BBQ Raised Uniform Funds
Trending
ELKINS -- The Elkins High School cross country teams hosted a chicken barbecue in the former IGA parking lot on Randolph Avenue over the weekend.
The purpose of the barbecue was to raise money for new uniforms, as the teams are preparing for the start of the 2026 season. The cross country campaign will get underway on Aug. 22, when the boys and girls squads travel to St. Marys High School for the Autumn Classic.
“Our goal with the chicken barbecue was to raise enough money for new uniforms and we brought in enough to do that,” EHS cross country coach Scott Biola to The Inter-Mountain. “We are excited to get the season going at the end of the month at the Autumn Classic.”
The EHS boys cross country team will be seeking a third consecutive state title this season. The Tigers, who won the Class AA championship 2024 and the Class AAA title last season, will feature a squad of eight runners this season, including two-time state cross country champion Trevor George.
All-State selection Treven Schaefer also returns for the boys team, which will also feature Reed Burdette, Dylan Fortney, Grant Morgan, Donivan Petrice, Levi Tenney and Luke Valentine.
The EHS girls team will also return a pair of All-State selections in Julia Biola and Emilia Tenney. The rest of the team will consist of Haley Kelley, Sarah Lipscomb, Molly McFadden, Flora Perkins, Clara Pyles and Willow Tallman.
“We don’t have a lot of depth, but we had pretty good talent returning on both sides this year,” Biola said. “The kids have put in a good amount of work over the summer and we’re excited for the season to begin.”
Elkins’ lone home meet of the season will be on Sept. 26, when hosting the Mountain State Forest Festival Jack & Jill Relays. For a second straight year, EHS’ only home meet will take place at 4-H Camp Pioneer in Beverly. Before last season, Elkins’ home meets took place on the campus of Davis & Elkins College.
“We moved our home meet up to Camp Pioneer last season,” Biola said. “It was a transition moving from D&E, but the feedback we received was favorable. The facility out at Camp Pioneer has better footing for the runners and it’s easy to park a large number of vehicles.”
Elkins High School cross country coach Scott Biola, right, greets a customer during a recent fundraising chicken barbecue on Randolph Avenue. Volunteer Cadence Thomson, left, helped the coach serve customers.