After their strong season in 2024, Southeast High School Cross Country Coach Julie Jones knew it was time to get the boys team back in the Southern Stampede.

        “Coach [Laney] Lawson took them to the Stampede in 2022, when our senior, Zayne Gabern, was a freshman. She had a strong team then, and we have a strong team now. The timing was right,” Jones said.

        With overcast skies and a storm moving in, the boys varsity team finished 17th out of 29 teams. They were paced by Gabern, who finished 30th in a time of 17:37. It was a great improvement from his freshman year, where he placed 100th in 19:52.

       “I thought the course was very nice. Coming back after not running here for three years was very refreshing,” Gabern said. 

        It was a tight race throughout, with 254 competitors. Tucker Sutton placed 57th in 18:22, while Hudson Locke finished 71st in 18:41.

        “I’m really proud of my race today. It’s been a year and three days since I had my heat stroke, and I feel like today I saw my old self again. I raced bodies and tried to focus on the middle mile,” Locke said.

       Chris Archey finished 95th in 19:05, just missing a career personal best by six seconds. Michael Smith finished 235th in 23:44, a full minute faster than last week. Henry Burns finished 241st in 24:17. 

        “The Stampede is a beautiful course, but it’s a hilly, tougher course than Girard. To see the guys run so well, with times just as fast or faster than the quick Girard course, this should be a confidence boost for them all,” Jones said. 

       The team agreed, as they now turn their sights to the second half of the regular season.

       “I definitely think I can go faster,” Gabern said. “I think a lot of changes are going to come for our team.”

Sophomore, Chris Archey & Junior, Hudson Locke

📸 by Julie Jones