Southern states come together for Mobile Challenge

By Arthur L. Mack for DyeStat

            MOBILE, Ala. — The 24th edition of Saturday's Mobile Challenge of Champions Cross Country Meet, which will be held at Langan Park, promises to have one of the biggest fields in the race’s history, and meet director Steve Schoenewald said that the meet has grown by leaps and bounds over the years.

            “This meet started as a practice meet between Murphy, McGill-Toolen, Baker, UMS-Wright, and St. Paul's,” he said. “Now we've got over 40 schools (competing over a three-day period) with over 1,000 athletes.”

            Counting the middle school and independent private school athletes, this year’s meet could very well be the biggest in the meet’s history.

            Much of the focus, however, will be on Saturday's competition, which will start at 8 a.m. and includes schools from Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia. Races will take place every 30-40 minutes.

            Schoenewald said that the reason that the meet has been so successful was because of community support.

            “It takes a lot of community support and support from the schools to participate in this event,” he said. “We've had a lot of support over the years, and we're hoping this year's meet will be just as successful as meets in years past.”

            Schonewald was concerned that with the damage from flooding in the Baton Rouge area, schools from Louisiana would be affected. However, the latest reports are that most, if not all of the Louisiana schools that are scheduled to come will attend.

            “We had one school that might not come, but it now looks like we've got a good shot of getting them all,” Schoenewald said.

            The Invitational Girls division is packed. Local runners that have a chance to win are Mobile McGill-Toolen Catholic’s Grace Jensen, Mobile St. Paul’s Episcopal’s Isabel Valenzuela, and Daphne’s Mandaline Thomas and Sarah Santa Cruz. Jensen is the defending invitational champion, while Valenzuela finished fifth.

            Out of town runners include Montgomery St. James’ Presley Miles, a Class 4A Alabama all-state selection, Ascension Episcopal’s (Youngsville, LA) Kirsten Landry, who finished second in last year's Class 1A Louisiana State Championship and was also a member of the 2015 Louisiana State All-State Cross Country with the eighth fastest performance in Louisiana (19:08.9), and T. R. Miller (Brewton) AL’s Allie Nelson, who was third in the Class 3A Alabama State meet.

            Teams to watch include McGill-Toolen, Ascension Catholic of Donaldsonville, La., Parkville Baptist of Baton Rouge, and defending meet champion Ocean Springs MS and Starkville MS.

            On the boys side, Mobile Baker’s Jay Day (who was second in last year’s meet and was fourth in the Class 7A state championships) is among the favorite in this year’s invitational race.

            Teams on the boys side to watch include Ascension Catholic (second in last year’s Louisiana state 1A championships), Baker AL, Trinity Presbyterian of Montgomery, AL, last year’s 4A Alabama State Champion, Ocean Springs MS and Brother Martin of New Orleans