Spring Creek claimed the 2024 Neuse Six 2A Conference boys’ cross country team championship Wednesday afternoon at the Bryan Multi-Sports Complex in Goldsboro. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Goldsboro claimed the 2024 Neuse Six 2A Conference girls’ cross country team championship Wednesday afternoon at the Bryan Multi-Sports Complex in Goldsboro. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
The 2024 Neuse Six 2A All-Conference girls’ cross country team. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
The 2024 Neuse Six 2A All-Conference boys’ cross country team. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Johnston senior Haley Epps won her third Neuse Six 2A Conference girls’ individual cross country title Wednesday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek junior Caleb Lofton checks his time while he completes the opening lap of the 2024 Neuse Six 2A Conference boys’ cross country championship race Wednesday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
GOLDSBORO — Caleb Lofton quickly glanced at his watch when he completed the opening lap Wednesday afternoon.
His nearest competitor was 200 meters back.
Lofton kept his steady stride.
“The big thing for me is just trusting in God and focusing on the run,” the Spring Creek junior said. “I feel like a lot of times in the past, I just been letting school work and other stuff get in my mind. Just solely focusing on the race today really helped me, personally.”
And led to a remarkable achievement.
Lofton emerged as the 2024 Neuse Six 2A Conference boys’ cross country champion with a personal-best time of 18 minutes, 49 seconds. He won his sixth conference meet of the season.
“I cannot believe I just did that,” Lofton said.
Teammates Ja’Shaun Strong (20:23), Joshua Lewis (20:53) and Carter McClellan (21:08) took the next three spots. Princeton’s Jackson Crouch (21:13) rounded out the top five.
William Lopez (22:23) and fellow Gator Alex Narcia (22:56) crossed the finish line seventh and 10th, respectively.
Spring Creek successfully — and easily — retained its Neuse Six 2A team championship with 16 points.
Lofton didn’t flinch when a North Johnston runner took the lead during the first 100 meters on the backside of the Bryan Multi-Sports Complex.
“[Coach Ian] Combest told us to run smart,” Lofton said. “That’s the big thing he pushes on us. So, if somebody pushes so hard out that first time, you really want to be in front of them. But, you’ve really just got to think about it.
“He could be pushing hard and fall off really quickly. I just needed to stay in my lane and push myself to my limits instead of just going out so hard and, you know, waste my energy.”
Combest jogged to Lofton after he crossed the finish line.
He clapped him on the back.
“Go get some water,” a grinning Combest said as he wrote Lofton’s time down on his clipboard. “Do you believe me now?”
Lofton nodded “yes.”
“It only took six months,” Combest said.
Well … add two years to that.
Lofton never entertained the idea of running cross country — until he took one of Combest’s classes last semester. The coach proudly talked about the school’s successful cross country and indoor/outdoor track programs — particularly James Cabrera.
The recent SC grad rewrote the record books for all three sports.
“I’ve just been stubborn,” Lofton said. “He’s been telling me since my freshman year that I should be doing it. I just didn’t really listen to him and had other things that I was doing.
“I’m super proud of myself [today]. It’s awesome.”
Overcast skies accompanied by a chilly breeze didn’t sit too well with North Johnston senior Haley Epps.
“I don’t like the wind at all,” Epps said. “Oh my God, I started out literally freezing. My toes were numb at the beginning and I thought they were never going to thaw out.
“It was good, though.”
Indeed.
Epps captured her third Neuse Six 2A Conference girls’ crown with a time of 21:12 on the 5k trek. She won previous titles during her freshman and junior campaigns.
She finished third as a sophomore after she suffered an injury.
“I try to stick with my pace, so at the beginning, I get out really quick to get in front of everybody,” Epps said. “Then I’ll get behind somebody unless I feel like they’re going really slow. Usually I’m not because the guys are right there.
“I try to keep up with them, stay as strong as I can the whole time. [But] I’m really bad at pacing myself.”
Goldsboro’s Yaritza Delgado, like Epps, ran among the boys most of the afternoon. She posted a runner-up time of 22:34.
Princeton’s Kaylon Braswell (23:47), Spring Creek senior Maria Melchor (23:51) and Goldsboro’s Leah Lawrence (24:49) rounded out the top five.
The Gators’ Vanessa Flores-Ramirez secured sixth in 26:28 and Beddingfield’s Rebecca Balkum (26:38) ended up seventh. Goldsboro’s Reilly Nouchich (27:23) placed eighth. Spring Creek’s Melissa Avila (27:53) and Princeton’s Alesia Lynn (27:56) seized ninth and 10th, respectively.
Goldsboro won the team title over Spring Creek.
The NC High School Athletic Association 2A eastern regional is Oct. 26 at the Lenoir County Fairgrounds in Kinston.
You may reach sports writer Rudy Coggins at prepswriter2@gmail.com or call/text 919-709-9257.
2024 Neuse Six 2A Cross Country
All-Conference Teams
Boys: Caleb Lofton (Spring Creek), Ja’Shawn Strong (SC), Joshua Lewis (SC), Carter McClelland (SC), Jackson Crouch (Princeton), William Lopez (SC), Joaquin Archardo (P).
Girls: Haley Epps (North Johnston), Yaritza Delgado (Goldsboro), Kaylon Braswell (P), Maria Melchor (SC), Leah Lawrence (G), Vanessa Flores-Ramirez (SC), Rebecca Balkum (Beddingfield).
