Six runners from this year’s Houston Middle School cross country program competed last Saturday (Nov. 22) in the Cross Country Coaches National Youth Championships at Victor Ashe Park in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Representing the Texas County Track & Trail club, the Houston athletes ran in 4,000-meter races featuring large, talented fields.
The one girl running for Texas County was eighth-grader Myles Copley, who finished 12th in the 13-year-old girls division with a time of 15:58.0.
Five boys ran for Texas County, led by eighth-grader Oliver Choate, who came in 18th in the 14-year-old boys division with a time of 14:27.62. Other competitors for the squad included eighth-grader Charlie Benoist (24th, 14-year-old boys), eighth-grader Liam Stickel (31st, 14-year-old boys), seventh-grader Rocky Gilbert (47th, 13-year-old boys) and seventh-grader Dominic Stice (96th, 13-year-old boys).
The Texas County boys bunch placed 11th in the team standings among 24 squads competing in the boys 13-14 age group.
Copley, Choate and Benoist earned medals for finishing in the top-15 in their age groups. USA Track and Field team member Quincy Hall – the gold medalist in the 400-meter dash at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France – presented medals at the meet.
Copley and Choate are each two-time Missouri middle school state champions, and the HMS boys went undefeated and won the team state championship this year.
The Texas County Track & Trail team was coached by Justin Copley.
Complete results from the meet can be viewed online at youthcrosscountry.org.
