JC Boys & Girls Cross Country Teams Win Region 6 Championships

In a thrilling day of competition, the Jackson County Cross Country program celebrated two major victories at the regional meet. The Girls' team won their first-ever regional Championship, while the boys' team defended their Regional Championship title, capturing their regional championship for the second consecutive year. The girls and boys team set a new school record for fastest team averages: Girls 22:39.44 and Boys 19:00.90 
Led by Coach Dean Rader, both teams delivered standout performances, making it a day to remember for athletes, coaches, parents, and Jackson County High School. 
The regional meet, held at Wayne County on Saturday, October 26th, marked a defining moment for the girls' program. They clinched the victory against strong competition, while the boys reinforced their reputation as back-to-back champions. 
After finishing as runners-up last year, the girls were determined to win the title this season. Senior Isabelle Shearer led the Girls' team to their historic win, earning her the Individual Regional Champion Title for the third consecutive year with an impressive time of 19:25.53. Senior Layla Anderson followed in third place, setting a new personal record of 21:53.92. Sophomore Brooklyn Hammonds took ninth with a personal best of 22:50.64. 
Senior Makynna King, who battled back from a knee injury over the summer, achieved a season-best time of 23:41.29. Freshman Lillie Davidson impressed in her first regional meet with a time of 25:50.24, and Senior Candice Williams posted a season-best 25:57.58. Sophomore Keyana Adam's rounded out the team's efforts with a time of 30:28.28. 
The Boys' team put forth a powerful performance to claim their second regional title in a row, with standout runs from several athletes. Sophomore Malachi Shannon led the way as Region Runner-up, posting a personal best time of 17:08.71. Senior Merrick Rader followed, placing fifth with a personal record of 18:00.29. Junior Jake Collett secured the 11th place position with a time of 19:10.04. 
Freshman Newcomer Jadyn Agee set a Personal best of 20:25.83, impressing in his first regional meet, While senior Jake Cross clocked a personal best of 21:08.41. Eight-grader Brody Isaacs finished strong with a time of 22:25.95, and eighth-grader Braxton Hoskins capped off the scoring with a personal record of 23:28.71. 
These wins are a testament to the hard work and dedication from each athlete on the team. 
Both teams, coached by Dean and Andrea Rader, credited their success to months of hard work and preparation. The Generals will graduate 10 seniors this year, whose leadership and dedication have been crucial to the program's growth. 
Superintendent Renee Smith and board member Debbie Nicholson joined a crowd of enthusiastic supporters to cheer on the Generals during the meet. 
Both teams are now preparing for the KHSAA state Championship held at the horse park in Lexington on Saturday November 2nd. 
The girls aim to continue their historic season with another strong showing, while the boys hope to improve on last year's state performance.