THE REST OF THE CATOOSA-WALKER BOYS’ DREAM TEAM

Elijah Decker (LaFayette) — The rookie stepped into the starting lineup from the first day of the season and made an immediate impact, including a season-best 18:41 at Heritage and a string of five straight races at 19:30 or better.

Hunter Gordy (Gordon Lee) — A breakout season for the sophomore included five top 20 finishes, including second place at the Walker County meet, 12th place at the Region 6-3A meet and a season-best 18:24 at Heritage.

Kevin Schmelzer (Ridgeland) — An unquestioned leader for the Panthers, the senior averaged 19:53 on the season, including a fifth-place finish at the Walker County Championships in which he clocked a season-best time of 19:30.

Hyrum Smartt (Heritage) — The sophomore shaved more than a minute off of his average time from last year, finishing the year with a 19:54 average, including a running personal-best 18:40 at the Region 7-4A meet in Boynton.

Grayson Stallings (Heritage) — The Generals’ junior veteran was a steadying force for a young squad in 2022 as he ran his last five races under 20 minutes, including a season-best 19:14 at the Southern Showcase in Huntsville, Ala.

Brayden Sylar (Ringgold) — The sophomore followed up on a solid freshman campaign by turning in four times under 19:00, including a season-best 18:35 at the Region 6-3A meet in LaFayette, where he finished eighth overall.

Riley Womack (Heritage) — The revamped Generals’ roster got a big boost from the sophomore runner as he averaged 19:40 for the season, including a season-best time of 18:44 and a thirdplace finish at the Rambler Invitational.

Honorable Mention: (Gordon Lee) — Carson Carpenter and Walker Johnston,

(Heritage) — Collin Black, Maddox Henry, Camden Pritchett and Will Riddell, (LaFayette) — Jacob Groves and Eli Hudson, (Ringgold) — Ren Goldsmith and Gavin Simpson-Rister