Bay County cross country meet set for Thursday

Nothing is certain in today’s Bay County cross country meet.

There are no clear favorites heading into the annual event, taking place at 3:30 p.m. at the Callaway Sports Complex. The girls race will be hotly contested between two schools and the boys a three-team competition, while the battle for the individual crowns could go in one of many directions.

Arnold has been the most consistent of the county teams in recent weeks. Both teams placed 12th in the Panhandle Cross Country Championship on Saturday. Arnold also edged Mosley in both the Marlin Classic and the Bay Invitational earlier this season.

Arnold or Mosley could end Bay’s two-year stranglehold in the girls team standings.

“I think it will be very close,” Arnold coach Walt Hodges said. “It’s real close for the girls between us and Mosley.”

Bay can’t be counted out, especially since the Tornadoes are the defending county champs. They have fallen off the pace a bit, but Bay coach Tim Wanamaker said his girls could surprise.

“Anything’s possible,” Wanamaker said. “They are all capable of running well, and they’ll all need to have good races to have a chance.”

The boys race features top contenders Arnold, Mosley and Bay, all of which have posted strong finishes this season. Mosley is the defending champs, having won their first county title since 2003.

The individual boys race showcases a pair of Rutherford boys aiming to hold off a surge from Bay’s Gabe Holquin. Ryan Singleton and Tommy Heikkinen pace Rutherford, and Rams’ coach Fred Wester expects both to be in the running for the crown.

“I expect my boys to be right up there for first and second,” Wester said. “If one of them doesn’t win, I think they’ll be second and third.”

Wanamaker is holding out hope for Holquin.

“I do expect him to be right there in front of them,” Wanamaker said. “At least, that’s what I expect, but you never know.”

Singleton placed higher than Heikkinen, who also competes on Rutherford’s swimming team, in their only meeting. If one of them can hold off Holquin, then Wester would have a second straight county champion, and the third for Rutherford in the last four years.

Mosley counters with top boys runners Frankie Menna and Brenton Hitchcock.

On the girls side, Arnold’s Lauren Vonderharr is a favorite, followed by teammate Robin Thompson. Vonderharr has been Arnold’s usual top finisher, including taking 33rd in the Panhandle Championship in a time of 21 minutes, 9 seconds. Vonderharr also surpassed Thompson by nearly a minute during the Marlin Classic.

Mosley’s top girls runners include Chelsey Williams, Britni Templeton and Anna Bauer.

Bay’s top girls competitor is Savanna Nelson.