by Jamie Harris
Last Thursday, October 24, the stage was set at Hampshire High School for the Class AA Region II Cross Country Championships, where Berkeley Springs Indians boys’ and girls’ teams competed with hopes of qualifying for the state championships at Cabell Midland High School next weekend. The Indians’ teams, full of determination and talent, showed impressive growth and secured individual spots at states.
Freshman Bella Shoemaker’s standout performance led the girls’ team. Shoemaker finished 11th with a time of 23:37.5, earning her a well-deserved first trip to the state championships. On the boys’ side, senior LJ Sealey also punched his ticket to states, finishing in 12th place with a time of 18:54.4 and capping his senior season with his first state qualification.
Girls’ Team Results
The Berkeley Springs girls secured a commendable forth place overall. Alongside Shoemaker’s top-15 finish, Isabelle Bingaman claimed 15th place (23:54.6), followed by Kayleigh Coulter in 18th place (24:41.4). Rounding out the team were Charity Brown (30:09.8) in 36th place and Eva Sealey (32:13.5)
in 38th place. The girls’ cumulative score of 95 points placed them just six points behind Hampshire in a competitive field led by Frankfort (37 points), Keyser (64) and Hampshire (89).
Girls’ Team Scores:
1. Frankfort – 37; 2. Keyser – 64; 3. Hampshire – 89; 4. Berkeley Springs – 95; 5. Robert C. Byrd – 97; 6. South Harrison – 109. (Teams qualifying for states.)
Boys’ Team Results
The Berkeley Springs boys’ team finished seventh overall, with Sealey’s 12th-place finish setting the tone for the team. Junior Josh Walls clocked in at 20:03.0, placing 25th, while Jay Nazelrod (21:14.8) finished 42nd. Additional team contributors included Liam Stewart (22:13.9) in 49th, Jake Risinger (22:38.4) in 54th, Haven Ailor (24:56.9) in 64th, and Zander Clark (25:27.9) in 67th. The boys ended with a team score of 169 points, and despite a strong effort, fell short of state qualification in a region dominated by Frankfort, who scored 29 points for the top team position.
Boys’ Team Scores
1. Frankfort – 29; 2. Keyser – 75; 3. Lewis County – 90; 4. Liberty Harrison
– 105; 5. Hampshire – 122; 6. Lincoln – 128; 7. Berkeley Springs – 169; 8. South Harrison – 224; 9. Robert C. Byrd – 238; 10. Philip Barbour – 239. (Teams quali- fying for states.)
The Indians’ progress this season re- flects their hard work and potential. As Berkeley Springs heads to the state championships, Shoemaker and Sealey are ready to represent their team and school with pride.
