Husky cross-country looks primed for strong November

Before the cross-country season started, Hewitt-Trussville High School head coach David Dobbs said that John Ngaruiya was capable of clocking one of the state’s fastest times. 

The senior has proven him right. 

With less than two weeks remaining until the state meet, Ngaruiya has emerged as a front-runner for the individual Class 7A title. He won three of his first five races and recorded the state’s third-fastest 5K time -- in a blistering 15 minutes, 38.06 seconds -- at the Jesse Owens Invitational Oct. 1. The performance earned him a fourth-place finish at Alabama’s most prestigious regular-season race. 

Ngaruiya followed up his impressive showing at Jesse Owens with a signature victory at the Dew it on the Trails Invitational Oct. 8. To seal the win, he held off late-race charges from Homewood’s Will Stone (15:41.60), a 6A title contender, and Hoover’s Tommy McDonough (15:43.40). Ngaruiya crossed the line in 15:40.50, which marked his second sub-16-minute performance in as many weeks. 

Ngaruiya’s teammate, Austin Atkinson, has strung together a solid season of his own. After posting a top-three finish at the Oak Mountain Invitational Sept. 24, the senior notched a breakthrough race at Dew it on the Trails, lowering his personal best by more than 30 seconds. His time of 16:14.80 suggests that he’s beginning to peak at the right time, which means he should be fighting for All-State honors in mid-November. 

Backed by a trio of Carson Spruiell, Josh Jenkins and Thomas Wolfe in spots three to five, the Huskies look prepped to punch their ticket to state out of 7A, Section 4. 

A state meet berth would reestablish a streak of state meet appearances by Dobbs-coached teams. The veteran coach said 2015 marked the first cross-country season in nearly 40 years that he didn’t qualify a team for state. 

On the girls side, sophomore Sydney Hall will lead her Huskies in pursuit of a state meet appearance. Hall has recorded a season-best 5K time of 19:45.90, which should at least guarantee an individual trip to Oakville. Brooke Atkinson, meanwhile, has blossomed into the team’s No. 2 runner. She clocked a season-best time 20:49.90 at Dew it on the Trails. 

The Hewitt-Trussville cross-country teams will compete at the Section 4 meet Nov. 3, with the top three teams advancing to state. The AHSAA State Cross Country Championships will be Nov. 12 at Oakville Mounds Park near Moulton.