TAHLEQUAH TIGERS
Coach: ELZY MILLER
In his 46th year at Tahlequah, coach Elzy Miller has another veteran cross country team poised to contend for conference, regional and state championships. The Tigers return six of their top seven runners from a team that finished third at the Class 5A regional meet, fourth at the state meet and third in the Metro-Lakes Conference last season. With nearly the entire varsity lineup back, Tahlequah enters the fall expecting to build on that success.
“Our expectations are for a great year,” Miller said. “We have six of our top seven back.”
Junior Libby Baker and sophomore Emberleigh Justice lead the returning group after trading the No. 1 spot throughout the latter part of last season. Both narrowly missed earning All-State honors and give the Tigers a dependable one-two punch at the front of the lineup.
Tahlequah expects to be deeper this season as well. Keirakate McInnis returns after missing most of last year and should provide another experienced runner, while freshman Kindle Perry will compete for a varsity spot. Junior Payten Crosslin also returns, giving the Tigers another familiar face in an already experienced lineup.
The senior class will also play an important role. Ava Oxford, Julianna Burns and Madi Sabin each bring three years of varsity experience and have helped establish the standard for the program’s younger runners. That veteran presence has been evident throughout the offseason as the Tigers prepared for another run at the top of Class 5A.
Miller said one of the biggest differences this summer has been the work completed outside of official practices. The Tigers increased their early-season mileage, consistently met for optional group runs and stayed committed to core workouts. Just as important, he said, the team has challenged itself to get outside its comfort zone, and the improvement has shown across the roster.
The goals are no secret. Tahlequah wants to win the Metro-Lakes Conference, compete for regional and state championships and continue getting better with each meet.
“Most importantly, to have every runner get better as each meet happens,” Miller said.
The Tigers open the season Aug. 20 by hosting the Early Tiger meet. It will be the first opportunity to see how an experienced roster stacks up, but Miller believes the work put in throughout the summer has positioned Tahlequah to compete from the opening race through the postseason.
