Small School Recap

*Jace Yates at the 2022 Watson Cross Country Classic

Photo credits: Brock Kelly

Small School Boys

In the MileSplit Mississippi meet recap for the 2022 MHSAA Middle School Classic, we predicted a 1-2 finish from the East Webster duo of Jace Yates and Miles Stidham, two middle school studs who have a combined total of three wins on their 2022 cross country campaign. 

The result? Yates snags the title in a 3K time of 10:38.8, with Stidham edging out Weston Woods of TCPS, 11:10.9 to 11:15.4. Yates ran 14 seconds faster than his performance at the 2022 Watson Cross Country Classic, while Stidham ran 24 seconds faster than three days prior. 

The 1-2 finish from the Maben, Miss. natives was enough for a Small School Boys title for the East Webster Junior Wolverines, beating out Tupelo Christian Prep 60-80. 

Small School Girls

*Ally Murphy(Myrtle) leading Carrie Anne Brown(Tupelo) at the 2022 Tupelo XC Invitational

Photo credits: Drew Lewis

It was the Ally Murphy show in the Small School Girls 3K at the 2022 MHSAA Middle School Classic, as she showed up and showed out to a Mississippi Middle School state record performance of 11:27.8. Murphy nabbed the record by seven seconds from Tupelo's Brookelyn Morgan, and the next finisher was a full one minute and 20 seconds behind the Myrtle superstar. 

ALL-TIME RANKINGS: Mississippi Middle School Girls 3K List

This was Murphy's eighth win of the 2022 Cross Country season, staying undefeated for the entire year. 

She also led her team, Myrtle High School, to the overall title, 42-57 over Saint Patrick High School. 

From small school competition to large school and everything in between, Murphy withstood every test, and the future of Myrtle Cross Country looks very bright.