Numbers few, potential great at Uniontown

The numbers may be few but the potential and attitude more than compensate.

That's the message of head coach Sabrina Wilkinson as she discussed her Uniontown cross country team this fall.

Wilkinson, in her third year at the helm, has junior Rachel DeMoss, junior Jonathan Wheeler and seniors Ryan Goldberg and Dominik Dowhan on the team. The Eagles didn't lose anyone to graduation, since the squad had no seniors a year ago.

Uniontown competes as individual runners, since it takes four of the same gender to compete in team standings.

Wilkinson says what she has seen from her group has been positive.

"As individuals, each runner contributes to the other runners," she said. "They are great at encouraging each other. We have a lot of fun while we practice and are improving ourselves."

Due to the few numbers, Wilkinson finds herself doing some participant coaching, but that too has been enjoyable.

"As there is only one girl, I run with the team most practice days to encourage them," she said. "If not, I'm usually timing them. They are improving each week.

"They all enjoy cross country and have an interest in the team. They are all great kids. And that's the most I can ask for."

Wheeler is the veteran of the team as a third-year competitor.

"He has pretty much picked up where he left off last season," Wilkinson said. "He has worked hard over the summer, running on his own. I look for him to place at league and Regionals and hopefully go to State."

Dowhan is the newest face of the group. He is a foreign exchange student from Poland.

"Hopefully, he will be able to compete well and push the other male runners to be better."

Wheeler and Goldberg competed in the boys' varsity race. Wheeler placed 21st, missing out on a medal by one place. Goldberg did not place but "did well for his first cross country competition ever," Wilkinson said.

The Eagles compete this afternoon in Fort Scott. The course is just north of the building located at 2801 S. Horton St., about a block north of Mercy Hospital. The first race begins at 4 p.m.