By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Staff
KITUWAH – On a beautiful fall day, the Cherokee Braves varsity cross country team won some hardware. With a score of 37, they edged the Swain Co. Maroon Devils (44) to win the high school boys Smoky Mountain Conference (SMC) title at the conference meet held at Kituwah on the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 20.
Cherokee’s Jaylan Bark, center, and Tyce Hogner, second from left, took second place (17:36.89) and third place (17:40.42) respectively in the high school boys race at the Smoky Mountain Conference championship held at Kituwah on the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 20. They led Cherokee to a conference team title. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photos)
“We knew today would be a good race,” said Ahli-sha Stephens, Cherokee head cross country coach. “Swains men’s team is a really good team. We always go head-to- head.”
Cherokee’s top five runners were scored for the event including: Jaylan Bark, second place, 17:36.89; Tyce Hogner, third place, 17:40.42; Aizen Bell, sixth place, 18:05.94; Oztin Swayney, 10th place, 18:43.90; and Ayden Thompson, 16th place, 19:20.18.
She praised the members of the team. “Our men have put in many miles and hours of running. Speed work, distance, mountain sprints – they took each challenge and worked hard. Running is a mental sport and as Eddie Swimmer (former Cherokee head cross country coach) would say, ‘it’s about who can hurt the longest and who can hurt the most’. I’m proud of all our runners. They run in the heat and cold and deserve to rest on the satisfaction of new personal records and a conference championship.”
Stephens was named SMC Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year. “All the credit goes to my assistants. The title is shared among them. I’m a firm believer in surrounding yourself with the best people and couldn’t ask for a better support team. Jim Oocumma and Ty Andrews ran mile for mile with our teams pushing them and coaching them. Taylor Brooks helped us keep everything in order; a lot goes into running in a meet behind the scenes.”
She added, “I simply think and write up a running plan. These kids run, hurt, and push through to the finish. They deserve all the credit. I am blessed I get to coach them.”
View photo galleries for each race:
SMC Middle School Girls Championship, October 20 – Cherokee One Feather (smugmug.com)
SMC Middle School Boys Championship, October 20 – Cherokee One Feather (smugmug.com)
SMC High School Girls Championship, October 20 – Cherokee One Feather (smugmug.com)
SMC High School Boys Championship, October 20 – Cherokee One Feather (smugmug.com)
The following people were named All-Conference:
High School Girls: Arizona Blankenship (Swain), Amaya Hicks (Swain), Jaylynne Blankenship (Cherokee), Gracie Monteith (Swain), Lily Bjerkness (Swain), Emily Ulaner (Swain), and Liberty Hartley (Robbinsville)
High School Boys: Connor Brown (Swain), Jaylan Bark (Cherokee), Tyce Hogner (Cherokee), Clayton Laney (Murphy), Kane Jones (Swain), Aizen Bell (Cherokee), Connor Lambert (Swain)
Middle School Girls: Annie Lewis (Swain), Livia Crowe (Cherokee), Fern Crayton (Martins Creek), Halie Hill (Murphy), Savannah Burch (Hayesville), Emma Ashe (Hayesville), Claire Worely (Highlands)
Middle School Boys: O’Malley Salinas (Andrews), Robert Turner (Murphy), Ogana Swimmer (Cherokee), Ryan Payne (Murphy), Myca Mustin (Andrews), Samuel Hernandez (Cherokee), Ross Clapsaddle (Swain)
Following are results, per nc.milesplit, showing the top 10 finishers in each race plus all CMS and CHS finishers and full team results:
Swain County’s Amaya Hicks, third from left, took second place (20:52.0) and Cherokee’s Jaylynne Esquivel, fourth from left, took third place (21:00.06) in the high school girls race at the Smoky Mountain Conference championship held at Kituwah on the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 20. Both girls are members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
High School Girls
1 – Arizona Blankenship, Swain, 18:56.54
2 – Amaya Hicks, Swain, 20:52.00
3 – Jaylynne Esquivel, Cherokee, 21:00.06
4 – Gracie Monteith, Swain, 21:17.45
5 – Lily Bjerkness, Swin, 21:21.36
6 – Emily Ulaner, Swain, 21:44.18
7 – Liberty Hartley, Robbinsville, 23:13.03
8 – Corrine Cotton, Murphy, 23:20.47
9 – Leilaya McMillan, Cherokee, 23:26.06
10 – Lila Roberts, Hayesville, 23:29.52
16 – Betty Lossiah, Cherokee, 26:58.17
17 – Janna Girty, Cherokee, 28:39.37
18 – Boie Crowe, Cherokee, 28:51.40
19 – Julie Lossiah, Cherokee, 30:10.55
Team Scores
1 – Swain Co. 18
2 – Cherokee 43
High School Boys
1 – Connor Brown, Swain, 17:28.91
2 – Jaylan Bark, Cherokee, 17:36.89
3 – Tyce Hogner, Cherokee, 17:40.42
4 – Clayton Laney, Murphy, 17:49.54
5 – Kane Jones, Swain, 18:00.06
6 – Aizen Bell, Cherokee, 18:05.94
7 – Connor Lambert, Swain, 18:15.73
8 – Hayden Stewart, Robbinsville, 18:18.60
9 – Liam Cook, Murphy, 18:40.86
10 – Oztin Swayney, Cherokee, 18:43.90
16 – Ayden Thompson, Cherokee, 19:20.18
44 – Eli Bird, Cherokee, 25:10.91
48 – Gideon Freeman, Cherokee, 30:55.25
Team Scores:
1 – Cherokee 37
2 – Swain Co. 44
3 – Murphy 89
4 – Hiwassee Dam 107
5 – Robbinsville 109
6 – Hayesville 111
7 – Tri-County Early College 173
With a time of 13:04.10, Livia Crowe, Cherokee Middle School, took second place in the middle school girls race.
Middle School Girls
1 – Annie Lewis, Swain, 12:44.33
2 – Livia Crowe, Cherokee, 13:04.10
3 – Fern Crayton, Martins Creek, 13:14.02
4 – Halie Hill, Murphy, 13:36.27
5 – Savannah Burch, Hayesville, 13:52.42
6 – Emma Ashe, Hayesville, 13:54.43
7 – Claire Worely, Highlands, 13:59.20
8 – Abby Wehr, Robbinsville, 14:15.24
9 – Charlie Stalcup, Murphy, 14:18.15
10 – Angelina Lomeli, Swain, 14:18.42
13 – Yvonne Saunooke, Cherokee, 14:32.21
22 – Lilly Lossiah, Cherokee, 14:35.79
25 – Emilee Brady, Cherokee, 16:09.55
35 – Kiara Sneed, Cherokee, 19:13.83
Team Scores
1 – Swain Middle 45
2 – Hayesville Middle 48
3 – Cherokee Middle 89
4 – Murphy Middle 90
5 – Robbinsville Middle 93
With a time of 11:20.75, Ogana Swimmer, Cherokee Middle School, took third place in the middle school boys race.
Middle School Boys
1 – O’Malley Salinas, Andrews, 10:58.94
2 – Robert Turner, Murphy, 11:12.22
3 – Ogana Swimmer, Cherokee, 11:20.75
4 – Ryan Payne, Murphy, 11:56.19
5 – Myca Mustin, Andrews, 11:58.27
6 – Samuel Hernandez, Cherokee, 12:07.32
7 – Ross Clapsaddle, Swain, 12:40.41
8 – Jackson Dye, Hayesville, 12:45.07
9 – Micah Moss, Hayesville, 12:47.31
10 – Timothy McDowell, Highlands, 12:52.38
30 – Isiah Ledford, Cherokee, 14:11.84
36 – Zandler Bell, Cherokee, 14:46.93
44 – Kaden Stephens, Cherokee, 16:29.35
46 – Levi Oocumma, Cherokee, 16:55.30
50 – Drake Cruz, Cherokee, 18:03.80
Team Scores
1 – Hayesville Middle 54
2 – Murphy Middle 62
3 – Robbinsville Middle 99
4 – Cherokee Middle 108
5 – Swain Middle 114
6 – Andrews Middle 130
7 – Hiwassee Dam/Ranger Middle 141
