Union City Golden Tornadoes At Best Of The West

By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
 
Union City, Tenn.–The Union City High School cross country teams tuned up for next week’s Small School Division Regional meet by competing in the Best of the West at Obion County Central Tuesday afternoon.
 
The Union City boys posted a respectable showing, finishing in a tie for 10^th place with Huntingdon.
 
There were representatives from 34 schools in the competition, with 200 boys running and 175 girls.
 
“It was a difficult and hilly course, but our kids did OK,” UC head coach Katie Parr said. “All of the teams that beat us were from other regions or larger schools.
 
“I really expect us to do well at the regionals.”
 
Top teams and individuals at next week’s regional meet – which will be held at Martin on Tuesday – will advance to the state meet at Percy Warner Park in Nashville.
 
The Union City boys’ team qualified for the state for the first time ever last fall.
 
Dalton Bone had the Tornadoes’ best time (18:36) at Tuesday’s BOW event, good enough for seventh place overall in the large field.
 
Matthew Parr placed 29^th with a time of (19:23). Cedrion Cook was 52^nd at 20:07, and BJ Frankum came in at 21:08 and in 85^th place. Taylor Pickering, the only senior on the UCHS roster, posted an 89^th place finish with a time of 21:18.
 
Reice Gray (22:47), Cameron McLendon (25:47) and Quailvarious Brown (26:44) all also competed for the Purple and Gold.
 
Katelyn Edmond’s time of 26:14 was Union City’s best in the girls’ race and was good for 58^th place.
 
Lizzy Jones (27:32) finished in 78^th, Natalie Johnson (31:46) was 130th and Emilia Maldonado (31:48) was 132nd.
 
Next week’s regional is set to begin at 4:30 in Martin.