Local Sports

PHS boys claim MSAC cross country title; Metz wins girls race

ONA — It was a Red October at Cabell Midland High School.

Scarlet-clad Parkersburg and Cabell Midland, respectively, won the boys and girls Mountain State Athletic Conference cross country championships Saturday morning. The runner-up, Hurricane, in both races also sported red.

The Knights girls finished with 38 points, nine fewer than the Redskins. Parkersburg was third with 93 points, followed by Parkersburg South with 107, George Washington 135, Huntington High 157, Woodrow Wilson 176 and St. Albans 196.

“Hurricane has a very good team and we knew we had to match up the best we could,” Cabell Midland coach Chris Parsons said. “One of their top runners went down and one of our top runners went down. We had so many step up for us. It was still a close race. We were fortunate enough to finish ahead of them and defend that conference championship.”

The Big Reds’ Morgan Metz finished first. The senior who is considering college offers from Marshall, Ohio and Morehead State, ran 19:01.7 on the chilly day. She outdistanced runner-up Lindsey Bailey, a junior from Cabell Midland, by 29 seconds.

“It was definitely cinematic for me,” Metz said. “I came out here and raced with some amazing girls, including Lindsey. It’s amazing competition and this course is rough. To come out and win my senior year is really memorable for me.”

Metz said her strategy was based more in her mind than her legs.

“It was more mental for me,” Metz said. “I had some races not go my way this season. I tried to stay positive through it all. It was more that than anything physical.”

Big Reds coach George Angelos said he was proud of Metz.

“Morgan’s had a great season,” he said. “She’s had great health. She hasn’t missed a rep. She’s a Division I runner. She’s had an outstanding season and is one of the few girls potentially to be a three-time all-stater. That shows her consistency. She’s been a real blessing to me and to our program.”

Ella Sturm of Hurricane placed third in 19:47.2. Cabell Midland’s Charlotte Coakley was fourth in 19:47.7 and Scout Stines fifth in 19:51.2. Huntington High’s Laurel Johnson, Hurricane’s Lexi Elmore, Parkersburg South’s Alyssa McCrady and Holly Raper, and Hurricane’s Delaney Burger rounded out the top 10 of the 110-runner field.

Parkersburg won the boys title with 61 points, edging Hurricane by two, despite battling injuries. Cabell Midland was third with 79, ahead of Parkersburg South with 102, George Washington with 131, Huntington High 177, Woodrow Wilson 196, Riverside 218, Capital 240, St. Albans 249 and Spring Valley 281.

“When you start this time of year you want to get some momentum and see the heartbeat of your team,” Angelos said. “Our heartbeat was strong today. I was proud of how we competed. We had some guys step up.”

Woodrow Wilson’s Kyle Peters repeated as champion of the boys race, finishing in 16:16.0. Hurricane’s Paxton Haddox ran second in 16:26.8, followed by Herbert Hoover’s Dylan Straight in 16:35.8, Parkersburg’s Drake Rollins in 16:41.9 and Capital’s Micah Hale in 16:54.1,

Cam Holley of Cabell Midland was sixth. Gatlin McLain of Parkersburg South, Calvin Lantz of Parkersburg, Jacob Waugh of Huntington High and Owen Persinger of Cabell Midland completed the top 10 in the 159-competitor event.

“I wanted to come out here and make sure to make a name for myself again,” Peters said. “I had a good idea i might win. Winning last year definitely helped. Looking at times this year, I knew I was a little ahead.”

Peters said he didn’t expect runners to still be with him at the two-mile mark.

“That definitely helped me race,” Peters said. “It made me work for it.”

Peters said he likes the challenge of the Midland course.

“Up the hill, down the hill, around the hill, over the gravel,” Peters said. “It was good.”