The 2009 season was a magical one for the Guthrie boys cross country team by not only winning all the events they ran in the state, but capturing the 5A State Championship. Reproducing a season like that would be an uphill battle for any program.
Hunter Sallee crosses the line in last years Cottonwood Flats.
“Walker Cross has had a really good summer for us,” head coach Clay Tarter said of Cross, who was the seventh and alternate runner a season ago.
Cross, a junior, will be reunited with juniors Jonathan Ogan and Hunter Sallee, and senior Zac Cates.
Currently there are no girl runners at the high school and Rachel Roberts was the lone runner a season ago.
“The numbers have been down recently and just not at Guthrie, but if anyone wants to come out and run we would love to have them in the program.” Tarter said. However, the Junior High has a good number of female runners for coach Maggie Wade.
Runners can run at either 7:30 am, or 7:30 pm and meet at the high school track.
The varsity will get their season started on August 28th with the 13th Annual Guthrie Cottonwood Flats Invitational. Last season Guthrie won the event by a distance 18 points with Sallee finishing sixth overall and Ogan 10th.
View the entire schedule and cross country page here.
Tarter and Gary Boxley have turned this event into a big showcase with many of the top programs coming to the Guthrie flats. An estimated 600 showed up to watched the event.
Tarter retired from teaching in the Guthrie Public School system after 32 years last May, but continues to coach the cross country and track teams.
This season will mark the 28th season for the head coach, who has been the only coach in the program.
GO Blujays, looking forward to watching little bro Hunter more this year, good luck, hope you have a fabulous sesion