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Photo by Deangelo McDaniel.
Hewitt-Trusville's Avery Cahoon finished third overall during the 7A state championship cross-country meet in Oakville on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Photo by Deangelo McDaniel.
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Photo by Deangelo McDaniel.
Hoover's Kinley Harris finished 7th overall during the 7A state championship cross-country meet in Oakville on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Photo by Deangelo McDaniel.
The Hewitt-Trussville High School cross-country teams put the finishing touches on a strong season at the Class 7A state meet Nov. 11 at Oakville Indian Mounds Park.
Hewitt’s girls took home the runner-up trophy at state, the best finish in program history. The girls had previously finished third at state in 2020 and 2021 and have been at state six straight years.
The boys team finished fourth at state, its best mark since 2020. The boys program has now qualified for state five years in a row.
Nobody could touch Auburn in the girls race, as the Tigers put all five of its scoring runners in the top 10. Hewitt-Trussville finished second with 86 points, ahead of Hoover (110), Vestavia Hills (131) and James Clemens (139). In cross-country, the lowest point total wins, as points are awarded based on finishing position.
Vestavia Hills won the boys title for the second straight year, beating out Huntsville again. James Clemens placed third.
The Huskies had two all-state runners in the girls race, as Avery Cahoon led the charge with a third-place finish, posting a time of 18 minutes, 17 seconds. Kinley Harris finished seventh with a time of 18:41. Both have left their marks as seniors, with Cahoon heading to Florida State University and Harris going to Mississippi College following their Huskies careers.
Hadley Turner finished 18th with a time of 19:17, and Mary Durham was 28th at 19:36. Natalie Wiram also scored points for the Huskies, as she finished 42nd. Addison Isbell, Lauren Ruf, Callie Armstrong, Amberli Santiago and Bella Bales also ran in the race.
Oscar Spears and Noah Jordan were the top two runners on the boys team, as they finished 16th and 17th. Lelan Neal and Aran Cane were also back-to-back, finishing 30th and 31st. John Paul Amari scored for the team, while Brooks Maddox, Mason Lachina, Jackson Morris, Jacob Mullinax and Laine Walker also ran.
“We’re extremely proud of both teams, feeling like each maximized their potential this season,” Hewitt-Trussville coach Matthew Michalke said. “Both teams improved throughout the season and saw their best performances come in the postseason, at sectionals and state.”
