On Sept. 17, the third annual Magnolia Mudhole Invitational cross country meet was held at the old golf course/marina in New Martinsville. There were 17 high school and 12 middle school teams present and over 430 runners participated. Coach John Holliday did a fantastic job of organizing this event, with the help of many volunteers.

If you have never seen a high school cross country meet, then you should attend the next one to be hosted by Magnolia. Cross country isn’t just easy running. It involves running 3.1 miles up and down hills, through woods, creeks, trails, and grassy fields, as hard and fast as possible, in any and all weather conditions. We have seen these young athletes pull themselves up hills by grabbing roots and tree limbs to keep from slipping in the mud; cross creeks with waist deep water; and hurdle logs and ditches, all to reach the finish line and help his or her team.

This year Magnolia will host the West Virginia Region 1A-AA meet at the same course on Oct. 20. Many of the top ranked runners in the state will be participating, including several from Magnolia. We urge everyone to come out and support all the runners, and experience the sport of cross country.

Liz and Dave Harshberger

New Martinsville