Woodlee wins in Coffee County
Photos provided - Emma Woodlee continues to rack up wins as part of the WCHS cross country team. She was the top finisher in Manchester Monday.
The heat and humidity didn't keep runners away Monday at Coffee County and it didn't stop Emma Woodlee from racing to the front of a huge field.
On a hot, muggy Tennessee summer afternoon that featured more than 300 finishers across four races, Woodlee delivered the biggest performance for Warren County, winning the high school girls race at the Coffee County Invitational in 22:19.
The two-time state qualifier topped a field of 84 runners, finishing 21 seconds ahead of DeKalb County's Finley Simpson. It was another significant step forward for Woodlee, who continues to work her way back after rehabbing an injury during the offseason.
“I think this was a big win for Emma as she continues to come back from the injury she rehabbed in the offseason,” said WCHS coach Kelsea Turner. “It was hot - a really hot day - and she battled.”
Woodlee had already shown she was rounding into form in Warren County's season opener at Community, where she finished second in 23:14. Monday, she moved up one spot on the podium while cutting 55 seconds off her opening time.
While Woodlee led the way, the Lady Pioneers had nine runners complete the race. Elizabeth Meadows was the second Warren County runner across the line, taking 29th in 26:15. Gracee O'Neal finished 36th in 27:26, Claire Randall was 40th in 27:34 and Marylou Margeson placed 42nd in 28:16.
Caroline Douglas added a 47th-place finish in 28:40, while Aubrey Alford ran 29:26, Olivia Rhea finished in 31:19 and Desi Cates crossed the line in 31:52.
The Pioneer boys faced the largest field of the afternoon with 115 runners completing the race. Shiloh White paced WCHS, taking 21st in 20:23, while Christain Hewitt gave Warren County another top-40 finisher by placing 36th in 20:57.
Zaydon Lovvorn finished in 22:42, while Lucas Rhea ran 29:45, Colton Sanders finished in 30:14 and Brantley Rigsby crossed in 33:41.
Monday was only the start of a demanding week for WCHS. The Pioneers and Lady Pioneers are scheduled to race again Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in the Big Soddy Gulf Meet. Turner entered the week emphasizing hydration and recovery with two competitions packed into four days, particularly with late-summer temperatures still creating difficult racing conditions.
“Now we'll take a couple days to recharge and we'll get back at it Thursday,” said Turner. “It was a really encouraging day for our whole team.”
The Coffee County Invitational was also a welcomed opportunity for the WCMS runners, who have had an unusual start to their season under first-year coach James Clark.
Warren County's opening meet at Sewanee was affected by an improperly marked course that resulted in runners taking wrong turns. A scheduled race in Cookeville was later canceled because of the heat, leaving Clark searching for additional opportunities to get his runners into competition.
Monday finally gave the middle school Pioneers and Lady Pioneers a chance to put together a full race, and several Warren County runners took advantage.
Alyssa McCay led the WCMS girls in the two-mile race, finishing eighth out of 42 runners in 18:31. Ella Aycock added a 12th-place finish in 19:56 and Claire Jenkins was right behind her, taking 13th in 20:06. Chloe Childress finished 22nd in 21:31, while Stella Graham completed the course in 28:04.
The WCMS boys showed even more strength in numbers near the front of their 73-runner field.
Jonah Gutierrez led the Pioneers with a 14th-place finish in 14:17. Benjamin Banaszak was only 20 seconds behind, taking 16th in 14:37, while Charles Heatherly gave Warren County three runners in the top 20 by finishing 19th in 14:49.
Lukas Stephens placed 25th in 15:20 and Alexander Hillis followed in 27th at 15:21, giving WCMS five runners among the first 27 finishers. John Kelly Simmons was 31st in 15:51 and James Ryder Childress finished 38th in 16:19. Milan Fuentes ran 18:29 and Brantley Wilkey completed the course in 27:50.
With 314 runners completing the four races despite the oppressive August conditions, Warren County got exactly what it needed Monday: a chance to compete against deep fields and establish where its runners stand as the season begins to pick up steam.
For Woodlee, it also meant leaving Coffee County with her first victory of the season and another encouraging sign that one of Warren County's most accomplished runners is finding her stride again.
