By TIM TUTOR/Sports Editor

After the long hard days of summer practice and scorching afternoons, the North Pontotoc cross-country runners felt ready for the season to start at Tupelo.

“The anticipation of our new runners and the mind set of our seasoned runners set the stage,” Viking head coach Tabitha Quillian said.

“Some were nervous and some anxious, but they were all ready for the race.”

The Vikings

Calvin Kuykendall was the first North Pontotoc Viking to cross the finish line, followed closely by newcomers Darrell Hill and Collin Horton.

“Austin Bray, Mason Hudson, Quinten Gargus and seniors Ramsey Black and Adam “Taco” Hernandez fared well, also,” Quillian said.

“They contributed to the team effort.”

On the junior high front, Sam Faulkner finished fifth overall in Class 4A. Rookie Dillon Bracato was the second Viking to cross the finish line for North.

The Lady Vikings

“Our girls team is slim, but are very dedicated,” Coach Quillian said.

Chloe Holcomb, North’s top finisher at the state meet last year, was the first to cross the finish line for the Lady Vikings on Saturday.

The rest of the runners on the North team are Kelsey Ferguson (who has moved up the ladder from last year), Jourdan Montgomery, Marian Amundsen, Lelia Hodjic and Carol Bramlitt.

Next up is the Pontotoc High Invitational on Sept. 11, at Longbow Trails.