Making history
- Updated: October 22, 2014
Lunsford becomes Anniston’s first county cross-country champion
Anniston’s Zebadee Lunsford tries to catch his breath after winning the boys race in the Calhoun County Cross Country Championship Tuesday.
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
OXFORD – Zebadee Lunsford says history is his subject and on Tuesday he made a little of his own.
The Anniston junior overtook pre-race favorite Jimmy Wilson of Ohatchee with about 500 yards to go and held on to win the boys race in the Calhoun County Cross Country Championship at Oxford Lake Park.
When he crossed the line in 18:06.02 he became Anniston’s first cross-country county champion and scored major points for a program that’s just getting off the starting line.
“Anniston’s first year … made history here,” Lunsford said catching his breath. “This is the first year we’ve had cross country. I’ve been pushing it since I came in the ninth grade, but they said no; they didn’t think it was going to do good.
“Now … we can see other kids at elementary school coming up. There are so many kids who say I inspired them and because of me they started running.”
“He is always setting the way for the distance team,” Bulldogs coach Lisa Howard said.
Lunsford entered the sport as a sprinter, but in his third attempt to make a go of it, Howard convinced him he was a distance runner. The time he posted Tuesday was nearly minute faster than his previous best time of the season, a time that was only seventh fastest among the runner entered.
“To me, it’s not all about time,” he said. “I don’t look at the times. I just look at who has heart. It’s all who’s got heart.”
Wilson certainly showed a lot of that. The eighth-grader had been fighting through a pulled back muscle and strep throat that impacted his training schedule and threatened to keep him out of the race. But once he committed to run, he committed to winning. In fact, the night before the race he talked about running the course in the 17s.
He ran 18:11.77 and led the Indians to the boys’ team title.
“It was easier than last week’s race, way easier,” Wilson said. “It turned out pretty good. God held me and let me do good to come in second.”
Wilson held slight leads over Lunsford at each of the main checkpoints until getting caught in the final stretch – at just about the place Lunsford projected 10 days earlier he’d make his move given the chance.
“For a minute, when he was leading coming through the second loop, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s almost the end of the race and he’s still leading,’” Lunsford said. “By the pole coming to the finish that’s when I gave it all I got. I was leaving it all on the course.
“He’s full of energy; I see that now. He’s going to be one of my biggest competitors in track and field this year. For a minute I thought he had me, so I tried not to give up and gave it everything I had because I don’t like losing at all.”
Alexandria’s Lane Trapp was third, followed by Pleasant Valley’s Daniel Gladen and Oxford’s Ramiro Melendez.
Ohatchee’s Jimmy Wilson (R) holds a slim lead over Anniston’s Zebadee Lunsford in the first half of Tuesday’s County Cross Country Meet. Lunsford overtook the lead late (cover photo) and won the race.
Calhoun County Cross Country Championship
BOYS RACE
Top 15
(School year in parenthesis)
Zebadee Lunsford, Anniston (11) 18:06.02
Jimmy Wilson, Ohatchee (8) 18:11.77
Lane Trapp, Alexandria (11) 18:25.96
Daniel Gladen, Pleasant Valley (10) 18:57.72
Ramiro Melendez, Oxford (12) 18:59.92
Jackson Henry, Ohatchee (10) 19:01.94
Luke Thomas, Oxford (11) 19:13.91
Jacob Gladen, Pleasant Valley (8) 19:32.21
Gabe Hammonds, Ohatchee (8) 19:33.72
Isaiah Rodriguez, Pleasant Valley (10) 19:35.50
Blake Noah, Ohatchee (8) 19:39.64
Andrew Fisher, Alexandria (12) 19:44.52
Nick Robbins, Pleasant Valley (11) 19:45.30
Nathan Bedford, Faith Christian (12) 19:45.88
Tyler Thomas, Saks (8) 19:47.80
Team champion: Ohatchee
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