Blake Colston
sports@piedmontnewsonline.com
There’s likely never been this much anticipation for a cross country season in the history of Piedmont High School, and with good reason.
Piedmont’s boys team started practice Monday in preparation for a season that could end with the first boys team title of any kind in the school’s history.
“The kids are all really pumped up,” third-year head coach Kelly Beck said.
When Beck arrived three years ago, Piedmont’s cross country program was in a similar place to most other programs. It was respectable, but mostly an afterthought in the hierarchy of fall sports.
That has all changed. Beck and his team members hear the buzz around town from friends and family.
“I hoped it would be like this (when I arrived), whether I thought for sure it would happen, I don’t know,” Beck said. “We hear about it a lot. Some of the kids like the notoriety and some of them kind of preferred the anonymity.”
Piedmont was a few points away from a state title last season and is a favorite to compete for the championship this season.
The program, which opens the 2018 season at Deer Creek on Saturday, Aug. 25, has taken off for a few reasons, Beck said.
Senior Jadon Barker has improved drastically in three seasons. Another senior, Paul Welch, moved in before last season and has been a mainstay in the lineup. Add that to a talented duo of Garrett Bickley and Blake Cope and there’s a state title caliber team in place.
Because Piedmont is constructing new baseball and softball fields in a location previously occupied by the ‘Cats home course, PHS will not host a home meet and doesn’t have an official place to practice on school grounds.
Finding a place to practice was solved when a middle school parent with 14-acres of land mowed the team a course there.
“Now that we have a place to run, I’m not too concerned. It’s a really nice course and a lot like our old one,” Beck said. “As far as not having a home meet, sometimes that can be a hassle anyways.”
After the baseball and softball fields are finished, Piedmont will try to develop a route for a new course in the same location, Beck said.
For now, though, all Piedmont’s focus is on overtaking defending 5A state champion Guymon this season. A feat PHS missed by a fraction last season.
“We were close last season. If we had been one place better per guy, we would’ve tied them and won the tiebreaker,” Beck said.
Girls team hopes to be improved
Beck says the Lady Wildcats should return to state after a brief one-year hiatus.
Led by veterans Sydnei Storts and Caroline McCown, Piedmont expects to have a bounce back season. They lose Jayce Fallon, but add a trio of talented freshmen in Aubrey Bray, Macie Brannum and Lexi Meier.
“We will be a more balanced team this season and will be able to compete a lot more,” Beck said.
Piedmont’s boys and girls teams will continue morning workouts until school starts when they will shift to standard after-school practices.
