Cross Country | 5/19/2026 9:15:00 AM

CLINTON -- Championship memories became permanent keepsakes on Monday night.

Members of the Clinton Junior High School boys cross country team received their state championship rings during a ceremony held at the Clinton High School Culinary Arts Center, commemorating a historic 2025 season that culminated in the program capturing MHSAA Middle School Cross Country Invitational crown on October 14.

The rings were presented by Cross Country coaches Nicole and Eric Solis in front of parents, family members, and CJHS Principal Dr. Ivory Gray.

The championship rings featured clear diamonds bordered by red diamonds surrounding  the Clinton Arrow log at the top of the ring, while the words "State Champion" completed the design with bordered detailing above and below. One side of the ring commemorated the 2025 championship season, while the opposite side displayed each athlete's last name alongside "XC" pierced by an arrow. The bottom of the ring featured "ARROWS" in bold lettering.

The championship performance was fueled by significant improvement throughout the season. The Arrows trimmed 53 seconds off their team average time from earlier in the year, showcasing the growth and consistency that defined the squad throughout the fall.

Posting an average time of 11 minutes, 59 seconds from their top-five runners in the middle school-standard 3000 meters at Brookhaven earlier int he season, the Arrows improved their top-five average time to 11:06 at the state championships held at Mississippi College's Choctaw Trails. The performance marked the second-fastest team average in CJHS history, trailing only the 2024 squad by nine seconds.

"I am really proud of these young men," Eric said following the state championship meet. "Honestly, I didn't expect us to be as fast as we have been this year. However, we ran together, we worked hard all season, and they did everything that they needed to do to achieve this state championship."

Members of the CJHS championship team included Maddox Box, Adrian Brown, John Chittom, Jaden Dasary, Coleman Finch, Micah Kieffer, Ethan McQueen, Michael Onyia, Emmaus Vandersteen, Jace Wiliamson, and Hyrum Boone.

Of the 10 runners who competed in the state meet, six recorded personal-best times, including Box (11:48), Brown (11:13), Kieffer (10:47), McQueen (11:26), Vandersteen (12:19), and Williamson (11:07).

Kieffer led the Arrows with a second-place finish, while Finch and Williamson placed sixth and 10th, respectively, during the October championship meet.

The Arrows won seven of the eight meets they competed in during the 2025 season, while also recording a runner-up finish in the lone event they did not win.