by Jamie Harris
Two Paw Paw High School runners represented their school at the Class A State Cross Country Championships this past Saturday, November 2, held on the scenic yet challenging course at Cabell Midland High School in Cabell County. Senior Donovan Tanouye and junior Taylor Carder competed against 82 other top Class A runners from across the state in this prestigious event.
Tanouye, the 2024 PVC Champion and Class A Region II runner-up, entered the race with high hopes for a podium finish. Despite a strong effort, Tanouye narrowly missed capturing the first state title in Paw Paw athletics history. Instead, he made school history by finishing as the Class A State Runner-up, clocking an impressive time of 16:28. This outstanding achievement marked the highest finish ever for a Paw Paw athlete at the state level. Amos Kimble, a junior from Tyler Consolidated and the favorite going into the race, won the championship with a time of 16:09, just edging out Tanouye’s remarkable performance.
Junior Taylor Carder, competing in his first state championship, also showed grit and determination, finishing in 68th place with a time of 21:59. This experience marks a valuable milestone for Carder as he continues to develop his skills in cross country.
The top five Class A finishers included Amos Kimble (Tyler Consolidated) at 16:09, Donovan Tanouye (Paw Paw) at 16:28, Bryce Bills (St. Marys) at 16:50, Dylan Malolepszy (Ritchie) at 16:59, and Carter Sias (Doddridge) at 17:03.
With Tanouye’s historic performance and Carder’ s promising future, the Paw Paw cross country team showcased their determination and skill on a competitive state stage, adding to the school’s growing athletic legacy.
Taylor Carder and Donovan Tanouye at the state podium.
