Bryson City – Running short-handed on a hot fall afternoon, the Lady Devils cross country team placed second behind Smoky Mountain at the Carney Classic in Hayesville.
Freshmen Emma Pindur (21:20) and Lynsey Hicks (21:54) both set personal bests en route to placing in the top 8 to lead Swain. Juniors Shelby Hyatt (23:11) and Serina Holt (25:10) were next, with sophomore Haley Cooper rounding out the top 5.
“For us to run as short-handed as we did and still place second is really a testament to our depth and how hard our girls have worked all year,” said head coach Phil Latter. “Last weekend’s trip to Boone was draining and we were training through this race in an effort to be our best at Conference, Regionals and State. Throw in the fact that we had several girls in Atlanta for a concert, Shelby was sick as a dog, and we’re still nursing a few injuries, and I was stunned at how well we did. Emma and Lynsey ran their best races of the year, and because of that we were able to take second behind one of the top teams [Smoky Mountain] in the entire state.”
On the men’s side, Parker Chatham ran a personal best 18:13 to help Swain finish 5th in the 11-team field. He placed sixth overall. Senior Sam Dickson (19:33) and sophomore Brett Treadway (19:38) placed in top 20, with sophomore Darren Blankenship (20:21) and junior Rye Hester (20:57) close behind.
“The boys were more assertive in the first half of the race, and I think that helped them stay mentally engaged better,” Latter said. “Parker was really aggressive from the gun, and given how well he’s been training since June, he deserved to run that fast. This was a much better race than Boone across the board. We’ve got some work to do to get us out of this slump, but the potential is definitely there.”
The cross country teams return to action next Wednesday at Hiwassee Dam.