Obion County Middle School girls cross country team finishes state runner-up in inaugural season

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

OBION COUNTY, Tenn., (KBSI) — Obion County Middle School’s girls cross country team finished second at the state meet in its first year of competition, falling just five points short of a state championship.

The boys team also earned a top-10 finish, placing 10th at the state competition.

Bella Ross led the girls team with a 10th-place finish, followed by Davie Wilds in 21st place.

Haegan Eaves finished 28th, Nora Wilds placed 29th, Emrie Hicks finished 51st, Addie Easterwood placed 60th and Lynlee Butts finished 83rd.

Eighth grader Kinley Burress served as the coach’s assistant during the state meet.

The girls team also won five invitational championships during the season, including the Bulldog Invitational, Obion County Invitational, Captain’s Classic, Tomcat Invitational and Best of the West.

The boys team captured championships at the Obion County Invitational, Captain’s Classic and Tomcat Invitational before finishing 10th at state.

Coach Jason Pate praised the athletes for their dedication and improvement throughout the program’s first season.

“I’m incredibly proud of what these kids have accomplished, especially in our first year as a program,” Pate said. “To have the girls finish just five points away from a state championship and the boys place 10th is a tremendous accomplishment.”

Pate said several runners also set personal records during the state competition.

“So many of our runners set personal records at state, which shows how hard they’ve worked and how much they’ve improved,” Pate said. “These athletes have laid a great foundation for OCMS Cross Country, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for this program.”

The state finishes capped the inaugural season for both teams.