“They’ll get first next year; I know they will,” stated Maria Cothren, last year’s team

manager for Hayesville High School’s cross country team, following the 2002 state
competition. Last year, Hayesville’s women placed third in the state, but they were
determined to return and do their best.
On October 16, 2003, Hayesville’s women’s team placed first in the Smoky Mountain
Conference, and the men’s team finished second to Murphy. Jessica Doan was named
Runner of the Year.
The following weekend, more than thirty schools from the west region of North
Carolina gathered to compete for the distinction of proceeding to the state level.
Each of Hayesville’s women finished within the top 25 runners. Jessica Doan, a junior,
placed sixth overall, followed by Erika Walker at 12th, Katelyn Brown-Gomez at 15th, and
Leah Setzer at 17th. Senior Ashley Lear placed 23rd. The women’s team won first in the
regions.
The men’s team was led by a freshman, Jacob Foster, who placed twentieth overall. He
was followed closely by senior Stephen Waters, who finished 22nd. Levi Gentle came in
30th, Marcus Keely placed 52nd, and Wesley Owens came in 59th. Hayesville’s men were
awarded fourth, earning them also a trip to the state finals.
On Saturday, November 1, the teams competed against the state’s best at Tanglewood
Park in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The 1A men raced at 10:00 AM followed an hour later
by the 1A women. Foster once again led the Yellow Jackets with a 21st place finish. Waters
followed in 22nd, Gentle in 43rd, Ray Swanson in 51st. Keely, running on his fifteenth
birthday, placed 55th. The men won fifth in the state, against tough competition.
Hayesville’s women ran hard along the length of the five kilometer course. Doan
finished in the top ten for the 1A race with an excellent run following her recent recovery.
Walker placed 11th, Brown-Gomez 17th, Setzer 20th, and Lear completed the top five in
26th.
The women were named state champions, winning the title by 42 points.