races.
New was the word of the day. It was the first time that McCracken County High School debut their cross country team since consolidating three high schools within the county. The team made their first appearance on their home turf, a course designed by both the boys and girls coaches to showcase the recently built high school. All first place finishers were also writing their name in the record books, setting records for the freshly formed course.
It was a day for the record books at the Graves County Invitational as Graves County High School cross country debuted a new course, at a new time. In previous years Graves County High School Cross County hosted a twilight meet with runners racing under the stars.
The last Saturday in September proved to be an excellent day for the Marshall County Invitational. There were few clouds in sight as the sun shone down through the leaves and on the ever present hills that the course has to offer. The hills, someone might suggest, were a common topic of the day. Many conversations throughout the day were filled with the word, which leads many to call the course a trying one.
An overcast day and a seemingly flat course seemed to be the perfect setup for quick runs early in the cross country season. The St. Mary Invitational provided both factors to the delight of those who stepped up to the starting line to run, along with those on the side lines cheering them on. Shouts of excitement erupted from the crowd as spectators were able to see of the best runners in our area post fast times.