PREP CROSS COUNTRY: Thompson, Guthery, Aviles and Chambers named Runners of the Year
Published 2:45 pm Friday, January 3, 2020
- Cullman’s Will Thompson (far left), St. Bernard’s Caleb Guthery (center left), Cullman’s Jennifer Aviles (center right) and Holly Pond’s Camilla Chambers (far right) compete at cross country meets this past season. Thompson and Aviles were selected The Times’ Class 4A-7A Runners of the Year, while Guthery and Chambers earned the same honors in Class 1A-3A.
Cullman’s Will Thompson (4A-7A), St. Bernard’s Caleb Guthery (1A-3A), Cullman’s Jennifer Aviles (4A-7A) and Holly Pond’s Camilla Chambers (1A-3A) took home The Times’ Runners of the Year accolades in their respective classifications following excellent seasons on the trails.
Thompson claimed three meet titles en route to being named team MVP.
He also earned All-Section and All-State honors and never finished outside the top 13 at any meet.
Guthery, meanwhile, won six meets for the Saints and never finished outside the top 12 at any meet.
He secured All-Section and All-State honors as well.
Aviles won the Bearcat 2-Mile and notched a pair of runner-up showings.
The team MVP also corralled All-Section accolades and five top-10 finishes.
Chambers registered eight meet victories and never finished outside the top four at any in-season meet.
She racked up All-County, All-Section and All-State honors as well.
See below for capsules on all Runners of the Year, including All-Area selections from around the county.
All-Area Boys Runner of the Year (Class 4A-7A)
Runner: Will Thompson
School: Cullman
Class: 6A
Top Time: 15:33.50
Results: Bearcat 2-Mile (second); Chickasaw Trails Invitational (10th); Southern Showcase (fifth); Kudzu Hills Invitational (first); Jesse Owens Classic (13th); Dew It on the Trails (first); Husky Challenge (third); 6A, Section 5 meet (first); 6A state meet (third)
Coach Speak: “I have always appreciated and admired Will’s desire to learn and grow, and how he has stayed coachable. Humble and hungry is a great combination for a person, and Will is just that. He has a tremendous will to prepare and great race courage. I am super proud of all that he has accomplished, but more so of who he has become during his time with us. His daily belief, positive talk and example in the work have given us a huge boost in leadership for our program, and it has really helped bring the other guys along. I’m very excited about his future at UAH. I truly believe he will blossom in that program.” — Trent Dean
All-Area Selections: Nicholas Wood (Cullman); Adam Mangum (Cullman); Troy Adkison (Cullman); Peyton Bailey (Fairview); Daniel Cook (Fairview); Keagan Hardin (Fairview)
All-Area Boys Runner of the Year (Class 1A-3A)
Runner: Caleb Guthery
School: St. Bernard
Class: 3A
Top Time: 16:32.71
Results: Pepsi XC Challenge (first); Chickasaw Trails Invitational (12th); Fairview Invitational (ninth); Randolph Classic (first); Kudzu Hills Invitational (first); Jesse Owens Classic (second); Hay of a Run (first); Athens Bible Invitational (seventh); Oktoberfest Invitational (first); Last Chance Invitational (second); 3A, Section 3 meet (first); 3A state meet (third)
Coach Speak: “Caleb had a splendid senior cross country season. He finished first or second in seven out of 10 regular season meets, won the sectional and finished third in a tough 3A state meet. It was his third straight year to earn All-State status. Caleb had a solid summer of base training and consistently got stronger as the season progressed. Most importantly, being our only senior, he was a tremendous leader for our team. He led us to our sixth straight sectional championship and a third-place finish in the state meet. Caleb leaves a legacy of strong work ethic and team spirit for next year’s team to emulate.” — William Calvert
All-Area Selections: Ethan Edgeworth (Cold Springs); Jonathan Collett (Cold Springs); Cole Akridge (Cold Springs); Seth Walker (Cold Springs); Will Grimmett (Cold Springs); Aaron Spurger (Cold Springs); Zackery Reynolds (Holly Pond); Christopher Putman (Holly Pond); Joseph Arriaga (St. Bernard); David De Jesus (St. Bernard); Eli Loyd (St. Bernard); Will Rhodes (Vinemont)
All-Area Girls Runner of the Year (Class 4A-7A)
Runner: Jennifer Aviles
School: Cullman
Class: 6A
Top Time: 19:34.00
Results: Bearcat 2-Mile (first); Chickasaw Trails Invitational (54th); Southern Showcase (second); Kudzu Hills Invitational (second); Jesse Owens Classic (47th); Dew It on the Trails (eight); Husky Challenge (21st); 6A, Section 5 meet (sixth); 6A state meet (20th)
Coach Speak: “When Jennifer came onto the running scene back in middle school, she had a genuine love for racing. She thoroughly enjoyed it and that excitement, that joy, that passion has positively impacted all of us ever since. I’m very proud of the growth that has occurred on the other end of the stick, in regard to her preparation for racing. In her earliest days, she didn’t have much appreciation or respect for the training, but she has become a true model of consistency in regard to putting in the work, and she is a rock that her teammates lean on daily. Whether they realize it or not, Jennifer’s smile and laughter and strong positive mindset uplifts us all. She has become such a blessing to all of us. She has not made her decision yet in regard to where she is going to run in college, but it is very important to us that she finds the right fit for her. I’m very excited to see what the next step in her journey is going to be.” — Trent Dean
All-Area Selections: Bernarda Tizapa (Cullman); Della Kelly (Cullman); Colette Whitney (Cullman); Bijou Phillips (Good Hope); America Diaz (Fairview); Jillian Moore (Fairview); Kali Marsh (West Point)
All-Area Girls Runner of the Year (Class 1A-3A)
Runner: Camilla Chambers
School: Holly Pond
Class: 3A
Top Time: 18:28.00
Results: Pepsi XC Challenge (first); Black and Gold Classic (first); Chickasaw Trails Invitational (first); Fairview Invitational (first); Kudzu Hills Invitational (first); Husky Challenge (fourth); Cullman County meet (first); Northwest Alabama Championships (first); 3A, Section 3 meet (first); 3A state meet (second); Foot Locker South Regional (47th)
Coach Speak: “Camilla is very goal-oriented and driven to be the best. She is very focused and has a plan on what she wants to do, not only for each meet but also for each practice. Her dedication to running is undeniable. Whereas other runners might be satisfied with winning and their times, Camilla continues to push herself to get better because she aspires to compete at the next level.” — Bob Kusz
All-Area Selections: Reagan Parris (Cold Springs); Brooke Crider (Cold Springs); Hayla Watson (Cold Springs); Ava Akridge (Cold Springs); Allison White (Cold Springs); Abigail Kusz (Holly Pond); Madi Kerber (St. Bernard); Emma Powell (St. Bernard); Sara Barck (St. Bernard); Kendall Harbison (Vinemont)