The Winona boys and girls cross country teams are preparing for the first meet of the season with a limited number of high school runners. The first meet, a 4K race for boys and girls, will be at Madison Central on Sept. 8.
Coach Chris McRae has five boys on the high school team and five more who will start the season running in junior high meets.
“We might have some of the junior high guys pushing some of the high school guys,” he said. “Some of the junior high guys are working really hard.”
The boys return two runners from the team that finished seventh in the 2A state meet last year. Carson Holly, a junior, was 15th, and Sam Matriasciano, a sophomore, finished 37th.
They are joined on the high school team by senior Jabaille Davis, junior D'Mario Campbell and sophomore Josh Jones. Davis also plays football so he might not be available for all meets.
The girls team has only two high school runners, along with four junior high runners, and does not return anyone who ran in last year's state meet. The Lady Tigers finished 12th.
Kaylee Rice is a junior, and Amya Phillips a sophomore.
“I don't like to use the term rebuilding, but that's what we are doing,” McRae said.
