TV cross country team wraps up inaugural season
Trending
LOST CREEK – The inaugural season for cross country at Tygarts Valley High School came to a close on Saturday as three individual runners competed in the Class A, Region II meet.
Tarren Bennett, Holden Sharp and Blake Channell, wrapped up their freshmen campaigns for the Bulldogs at the competition, which included runners from Tucker County, Pendleton County, East Hardy, Trinity Christian, Paw Paw, Notre Dame and Clay-Battelle.
“The regional meet was a punch in the gut, but it was also a day that filled me with tremendous pride as a coach,” said Tygarts Valley cross country coach Rick Sharp. “We came up just short of qualifying for the state meet, but our runners left everything they had on the course and showed just how far they have come this season.”
All three Bulldog runners recorded personal records and fell just short of the Top 5, finishing in sixth, seventh, and eighth place. Taren Bennett led the way for Tygarts Valley with a time of 22:32. Holden Sharp followed with a 22:56, while Blake Channell finished the race in 24:22.
“While our runners’ times were not enough to secure a trip to the state meet, their performances were a fitting reflection of the hard work and determination they have displayed throughout the season,” Sharp said. “As a coach, it is difficult to come so close to a goal and fall just short. We believed we had a chance to send a Bulldog or two to states, and missing that opportunity certainly stings. But when I look at what these three athletes accomplished, I cannot help but feel proud. They ran their best races of the season on the biggest stage of the year, and they demonstrated the kind of character and determination that will serve them well long after their high school running careers are over.”
The Bulldogs opened the season at the same course the season ended at in Lost Creek. The team showed tremendous improvement from the start of the season. Bennett shaved five minutes off his time from the season opener, while Sharp improved by more than six minutes. Channell cut more than 11 minutes off his time from Tygarts Valley’s first meet.
“This has been an outstanding season and the regional championship showcased just how much this group has grown,” Sharp said. “While our season may have ended on the same course where it began, we are certainly not the same team that started there…I look forward to building on this season's success and continuing to grow the Bulldog cross country program.”