KINGWOOD — Fall is around the corner and the 2024 high school cross country season will begin locally on Saturday night in Preston County with the annual Knight Night Relay Meet hosted by Preston High School.
The yearly gathering has become a one-of-a-kind meet, featuring events such as live music, fire-spinning and food trucks.
But with all the festivities comes some fierce competition, as over 40 middle and high school teams battle it out for the top spot as the sun dips below the horizon.
Locally, Preston, Morgantown and University High Schools will all be in attendance. Preston head coach Paul Martin said the event is a perfect way to kick off the competition season and continues to show how much it means to the school, the community and the sport of cross country.
“We are kind of calling it the freakshow of cross-country meets,” Martin joked. “Because along with the great running, we have some fun things going on with a band and some fun fire dancers. We will have some local food trucks, and our other sports teams will be here doing some fundraising. This event has become significant for many people and groups and helps us financially do many things throughout the season.”
Martin said he has high hopes for his teams this season, particularly the girls’ side. The loss of Ella White, who now runs at WVU, will undoubtedly be felt, but Martin says his team still brings much experience.
“Other than Ella, we bring everybody back,” Martin said. “We have a freshman in Zoey Borgnan from Central Preston Middle School, who is strong at her age, and Tori Hovatter, who is also new to the roster. Those two have bolstered our lineup this season.”
The University High Hawks will also aim high this season regarding state title contention. UHS has become one of the regular contenders for the Class AAA state title nearly every season, and head coach Ed Frohnaphel said it’s the work his runners put in year in and year out that allows them to find consistency.
“Numbers-wise, we aren’t the biggest team, but the runners we do have put in hard work,” he said. “Our upperclassmen encourage the new runners to do the necessary work and trust the process. The true strength of our team has become the continuity of the work ethic needed to be successful at cross country.”
The Hawks return five all-state finishers from last season, two boys — Tyler Umbright and Ethan Conroy — and three girls — Abby Rogers, Adelyn Tager, Claire von Boetticher.
Maraid Johnson, Sophie Renner, and Allison Hawkins will lead the line for the Morgantown girls’ side, while Finlay Lorimer and Andrew Carlton each return after a top-25 finish at the state meet last season.
“This is a very young team, and we are excited to see how it develops over the year. The long-term approach to development allows our program to continue to compete at the highest level,” MHS head coach Mike Ryan said. “Knight Night Relays is such a great event. Paul Martin and Preston High do a great job making it fun for the kids, and it’s a great way for us to kick off the season.”
The annual Knight Night Relays will kick off this evening in Kingwood. The races begin at 8:30 p.m.
Two other local schools, Trinity Christian and Clay-Battelle, will also begin their 2024 season, each at St. Mary’s.
