Both Greenwood High School cross country teams ended their 2024 long-distance running season in the state championship meet at Hot Springs’ Oaklawn Park last week. Preceding the state event, the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs competed in the 5A West conference meet at Alma to qualify for the state meet. The GHS boys finished fourth at Alma and sixth overall in the state. The Lady Bulldogs, the defending state champions, placed third in the conference meet and fifth in the state.

Head Coach Jim Andrews offered the following remarks after last week’s state meet. “We had a great season, and I am very proud of how both teams performed at the state level. Our girls needed certain things to fall into place and we just came up short this season. They still ran faster than last year, it’s just the competition has gotten [better] and sometimes that happens. It's a great complement to how good these girls have been, and just shows the respect they get.

“Our guys did a lot of great things,” the coach continued. “They set a goal of finishing fifth at conference and seventh at state, and [they] did one better at both.  They finished fourth at conference and sixth at state, running some very good times. They really put in the work this year and they are a great bunch of guys I have enjoyed coaching. 

“Both teams finished at a level I feel like they will be back next year ready to get after it,” said Andrews. “They all enjoyed the season, but for the guys they gained confidence, and for the girls it's just a little different when your name isn't being called. They truly are Bulldogs that love to fight hard, but also win. It was a great season and I am extremely proud of all [our] runners.”

Conference Meet

Both junior and senior high runners competed at Alma on Tuesday, October 29th. The Greenwood junior high boys finished fifth out of seven teams led by top runner Alec Hayward in 14th place. Skye Johnson finished 28th while Joshua Boren finished in 32nd place for the Jr. ‘Dogs. For the junior high girls, Greenwood came in fifth out of eight teams, led by top performers Olivia Boren (4th) and Mabrie Cash (7th).

For the GHS varsity runners, their main competition were runners from Mountain Home and Russellville in both the conference meet and at Oaklawn Park. On the boys’ side, Greenwood finished behind Mountain Home, Russellville, and Siloam Springs while the GHS ladies ran behind Russellville and Mountain Home at Alma.

Individual results for the Bulldogs included senior David Coggin in 7th place, Andrew Rye in 12th place, Rhett Williams in 16th place, Grant Fiala in 27th place, Westin Rushing in 32nd place, Miles Wead in 38th place, Isaac Trice in 41st place, Dexter Coston in 44th place, and Mickey Joe Thurman to round out the top 50.

For the GHS girls, the top performances were Julia Witherington in 4th place, Piper Ames in 9th place, Camryn Coston 12th place, Carole Werner 15th place, Annalise Johnson 20th place, Pate Jones 22nd place, Lexi Gordon 24th place, Gracie Goines 26th place, Presley Zimmerman 40th place, Ellie Wilkinson 42nd place, Kiera Johnson 47th place, and Elizabeth Moy in 48th place.

5A State Meet

All the Arkansas state cross country championships were determined last Thursday and Friday, November 7-8, at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, the famous home of Arkansas horse racing for decades. Hundreds of runners took part in the event, including eight GHS girls and nine GHS boys. Nine is the maximum number per team allowed in the state meet, meaning the Lady Bulldogs were one short of the maximum. GHS Head Coach Jim Andrews and assistant Becky Ames knew the competition would be tough based on what they experienced in their own conference meet, and league members Mountain Home, Russellville, and Siloam Springs did not disappoint.

The Bombers won the boys state title with a winning score of 33 points, followed by Hot Springs Lakeside (90), Russellville (124), Little Rock Christian (149), and Siloam Springs (173). The Bulldogs finished in sixth place overall with 190 points, led by junior Andrew Rye in 15th place (17:16.36) and David Coggin in 17th place (17:18.69). The other GHS male runners who competed were Rhett Williams (37th), Grant Fiala (64th), Westin Rushing (65th), Isaac Trice (89th), Dexter Coston (111th), Miles Wead (119th), and Dylan Nicholson (155th) out of 214 competitors.

There were 187 female runners at Oaklawn and two 5A West schools led the way, Russellville and Mountain Home, which finished first and second with 56 and 86 points, respectively. Valley View (118) and Lake Hamilton (135) placed third and fourth just ahead of Greenwood in fifth place with 158 points. Junior Camryn Coston (21:35.14) ran 19th in the state meet to spearhead the Lady Bulldogs’ effort, with senior Carole Werner in 22nd place with a time of 21:50.23.

The other six GHS ladies who competed included junior Piper Ames, the daughter of Coach Ames, who finished in 40th place, just ahead of senior teammate Pate Jones in 41st place. Gracie Goines ran in 46th place and Lexi Gordon finished in 49th place. Annalise Johnson was 58th and Presley Zimmerman ran 75th.

Looking Ahead

Winning consecutive state championships is never easy, regardless of the sport. The Lady Bulldogs have enjoyed a remarkable run of success over the past five years, including a trio of state championships. But there is no doubt that Greenwood’s success has inspired other conference teams to step up their efforts to build their programs to state championship level. The GHS girls program will continue to thrive with the departure of five seniors that include two of their top runners (Carole Werner and Annalise Johnson) and the arrival of fresh talent from the junior high ranks, so don’t count them out in the future.

As for the Bulldogs, seven seniors will be leaving, including their best performer, David Coggin. The Greenwood boys have shown steady progress over the past few years but have yet to break through to the top tier of teams statewide. Some exciting junior high runners will be joining the squad over the next couple years and could help make a difference for the Bulldogs in their effort to crack the top five and beyond to earn their own state championship.