Caveat:<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> This data is compiled solely from = prior year state meet results, current year track results, tidbits that have been sent to us and our own conjecture. It is not possible for us to know about all transfers in and out, injuries, new runners, runners who are not compe= ting in the current year or any of a myriad of other factors that make it fun to watch the season unfold. Ther= e will be always be surprises. There will be runners who run noti= ceably better at state than ever before while others that are expected to do well struggle. The winning teams w= ill usually be the willing ….that is, the team= s with the will to win and willing to put in the effort to prepare. Enjoy the season.
General Comments: The 2007 season is the second= year of the reconfigured classifications. Further, 2007 is the last year of the current conference assignments= and the 2008-2010 conference groupings are available on the Arkansas Activities Association website which can be reached from our Links page.
Both Senior Boys and Senior Girls run 5K.
Weekly Coaches Poll: ArkansasTrackStats.com will host t= he annual Arkansas Track Coaches Association Weekly CC Coaches Poll for each classification with a state meet. We accept votes for each classification’s Top 5 each week by = 7pm each Tuesday (starting with September 4), compile the votes and post to our webs= ite by 7pm on Thursday of that week. Coaches voting and members of the media who request are to receive an email of the vote on Tuesday evening.
Coaches not already registered who wish to vote are as= ked to contact us at arkansast= rackstats@sbcglobal.net and ask to be provided a ballot. Each school with a CC team may cast one vo= te in each classification for each Boys and Girls. For example, if a school ha= s a Boys team, the Boys coach may cast a ballot in each class for each Boys and= Girls. I= f the school also has a Girls team with a separate coach, that coach may also cas= t a ballot in each class for each Boys and Girls.
State Meet Date/Location: The State CC Meets ar= e scheduled for Saturday, November 10, 2007 at historic and scenic Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs National Park to be hosted by Lake Hamilton High School. Order of races and start times to = be established later. See the Arkansas Activities Association website at http://www.ahsaa.org/ for updated information.
Note for belo=
w: Name
(school, class this fall, finish last fall, time last fall for 5k)
Class 1A/2A:&n= bsp; (These two classifications compete as one class for cross country.)<= /p>
Boys: Acorn took 2nd last fall but looks to have the horses to cruise to the= win this fall. Des Arc and Hacket= t have plenty of returning runners and could battle for a trophy.
Early favorite: = Acorn
Teams to Watch: = Des Arc, Hackett
Individuals: David James (Jasper, SR, 2nd, 17:21)
Girls: <= /span>Johnson County Westside …. JCW was edged out last year by Greers Ferry Westsi= de 39-51 but looks to have the depth to win this fall. Murfreesboro returns mo= st of their team from last fall and should compete well.
Early favorite: Johnson County Westside
Teams to Watch: = Murfreesboro
Individuals: Alex Patterson (Des Arc, SR, 1st, 21:00); won State 2A track meet in = 3200m
Class 3A:
Boys: Paris and Mountainburg are the favorites. Perryville’s Barrett = Kerth showed his command by winning the 3A state track meet in the 3200m while Gr= ay took 5th.
Early favorite: = Paris and Mountainburg
Teams to Watch: = Genoa Central
Individuals: Barrett
Kerth (Perryville, SR, 1st, 17:38); Chris Gray (Paris, SR, 2
Girls: <= /span>Genoa Central looks to 3-peat with Lamar, last fall’s runner-up, leading the rest of the pack. Wildcard: Coaching change at Genoa Central.
Early favorite: Genoa Central
Teams to Watch: Lamar
Individuals: Grace Heymsfield (Elkins, SO, 1st, 19:28); won 3A track meet in 3200m = at 11:42 and ran a 5:04 for 1600m this spring. With a nice day to run, look for Heymsfield to dip under 19 mniutes.
Class 4A:
Boys: DeQueen was 2nd to Heber Springs last fall and the two teams look to hoo= k up again this fall but DeQueen looks to have the depth to get the job done. Lo= ok for Huntsville to try to spoil the day for the Leopards and Panthers.
Early Favorite: = DeQueen
Team to Watch: = Heber Springs, Huntsville
Individuals: Aaron Edwards (Berryville, SR, 1st, 17:21); B. J. Hood (Heber Springs,= SR, 2nd, 17:42); Jorge Parada (DeQueen, JR, 3rd, 17:45); = Coby Sanders (Heber Springs, SR, 4th,17:48= )
This could be quite a race but Parada took command in = the spring to win the 4A state track 3200m and took 3rd in the 1600m= .
Girls: <= /span>Berryville lost a close meet to Heber Springs last fall by 33-44 but looks to have a slight edge this fall over the Panthers. DeQueen could be there also with a solid 5th runner.
Early Favorite: = Berryville
Teams to Watch: = Heber Springs and DeQueen
Individuals: Kelsey Hatcher (Central Arkansas Christian, SR, 1st, 20:48); Hannah Cla= rdy (Arkansas Baptist, SR, 2nd, 20:57)
The Hatcher/Clardy rematch could be one of the meet=
217;s
highlights as Hatcher won 4A state track 3200m and Clardy was 2nd in
1600m. Clardy of Arkansas Baptist was 2nd
Class 5A:
Boys: Siloam Springs is the favorite to win the team competition.
Early Favorites: Siloam Springs
Teams to Watch: Alma, Beebe, Greene County Tech, Harri= son, Pulaski Academy
Individuals: Luke Allen (Harrison, JR, 1st, 16:57); Cody Weimann (Beebe, SR, 3rd, 17:21)
Luke Allen of Harrison is the top returner having clip= ped 42 seconds off of his 2005 time last fall; however, Cody Weimann took 2nd= at 5A state track in 3200m at 10:07 which shows he can run with Allen.
Girls: <= /span>Batesville won easily last year and is the heavy favorite to repeat. Who will challeng= e?
Early Favorite: Batesville
Teams to Watch: ???????
Individuals: Chelsea
Weaver (Monticello, SR, 3rd, 19:47); Ashley Miess (Pulaski Acade=
my,
4th, 20:03)
Miess tallied a win at 5A state track win a 11:53 in the 3200m while Weaver was 4th. Weaver knocked 15 secon= ds off her 2005 time last fall.
Class 6A:
Boys: Lake Hamilton and Mountain Home look to compete once again for the team title wi= th Lake Hamilton in reach of a perfect score. Marion looks to return 4 of the = Top 18 returnees.
Early Favorite: Lake Hamilton
Teams to Watch: Mountain Home and Marion
Individuals: David Mills (Lake Hamilton, JR, 5th<= /sup>, 17:28); A= mos Gerber (Lake Hamilton,SO, 6th, 17:34)
Mills and Gerber took 4th/5th at= the 6A state track meet in the 3200m at 10:25.
Girls: <=
/span>Lake
Hamilton slipped by Mountain Home by 27-29 last fall and this year looks li=
ke a
rematch too close to call. Watson Chapel is a long shot to take a trophy.
Early Favorite: Lake Hamilton/Mountain Home Teams to Watch: Watson Chapel Individuals: Shannon Hicks (Mountain Home, JR, 21:33);
Cabryna Butcher (Marion, JR, 21:41) Butcher won the 6A state track meet in the 3200m to sh=
ow she
is not to be overlooked this fall. <=
/span> Class 7A:
Boys: Rogers
won easily last fall and could have a shot at a perfect score this fall. Lo=
ok
for the Mounties to “6-peat” this fall. Bryant and Conway have =
the
core of their teams back and should compete for a trophy. Never count out
Fayetteville. Early Favorites:
Rogers Teams to Watch:
Bryant, Conway and Fayetteville Individuals: Aaron
Hamilton (Rogers, SR, 1st, 16:09); Taylor Surly (Rogers, SR, 4 Hamilton thrives on the CC course while Surly and Roth
turned it on last spring to help Rogers to the first ever 7A track
championship. Surly won the 7A
state track 1600m in an impressive 4:26 and was 5th in the 3200m
behind Roth and Hamilton all at 9:43-45.&n=
bsp;
The Top 5 finishers at State could be well below 16 minutes. Girls: <=
/span>Bentonville
and Rogers seem to battle every fall to see who gets to take the big trophy
home to Benton County. Bentonville won last year by 46-59 but Rogers, in sp=
ite
of losing two All-Staters, may have enough to turn the tables this fall on
county rival Bentonville.
Fayetteville could also challenge if they can fill in the 4-5 spots.=
Early Favorites: Bentonville and Rogers Teams to Watch: Fayetteville Individuals: Erika
Setzler (Conway, SO, 1st,19:00); Margaux Isaksen (Fayetteville, =
SO,
2nd, 19:08); Natalia Guerrero (Rogers, SR, 5th, 19:21=
);
Courtney Efurd (Rogers, SR) Setzler and Isaksen look to be the two to beat but Efu=
rd,
who was ill last fall and ran poorly at state, put in a=
11:37 to win the 7A state track 3200m.&nbs=
p;
This could easily be a race that is not decided until the last 100m.=
Emily Carpenter (Cabot, SR) ran 2<=
sup>nd
to Efurd at state track at 11:38 and should be in the hunt. It is not inconceivable to have th=
e Top
5 under 19 minutes at State. RECAP of Early
Favorites: 1/2A Boys: Acorn 1/2 A Girls: Johnson Count =
y Westside 3A Boys: Paris/Mountainburg 3A Girls: Genoa Central 4A Boys: DeQueen 4A Girls:
Berryville 5A Boys: Siloam Springs
5A Girls:
Batesville 6A Boys: Lake
Hamilton 6A Girls: Lake
Hamilton/Mountain Home 7A Boys: Rogers 7A Girls:
Bentonville/Rogers Regional Rank=
ing
Contenders: Boys: Rogers Boys look to have an even tougher squad t=
his
year with 6-7 solid returners and a couple of strong freshmen moving up.
Girls: Bentonville Girls and Rogers Girls each look to= be solid with Rogers perhaps having a slight edge. Each will have some freshmen move up and contribute. Court= ney Efurd could well lead Rogers with a sub-19 time with Guerrero nearby.
Selected Meets:
9/8/07 Bob Gravette OBU Invitational, Arkadelphia, AR<= /p>
9/8/07 Ted Lloyd Bison Stampede, Harding University, S= earcy, AR
9/15/07 Bryant Invite, Burns Park, North Little Rock, = AR
9/22/07 UALR Invite, Little Rock, AR
9/22/07 Panther Invitational, Siloam Springs, AR
9/29/07 Cyclone Invite, Russsellville, AR
10/2/07 Van Buren Classic, Vn Buren, AR
10/6/07 Lake Hamilton Invite, Oaklawn Park, Hot Spring= s, AR
10/13/07 Chile Pepper Festival, Agri Park, Fayettevill= e, AR
10/23/06 Mountie Classic, Rogers, AR
11/10/07 State CC Meets, Oaklawn Park, Hot Springs
11/17/07 Arkansas/Oklahoma All-Stars, Agri Park, Fayetteville, AR
©ArkansasTrackStats.com
8 /18/07