Athletics News
Season Preview: Cross Country
The cross country season is upon us, and both the Indians and Lady Indians seek to take the next step following a year in which the Lady Indians placed 7th at state and the boys 13th. For the girls, that marked their highest finish at the state meet, while the boys’ finish was their second-best in school history.
The Lady Indians will miss the leadership and contributions of recent grad Dani Prince, but bring back a talented young core that includes Avery Keim, Carsyn Griffis, Olivia Henderson, Delaney Johnson, and Meredith Orr. Keim had a 22:41 PR last season that ranks 9th all-time in the Legacy List for TFS. Henderson’s 22:56 PR has her 11th on the same list. Keim, a sophomore, was 7th at region and 31st at state individually. Fellow classmate Henderson was 9th at region.
“The girls’ expectations are to be role models for each other in adversity and joy, to explore how deep we can dig into the discomfort of running faster further, and to create an atmosphere that cross country is the best part of the day,” exclaims coach Scott Neal, who enters his 23rd year over the cross country program.
The Indians meanwhile lost leader Jackson Shadburn to graduation, but also have a talented group returning. That squad includes senior Timothy Beck, sophomore Teagan Penland, along with Ryan Anderson, Alvaro Garcia, Gavin Simmons, Jedd Thomas, Avery Chatman, AJ Dills, and Oier Linera. Beck was a 4th-place finisher at region last season and was 38th at state, while Penland came in 11th and 47th, respectively. Beck is 10th on the TFS Legacy List with a PR of 18:10, and Penland is 15th at 18:32.
“The boys will aim to fuel each other every day to Be GREAT, to practice and compete with purpose and persistence, to become masters of race strategies, and to have the BYE (Best Year Ever),” adds Neal.
The cross country teams open a new era of competition as Tallulah Falls begins year one in GIAA, and will be part of Region 4-AAA. The opening meet is on August 17 at Athens Christian in the Northeast Georgia Championships. Home meets include the Gorge to Beach 3K on August 20, TFS Heroes Invitational on August 29, Cookies ‘n Quotes XC Festival on September 3, Southern Traditions XC Jamboree on September 12, and the TFS Harrier Harvest on October 19. Tallulah Falls will also be the host for the GIAA Region 4-AAA Championship on October 16.