Poplar Bluff's Kayla Huett is the lone senior on the cross country team this fall. (Brian Rosener/DAR) [Click to enlarge]

By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor

Poplar Bluff's cross country team is looking for a few good athletes.

With not enough runners to make up a varsity team this fall, coach Beth Lewis wants to help students become better athletes.

"We'll take anybody of all shapes and sizes and ability level," she said. "Even if they don't want to run the meets, we're willing to work with some of the athletes to get them in better shape like with morning practices with us."

Even though the first meet is Sept. 6, Lewis said there's still plenty of time for students to join the team. Any apprehension of running a 3.1-mile race many students might have can be easily overcome, she noted.

"It's really intimidating, but if you practice every day, it's so easy," Lewis said. "It's so much easier and the meets are such a blast.

"It's just like any other sport, the more you train, the better you get at it."

Travis and Hannah Blalock have put in over 1,000 miles of training over the summer to prepare for this fall and another run at the individual state title.

Last year, Hannah Blalock earned an all-state medal in her first trip to Jefferson City by finishing 10th with a time of 20 minutes, 2 seconds. Travis Blalock finished 35th at the state meet with a time of 17:26.

"Travis looks more focused this year," Lewis said of the junior. "He's done a lot of training this summer and he's getting a little serious but yet his attitude during practice is quite a bit calm."

Hannah is always relaxed and having fun, Lewis added.

Joining the Blalocks this fall is freshman Jason Keena, Aaron Boner and a pair of swimmers getting ready for their season, Mary Payne and Kayla Huett, the lone senior of the bunch.

Lewis said Huett is running this fall in hopes to improve her chances of reaching state in swimming.

"It makes the (swimming) season nicer because you don't have to spend the first three weeks getting into shape," said Lewis, who is also the Lady Mules swim coach. "You can go right into training."

There are no home meets, however, the majority of the meets take place Saturday mornings making it possible for athletes in other fall sports to help fill out a team, which consists of at least five runners. in Class 4 this fall, up a class from last year, while the SEMO Conference meet will be held at Notre Dame.

There are also about 20 runners from junior high working out, Lewis said.

"Having the junior high (group) as large as it is right now is very promising," she added. "We've got a strong boys group … the majority at the seventh grade level, (and) a lot of them had success at the AAU level."