County XC: Team building becomes team title for Jacksonville girls

Oct. 20—MCCLELLAN — Jacksonville's team-building activities over fall break included watching a cross country-themed movie, "McFarland USA."

The Disney film, inspired by a true story, features Kevin Costner as a cross country coach who moves to Central Valley, Calif., and finds a gold mine of poor, untapped talent.

"He builds a cross country program from the ground up," Jacksonville runner Sarah Sloughy said. "They actually go from being nobodies to winning the California state championship."

The Golden Eagles took inspiration to the McClellan course for Thursday's Calhoun County championship and overcame reigning champion White Plains, 52-55.

This on a day when 2021 runner-up Katie Keur, of Oxford, won her first individual county title, edging reigning champion Maddyn Conn, of White Plains, by more than 14 seconds ... 18:26.62 to 18:40.78.

Jacksonville's team county title is believed to be the school's first in cross country.

"I've been here nine years, and I know we haven't won it since I've been here," Jacksonville coach Jill Green said.

Emma Easterling led Jacksonville with a fifth-place finish, in 20:59.45, followed by Sloughy, in 21:08.72. The Golden Eagles' five scoring runners all finished in the top 20.

Jacksonville's county breakthrough comes in a year when the program had 18 boys and 15 girls come out for cross country.

"We have a much bigger team this year than we have had," Green said. "We usually had, maybe, 11 girls, and it would flip-flop. We'd have seven or eight boys then, the next year, seven or eight girls.

"I believe the soccer kids have realized they could run cross country to get in shape for soccer. We have lots of soccer kids."

The Golden Eagles had to overcome White Plains, which had beaten them in both previous head-to-head meets.

"I think the girls just finally relaxed and ran," Green said. "They've had it in them all season and finally relaxed.

"We knew White Plains was our competition. They've beat us by, like, two or three points all year, and we just flip-flopped it today."

Maybe it was the team building.

In McFarland USA, the team's ultimate success becomes a story of "the power of family relationships, their unwavering commitment to one another and their incredible work ethic," according to the movie's plot description.

The team gets it done "with grit and determination."

"We just tried to build each other up, focus on positive energy," Sloughy said. "We knew that, if we worked hard enough, it would come.

"I'm glad that it all paid off, but, even if we would've gotten second, we would've been happy either way, because we're family."

A little recruiting among friends helped Jacksonville's cause, as well. Sloughy talked Easterling, one of her soccer teammates, into coming out for cross country. Easterling plays on the defensive end in soccer, so she doesn't get the same amount of running per match that other players get.

"At first, I did not want to run three miles," Easterling said. "I was like, 'That sounds awful,' and then I did it. Then I was like, 'You know, it's not that bad.'"

As for the race within the race, Keur overcame Conn for the third time in four head-to-head meetings this season.

It continued a second-half season surge that Keur said started with a personal-best she ran on Chickasaw's Jesse Owens course.

"I PR'd by a lot, and it just gave me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season," she said. "It was like, I have more ability than I thought I did."

In Thursday's race, Keur separated from Conn at the 1.7-mile mark and held her ground to the finish for her first county title.

"It feels great. I'm really proud," Keur said. "For my senior season, it feels great."

2022 Calhoun County cross country meet

Thursday at McClellan

GIRLS

Teams: Jacksonville 52, White Plains 55, Oxford 72, Pleasant Valley 111, Alexandria 112, Faith Christian 134, Ohatchee 144.

All-County (top 15)

1. Katie Keur (Oxford), 18:26.62

2. Maddyn Conn (White Plains), 18:40.78

3. Emerson Maniscalco (Oxford), 20:10.27

4. JoJo Watson (Alexandria), 20:22.44

5. Emma Easterling (Jacksonville), 20:59.45

6. Sarah Sloughy (Jacksonville), 21:08.72

7. Mattie Todd (Piedmont), 21:08.83

8. Michaela Moore (Alexandria), 22:11.32

9. Evie Garrett (Faith Christian), 22:22.18

10. Gracie Easterling (Jacksonville), 22:32.41

11. Ansley Prichard (White Plains), 22:44.36

12. Macey Roper (Pleasant Valley), 22:52.84

13. Lilah Strickland (White Plains), 22:55.19

14. Maddie Holt (Jacksonville), 23:01.26

15. Alyssa Colley (Oxford), 23:12.32

Sports Writer Joe Medley: 256-235-3576. On Twitter: @jmedley_star.