Cross-Country season kicks off this Saturday with the Eye-Opener 5k, a race Christ Church has been running for 22 years. This year’s runners will race against some of the best competition in the Southeast.

If the past is an indicator of this Saturday, the Cavs should have a strong showing. Former Christ Church runner, James Quattlebaum, ran the second fastest course time with an impressive 15:28 in 2013. The Cavs have had strong outings every year since, so expect to see a multitude of competitive times.  

When asked what makes Eye-Opener special, Coach Rodney Adamee, member of the South Carolina Coaches Hall of Fame, replied “Eye-Opener has the best teams from North Carolina, Georgia, and, of course, South Carolina…The atmosphere is festive, and you really get to know where your team is as well as the condition of other teams.”

The cross country team is expecting big things from the 2017 season. At a recent parents meeting, Coach Adamee said that he wants to have his fifth runner finishing in 17:50 minutes by the end of the season. If the Cavs can get those kinds of times, they should be able to blow the competition out of the water at the state finals this year.

With a strong sophomore class, the Cavs have potential to be successful for this year and in years to come. Sophomores Matthew Anderson and Max Field have already proven that they are ready to compete on a varsity level after giving strong performances in pre-season scrimmages. Meanwhile, three-year veteran James Stathakis, continues to put up impressive times. This young core, coupled with the experience and leadership of seniors Will Dolven and Seth Snyder, has a legitimate shot at the state finals.  

Saturday will also be St. Joe’s transfer Paddy-Shea Narry’s first race against his former school. Narry has found a spot on the Varsity team and should help the team reach the state finals.

Race times are as follows: girls varsity-9:00 am, boys varsity-9:30 am, girls JV-10:00 am, and boys JV-10:30 am.