As a new school year starts, so do new seasons of sports at Center Hill High School. Cross Country practice for the 2016 season started on Aug. 15, with about 60 students coming out to run the long distance sport.
“I’m very happy with all the kids work ethic thus far,” said JJ Downs, who has served as head Cross Country coach for the past nine years.
Each year the team progressively gets better, Downs said.
“This should be a very exciting year for the Lady Mustangs,” he said, explaining that last year at the state cross country meet in Clinton, the girls finished in fifth place.
This was the best that the Center Hill Cross Country team has ever placed. As for the guys, “the boys are young, and this will be a rebuilding year with a lot of new boys out for cross country for the first time,” Downs said.
As a whole new season for cross country at Center Hill starts, new faces have appeared at the practices, and not all of them are of students.
“We are excited to welcome Coach Epting to the cross country staff this year,” Downs said.
Austin Epting is the new assistant coach for cross country. Previously, he has coached at New Albany High School, East Union Attendance Center and Ingomar Attendance Center. Downs said Epting and the other assistant coach, Angel Pilcher, “are very important to the future success of this program.”
The Center Hill Cross Country team will be in action on Sept. 13 at Shelby Farms in Memphis. After four meets at Shelby Farms, the Mustangs will host the Odis McCord County Championship at Center Hill High School on Oct. 22.
Center Hill Cross-Country Schedule:
- Tuesday, Sept.13. at 6:30 p.m. Shelby Farms, Memphis
- Tuesday, Sept. 20. at 6 p.m. Shelby Farms, Memphis
- Tuesday, Sept. 27. at 5:30 p.m. Shelby Farms, Memphis
- Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. Shelby Farms, Memphis
- Saturday, Oct. 22. Odis McCord County Championship. Girls at 11 a.m. Boys at 11:30 a.m. Center Hill High School, Olive Branch
- Saturday, Oct. 29. Regionals 1-5A. Girls at 10 a.m. Boys at 10:30 a.m. Saltillo High School, Saltillo
- Saturday, Nov. 5. State Cross Country. 5A Girls at 11 a.m. 5A Boys at 11:30 a.m. Awards at 12:35 p.m. Choctaw Trails, Clinton
