The Dawson County men's and women's cross country teams ran at the Region 7-AAA meet yesterday at Banks County High School. Both teams are ranked in the top 10 in Class AAA and are looking for good results.
Weather was expected to be a factor at the meet due to the rain expected Tuesday.
"Unless storms are in the area, the meet will not be postponed," according to head coach Charles Beusse. "The weather will make things interesting though."
The Banks County course will be a challenge for both teams. Heavy rain could make the course even tougher. "With the course and anticipated weather conditions, I'm not looking for any incredible times. In a way, I actually prefer that as it will force runners to race for placement rather than worry about time," said Beusse. "In championship races, times become irrelevant anyway and the main focus has to be on team placement.
"It will be a tough one, but I think we are prepared well. We have a rain or shine practice policy so running in the rain is something all of our runners have experienced."
The team has a couple of experiences with running in weather that was not ideal.
The last race at Lambert was a perfect example of running in the rain and mud. So it will not be the first time Beusse's teams have faced less than perfect conditions.
"The key for us is to own the third mile. That last mile is brutal with rolling, steep hills. Our runners are strong and if they can really attack that last mile, I think that is what will help set us apart from many teams," he said.
Several girls' teams will be in contention for the region title.
For the girls, Frankie Muldoon and Marley Hamby should be out front and could put themselves in position for top finishes.
On the boy's side, Jacob Poston has a realistic shot at a region title. The Tigers must hold off the strong teams of West Hall and Banks County to capture the region.
"At this point, training is over," said Beusse. "We've done all we can to put the runners in a position for success. It now comes down to how hard they are willing to fight and how bad they want it."
As of press time, results were not available.