Austin Fourkiller-Raby starts the Smoky Mountain Conference championship middle school girls race in the lead which is where she would end taking first place with a time of 12:22.49 on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 12 at Kituwah. She was named SMC Middle School Girls Runner of the Year. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photos)
By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
KITUWAH – As a chilly, foggy morning air misted over Kituwah, the Mother Town of the Cherokee, Austin Fourkiller-Raby came around the final corner leading the Smoky Mountain Conference middle school girls championship race on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 12. As she has for two straight seasons, Fourkiller-Raby won the race and led her team, the Cherokee Middle School Lady Braves, to their second consecutive conference team title.
The team finished its second season in a row undefeated and won the conference title with 28 points followed by Murphy with 52.
The Cherokee Middle School Lady Braves hold their first place trophy for winning the team event at the Smoky Mountain Conference Championship held at Kituwah on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 12. Shown, left to right, are Aiyana Evans, Taytem Saunooke, Maya Lossiah, Cambry Stamper, Austin Fourkilller-Raby, Makeena Armachain, and Uliahna Beheler.
Fourkiller-Raby, who was named SMC Middle School Girls Runner of the Year, was joined in the top seven finishers by teammates Cambry Stamper who placed third and Aiyana Evans who took fifth.
“They’re back-to-back undefeated conference champions, which means the program is growing, getting stronger,” Ahli-sha Stephens, Cherokee Central Schools head cross country coach, said. “We’ve laid a foundation for them just a couple years ago and our goal is to carry them on to high school. This 8th grade group will join a phenomenal high school group because they got conference runner-up. So, I’m excited for them to join the high schoolers next year because it’s just going to grow the program even more and they’re going to really contribute. So, I’m really excited for next year.”
She is looking towards the future for these runners. “A lot of them are dual sport athletes doing volleyball and cross country this year, which is a load. So, with them finishing another successful season, we’re going to carry that momentum into next year as high schoolers, and I think exciting things are to come for the Lady Braves cross country team next year.”
The Cherokee High School Lady Braves took second place in the team event with 74 points behind Swain Co. with 21. Two Lady Braves finished in the top seven including Dvdaya Swimmer who took third place and Livia Crowe who placed seventh.
Cherokee’s Ogana Swimmer placed second in the high school boys race. Carl Baird, Swain Co., edged Swimmer by a time of 15:57.34 to 15:58.22.
Cambry Stamper took third place in the middle school girls race with a time of 12:50.39.
The following runners were named All-Smoky Mountain Conference:
Middle School Girls: Runner of the Year – Austin Fourkiller-Raby (Cherokee), Makenna Moss (Hayesville), Cambry Stamper (Cherokee), Malyiah Carey (Swain Co.), Aiyana Evans (Cherokee), Natalie Swimmer (Robbinsville), Hadley Rider (Murphy)
Middle School Boys: Runner of the Year – Levi Clark (Andrews), Elliot Salinas (Andrews), Luke Clark (Andrews), Jayce Donaldson (Andrews), Eli Cheeks (Hayesville), Matt Woodard (Robbinsville), Porter Hood (Hayesville)
High School Girls: Runner of the Year – Arizona Blankenship (Swain Co.), Annie Lewis (Swain Co.), Dvdaya Swimmer (Cherokee), Angelina Lomelli (Swain Co.), Emily Grey Stargell (Swain Co.), Fern Crayton (Tri-County Early College), Livia Crowe (Cherokee)
High School Boys: Runner of the Year – Carl Baird (Swain Co.), Ogana Swimmer (Cherokee), Ethan Russell (Hiwassee Dam), Oscar Page (Hiwassee Dam), O’Malley Salinas (Andrews), Xamuel Wachacha (Robbinsville), Nathan Fredrick (Robbinsville)
Several CMS and CHS runners were named Honorable Mention All-Conference including: Maya Lossiah (CMS), Uliahna Beheler (CMS), and Kingzlli Beheler (CMS).
Coach Stephens noted, “I’m proud of them all of them for working hard and it pays off, it shows. So, I’m excited for them. I think that our program has come a long way over the past couple years and it’s still growing. I think that over the next few years, there’s going to be big things coming. So, come watch us run.”
Following are results, per nc.milesplit, showing the top seven in each race plus all CHS and CMS finishers:
Middle School Girls
1 – Austin Fourkiller-Raby, Cherokee 12:22.49
2 – Makenna Moss, Hayesville, 12:38.42
3 – Cambry Stamper, Cherokee, 12:50.39
4 – Malyiah Carey, Swain Co., 13:03.79
5 – Aiyana Evans, Cherokee, 13:05.93
6 – Natalie Swimmer, Robbinsville, 13:06.14
7 – Hadley Rider, Murphy, 13:23.53
9 – Maya Lossiah, Cherokee, 13:24.89
10 – Uliahna Beheler, Cherokee, 13:33.09
17 – Taytem Saunooke, Cherokee, 14:09.87
21 – Makeena Armachain, Cherokee, 14:26.34
Team Scores
1 – Cherokee 28
2 – Murphy 52
3 – Swain Co. 82
4 – Hayesville 86
5 – Robbinsville 132
Middle School Boys
1 – Levi Clark, Andrews, 10:17.24
2 – Elliott Salinas, Andrews, 10:20.84
3 – Luke Clark, Andrews, 10:56.63
4 – Jayce Donaldson, Andrews, 11:05.24
5 – Eli Cheeks, Hayesville, 11:13.26
6 – Matt Woodard, Robbinsville, 11:15.02
7 – Porter Hood, Hayesville, 11:21.31
9 – Kingzlli Beheler, Cherokee, 11:34.32
23 – Jeron Martens, Cherokee, 12:25.11
25 – Carter Stephens, Cherokee, 12:27.24
26 – Hunter McMillan, Cherokee, 12:31.16
29 – Odie Owle, Cherokee, 12:50.28
36 – Lucas Myers, Cherokee, 13:28.25
37 – Drayzin Beheler, Cherokee, 13:30.57
Team Scores
1 – Andrews 29
2 – Hayesville 56
3 – Swain Co. 99
4 – Cherokee 112
5 – Robbinsville 121
6 – Murphy 130
7 – Hiwassee Dam/Ranger 156
Dvdaya Swimmer took third place in the high school girls race with a time of 19:11.49.
High School Girls
1 – Arizona Blankenship, Swain Co., 17:39.90
2 – Annie Lewis, Swain Co., 18:21.98
3 – Dvdaya Swimmer, Cherokee, 19:11.49
4 – Angelina Lomelli, Swain Co., 19:18.48
5 – Emily Grey Stargell, Swain Co., 19:49.12
6 – Fern Crayton, Tri-County Early College, 20:04.65
7 – Livia Crowe, Cherokee, 21:25.51
14 – Lilly Lossiah, Cherokee, 22:48.42
21 – Daisee Fourkiller-Raby, Cherokee, 23:57.44
36 – Adi Cooper, Cherokee, 28:39.45
Team Scores
1 – Swain Co. 21
2 – Cherokee 74
3 – Murphy 85
4 – Hayesville 93
5 – Tri-County Early College 124
6 – Summit Charter 126
With a time of 15:58.22, Ogana Swimmer, right, took second place in the high school boys race behind Carl Baird, left, who finished just ahead with a time of 15:57.34.
High School Boys
1 – Carl Baird, Swain Co., 15:57.34
2 – Ogana Swimmer, Cherokee, 15:58.22
3 – Ethan Russell, Hiwassee Dam, 16:03.44
4 – Oscar Page, Hiwassee Dam, 16:31.68
5 – O’Malley Salinas, Andrews, 16:56.95
6 – Xamuel Wachacha, Robbinsville, 17:07.56
7 – Nathan Fredrick, Robbinsville, 17:25.69
25 – Kaden Stephens, Cherokee, 19:48.60
28 – Kaden Cucumber, Cherokee, 20:12.55
31 – Utsela Saunooke, Cherokee, 20:40.00
37 – Russell McKay, Cherokee, 21:27.38
41 – Dillon Beam, Cherokee, 22:12.88
52 – Isaiah Ledford, Cherokee, 26:42.71
Team Scores
1 – Hiwassee Dam 43
2 – Swain Co. 46
3 – Hayesville 65
4 – Cherokee 106
5 – Murphy 110
6 – Tri-County Early College
7 – Summit Charter 210
