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Photo by Image Arts.
0714 MBHS Cross Country
Mountain Brook’s Brantley Sanders, middle, attempts to outrun the competition.
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Photo by Image Arts.
0714 MBHS Cross Country
The Mountain Brook boys’ cross country team leaves the starting line.
Expectations are always high for every Mountain Brook program, but in terms of championship pedigree, the school’s cross-country program might top them all.
The Spartans girls’ team has won 11 consecutive state championships – and 21 in all. The boys have won six state championships in that same time period, to go along with the 13 championships that they have won throughout their history.
The Spartans measure success in state championships. That’s the goal again as they enter Class 7A.
“We will have a strong returning team,” senior Jessica Molloy said. “I am very excited to run with some very talented girls as we train on the ‘Road to 12.’”
Does the team feel any pressure to continue the streak?
“We never talk about it much, but the pressure is there, for the coaches more than the players,” Mountain Brook coach Greg Echols said.
“Of course, there’s always pressure, but Mountain Brook girls have won the past 11 [state championships] because they enjoyed what they were doing,” Molloy said. “We run because we enjoy the sport and the company of the girls on the team and with that comes state championships.”
No. 11 came last season despite an inexperienced roster. The Spartans claimed the title by a margin of 44-95, with Molloy leading the way as Mountain Brook’s top scorer and finishing second overall with a mark of 18:17.00. Junior Frances Patrick finished eighth overall with a time of 18:52.60, while sophomore Parker Cobbs and eighth-grader Anna Littleton finished 12th and 13th overall with times of 19:11.10 and 19:11.60, respectively.
Mountain Brook has lost Emily Bedell, Elizabeth Haberstroh and Murray Manley from last year’s team, but nearly everybody else will return in 2014. Echols mentioned Molloy, Patrick and Cobbs as potential leaders.
Last season, the Mountain Brook boys came up just short in their quest for another championship, finishing fourth in 2013 behind Auburn, Vestavia Hills and Opelika. They were led by departing senior Davis Kelly, who finished with a time of 16:26.10.
Unlike the girls’ team, the Spartan boys will be a fairly young team. The Spartans lose Kelly, Stewart Hawk, Will Hargrove, Russell Galloway and Sam Neal.
“We’re going to be young, but we’re a real tight pack,” Echols said.
He said his young team is “figuring out how to hammer” but still complimented their intensity in practice.
“’Are you jogging or running or are you hammering?’” Echols asks them.
Echols mentioned seniors Marshall Smith and Michael Clark, junior Drew Williams and sophomore Griffin Riley as some who will step into leadership roles.
“I’m optimistic about this upcoming season,” Smith said. “We have a great deal of talent, we’ve been working hard this summer, and I fully expect our team to go to state and do our best to beat out the competition.”
If either the girls or boys team are to return to state, the team will have to go a different route with the addition of a 7A classification. Both teams will have to get through the Central Alabama region, which will feature the likes of Hoover, Vestavia, Spain Park and Oak Mountain.
Mountain Brook will begin its season on Aug. 29 at Montevallo in the Early Bird Twilight Classic. The state championships will take place on Nov. 8 in Oakville. Other notable meets include the Hoover Invitational on Oct. 23 at Spain Park, the TCBY invitational in Tuscaloosa on Sept. 20 and the sectional championships at Hewitt-Trussville on Oct. 30.
