By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
East Hardy Cross Country returns all three runners with state meet experience preparing to swing back along with four new determined teammates to keep the momentum rolling under new coaching leadership.
Michelle Wolfe takes the helm of the East Hardy Cross Country team this season and is very familiar with distance running having competed in numerous 5k races around the region along with husband Randall Wolfe.
“I’m super excited. I have some great kids. Right now there are seven runners. We are mostly conditioning right now. We switched our first meet from Frankfort to Braxton. The kids wanted to go to Braxton instead [of Frankfort] because that is the track where regionals will be held,” East Hardy Cross Country coach Michelle Wolfe remarked.
The returning state representatives for the East Hardy Cross Country team are: Gracie Heishman (senior), Brianna Hamilton (junior) and Jonathan Montgomery (junior).
Joining this trio on the Cougars squad are newcomers: Madison Cowgill (senior), Danielle Funkhouser (sophomore), Shaye Barb (freshman) and Kane Persinger (freshman).
The one thing these student-athletes like the most about cross country is running, especially with their teammates.
“Running” was simply stated by East Hardy Cross Country freshman Kane Persinger about what the most exciting part of cross country will be this season. “My goal is to improve my time,” he added.
“My goal is to get a sub-19 at Allegany and make it to state. [Experience] I feel like know the course will be very difficult already, because it was the most mentally challenging course last year. I know when it will kill you when you’re running. I like the team and just being able to run out in the woods,” East Hardy Cross Country junior Jonathan Montgomery commented.
Having a passion for running is paramount for preparation and completion of the races.
“My goal is to be better my last race, than my first. My favorite part about cross country is definitely the team. I love my team,” East Hardy Cross Country senior Madison Cowgill explained.
“I’m really excited about this cross country team and just to be here and run with all my teammates, because I love them all. My goal is this year is to just PR at meet and just finish it and get through the season,” East Hardy Cross Country sophomore Danielle Funkhouser said.
“I’m most excited about the team and just being back here. My experience can help me at all the courses, because I know what to expect from all of them. They are all decently okay (courses),” East Hardy Cross Country junior Brianna Hamilton noted.
“My goal is to run a 22:00. I like the team. What I am bringing back from last year is that I really know the courses, so I feel that can help me a lot more. I like the team and the people. They are just really nice and of course the chicken leg shorts (teammates laugh),” East Hardy senior Gracie Heishman stated.
It is time for a wilderness adventure for the Cougars traversing the trails in the cross country meets.
East Hardy Cross Country started the season at the No Excuses Braxton Invitational at Holly Gray Park, the site of this year’s regional meet, and finished with four runners in the Top-30.
Heishman had the best finish for the Cougars in the girls division with a 20th place time of 29:35.4, followed by Hamilton in 27th place with a time of 32:14, Funkhouser took 30th place with a time of 33:03 and Cowgill notched 42nd place overall with a time of 43:41.6.
In the boys division, East Hardy’s Montgomery garnered 29th place with a time of 21:47.8 and Persinger finished in 71st place with a time of 29:47.1.
The journey continues this weekend at the Berkeley Springs Invitational, then a trip out-of-state to the 11th Annual Progressive Physical Therapy Invitational on Tuesday at Allegany College of Maryland in Cumberland.
The Cougars will compete in the Paul Clovis Invitational at Hampshire High School in Sunrise Summit on September 27.
East Hardy Cross Country visits the Charlie Kuh Invitational in Keyser on October 4, then heads over to the Tucker County Invitational at Camp Kidd 4-H Camp in Parsons on October 8.
The Potomac Valley Conference Cross Country Championship will be held at Frankfort High School in Short Gap on October 14.
The Class A/AA Region II Cross Country Championships will be located at Holley Gray Park in Braxton County as the Cougars make a return trip there for an opportunity to earn a state meet berth.
Cabell-Midland High School in Ona is the site of the WVSSAC Cross Country State Meet on November 1.
East Hardy Cross Country team has developed a special bond leading up to the season which will help swing towards success on the wilderness routes (no Tarzan swinging required) going back to the state meet.
