The Scoring Roster
Austin Winstead - 7th place Overall
The first scorer to cross the line for the Warriors, Winstead placed seventh overall, setting a personal record of 17:24.63. The sophomore headed into this state meet seeded with a seasonal best time of 18:22.85 that he ran at the 2021 Topper Trails High School Classic, which was held near the end of September. With this in mind, Winstead shaved over fifty-eight seconds off his seasonal best at the state race, which is a huge jump to make during one season! Throughout the regular season, Winstead was always one of Senatobia's top scorers, always in close competition with his teammate, Benjamin Thompson and placed high in most of the meets Senatobia competed at. He was also the 3A boys individual state champion last year in 2020.
Benjamin Thompson - 8th place Overall
Right behind Austin Winstead was Senatobia's very own Benjamin Thompson. One of Senatobia's talented juniors, Thompson placed eighth overall in the 4A state race, clocking in with a time of 17:44.42. As previously stated, the junior Warrior was in close competition with his teammate Winstead throughout the regular season, making him one of Senatobia's top scorers. If it was Winstead, it was Thompson, and vice versa. Prior to the state meet, Thompson's seasonal best was an 18:31.80 that he ran at the 2021 Saltillo Cross Country Invitational in the middle of September, meaning he shattered this time by fifty-seven seconds when it mattered most: at the state meet! Along with this, Thompson placed high in almost all of the meets he was entered in.
Tracy Williams - 9th place Overall
Placing just milliseconds behind Benjamin Thompson was Senatobia's other talented junior, Tracy Williams, who placed ninth overall in the state race with a personal record of 17:44.65. Even though Williams didn't compete last year during the 2020 cross country season, he came back this year helping Senatobia's boys team pull the upset. The weekend before the state meet, the junior clocked in a seasonal best of 18:50.90 at the 2021 Senatobia XC Invitational, meaning that he broke this time by over a minute and four seconds which is an insanely fast progression to accomplish in one cross country season!
Joncarlo Dunlop - 10th place Overall
Being the fourth man on the team and one of the seniors on the Senatobia boys' squad, Joncarlo Dunlop placed tenth overall, clocking in with a time of 17:46.43 at the state race. This senior rounded out Senatobia's top four scorers, helping them secure top 10 spots that would ultimately lead them to their first 4A cross country state title in their school's history. For Dunlop, this was his first cross country season, ending off his short-lived career on the highest of notes. Heading into the state meet, Dunlop was seeded with a personal record of 18:57.07 that he ran at the 2021 Hickory Flat Invitational, meaning that he broke his old PR by over a minute and eleven seconds which is a crazy feat to accomplish in ones first year! On top of all of this, Dunlop was a high placer in a lot of the meets Senatobia ran at during this regular season.
Brandon Williams - 17th place Overall
Rounding out the top 5 scorers, we have Brandon Williams, who placed 17th overall in the state race with a time of 17:57. Williams has been running for Senatobia since seventh grade, making him one of the most experienced runners on Senatobia's roster. Heading into the state race, the senior ran his seasonal best on his home course at the 2021 Senatobia XC Invitational with a time of 19:36.10, placing fourth overall at the meet. This means that Williams broke his seasonal best by over a minute and thirty-nine seconds, which is an amazing performance from this senior! A strong way to finish out his last cross country season and race.
Tyler Mabry - 52nd place Overall
Senatobia's sixth runner goes to the freshman Tyler Mabry, who placed fifty-second overall at the state meet with a time of 19:41.22. Mabry has had a very consistent cross country season, running mostly in the high to mid-twenties prior to his state meet performance. Having this being his second year running cross country, his seasonal best heading into the state race was a 20:11.66 that he ran at the 2021 Hickory Flat Invitational near the beginning of September. Taking this into consideration, the freshman broke the sub-twenty barrier for the first time and shattered his seasonal best by thirty seconds! The future looks bright for Mabry and Senatobia in the years to come.
Jacob Spencer - 56th place Overall
Concluding the state-winning team, we have Senatobia's seventh man, Jacob Spencer. This senior placed fifty-sixth overall, clocking in with a time of 19:47.88. Spencer has been running since he was a freshman, making him one of Senatobia's veteran runners on the boys' team. Prior to his state performance, his seasonal best was run at the 2021 Topper Trails High School Classic, where he ran a 20:27.35 earning him an eleventh place finish overall. This makes Spencer's state performance one of his best in his career, breaking his seasonal best by over forty seconds! A very strong way to finish off his senior season of cross country and his high school career in the sport.
Note from the State Editor: In all of the state championship races I have seen, Senatbobia taking down the 2021 MHSAA Class 4A Title is up there at one of my favorites. They executed beautifully and proved what can happen when you put in the work and simply believe that you can do it on the day. Really, Senatobia winning should not even be a surprise, as this is technically a 3-peat since they won in 2019 and 2020 when they were in Class 3A. As you can tell in the cover photo, however, this title meant a lot more. They beat a very talented and well-coached Corinth High School Boy's team, and it's not like Corinth ran poorly - Senatobia just ran better on the given day. Congratulations to Head Coach Shane Baltz, along with his hard-working staff and the Senatobia cross country team on their outstanding accomplishment in snagging yet another cross country title, and giving the MileSplit Mississippi community a heartwarming State Meet Story. It is stories like these that make me so grateful that I am fortunate enough to have this job.