‘In their element’
- Updated: October 8, 2016
Orlando or Odenville, it’s all the same to Pleasant Valley’s cross country team
By East Alabama Sports Today
ODENVILLE — It wasn’t Orlando, but it was a win.
If the Pleasant Valley girls cross country team was still disappointed about having its dream trip to Disney dashed by Hurricane Matthew, it didn’t show Saturday.
Forced to alter their weekend plans at the last minute, the Lady Raiders went out and did what they do best. They won the 1A-4A girls division of the St. Clair County’s Bullfrog Pond Classic to remain unbeaten in five starts — and were strong enough to win in all classifications.
“They were back in their element,” PV coach Brad Hood said.
The PV boys, who were scheduled to race here all along, were equally as strong. They followed the girls’ lead and beat all comers. It was their fourth win in five starts; the other finish was a second.
Hood promised the girls a trip to the Disney Cross Country Classic if they won a state tournament last fall. They held him to it and they raised all the necessary funds to make it happen.
Then Mother Nature happened and on Wednesday Disney officials cancelled the race as the hurricane bore down on Florida.
The PV girls ran Saturday in their “Beauty and Beast” T-shirts and the Magic Kingdom wristbands that would have served as their room keys, theme park admission and resort identification.
Hood said the girls would be going to Gulf Shores for an open Shrimp Festival 5K next weekend (while the boys run in Ohatchee’s Terrortorium 5K) and they would get to go back to Disney next year. That, on top of the cruise he promised if the boys and girls teams both bring home trophies from this year’s state meet.
PV’s girls scored 22 points, placing four runners in the top five and 11 in the top 16. White Plains was second and Jacksonville third. Alexandria won the girls 5A-7A title, placing four in the top 10.
PV’s boys scored 21 points, placing all five counters in the top seven and its first seven In the top 13 — and didn’t have their No. 3. Jacksonville was third. Oxford finished third in the boys 5A-7A race.
Runners of all classifications ran together and the team standings were sorted out at the end.
PV’s Trinity Roberts led all runners across the line in the girls race, winning for the third time this year in 20:08.62. Alexandria’s Abby Nunnelly won the girls 5A-7A race (20:32.53).
PV’s Matisse Miller won the boys 1A-4A race (17:33.48 — third all classes). Oxford’s Reed Robinson was the fastest local runner in the 5A-7A race, finishing third in 17:47.30.
BULLFROG POND CLASSIC
at St. Clair County High School
CLASS 1A-4A RACE
Girls 5K
Team standings: Pleasant Valley 22, White Plains 52, Jacksonville 61, Saks 122, Berry 144.
Individual Top 10
Trinity Roberts, Pleasant Valley 29:08.62
Rebecca Hearn, Jacksonville 20:57.80
Rachel Faucett, Pleasant Valley 21:37.88
Emma Hood, Pleasant Valley 22:11.90
Elizabeth Hall, Pleasant Valley 22:17.29
Alyssa Hudgins, White Plains 22:28.81
Mary Shelton, Jacksonville 22:36.75
Briar Poytress, White Plains 22:42.70
Lindsey Pritchett, Pleasant Valley 22:55.85
Chasity Nelson, White Plains 23:28.21
Boys 5K
Team standings: Pleasant Valley 21, Asbury 56, Jacksonville 84, White Plains 94, Saks 114, Berry 176.
Individual Top 10
Matisse Miller, Pleasant Valley 17:33.48
Josh Pelham, Asbury 18:31.56
Daniel Gladen, Pleasant Valley 18:36.92
Isaiah Rodriguez, Pleasant Valley 18:55.02
Braxton McFall, Jacksonville 19:00.09
Skyler Mcleod, Pleasant Valley 19:00.42
Coleman Haynes, Pleasant Valley 19:01.78
Kevin Barajas, Jacksonville 19:06.64
Isaac Dollar, Asbury 19:08.66
Christian Alexander, Asbury 19:10.99
CLASS 5A-7A
Girls 5K
Team standings: Alexandria 35, Oxford 63, Moody 82, Boaz 105, Southside-Gadsden 106, Shades Valley 156, Springville 162.
Individual Top 10
Abby Nunnelly, Alexandria 20:32.53
Madison Reeder, Oxford 21:50.96
Toni Coley, Oxford 22:02.27
Eden Wright, Moody 22:30.74
Caitlin Nelligan, Moody 22:31.49
Michaela Watts, Alexandria 22:31.79
Marlena Ramirez, Boaz 22:32.77
Sarah Kilgore, Alexandria 22:41.81
Destiny Heathcock, Alexandria 22:42.27
Anna Parker, Southside-Gadsden 23:44.64
Boys 5K
Team standings: Southside-Gadsden 60, Moody 62, Oxford 83, Alexandria 115, Boaz 116, Springville 155, St. Clair County 173, Shades Valley 182, Lincoln 185.
Individual Top 10
Hunter Nails, Southside-Gadsden 16:41.53
Taylor Nails, Southside-Gadsden 17:27.26
Reed Robinson, Oxford 17:47.30
Justin Dowdle, Moody 17:57.31
Luis Rodriguez, Alexandria 18:39.62
Max Hodges, Moody 18:46.72
Jaylon Hudson, Lincoln 18:51.84
Dylan Hulsey, Oxford 18:53.70
Gannon Womack, Alexandria 18:57.68
Tyler Dobbins, Boaz 18:59.64
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