Clarke Central High School varsity girls cross country co-captain Ailynn Irwin, a senior (left), poses with her brother, CCHS boys varsity and junior varsity cross country runner Ezra Irwin, a freshman (right), at the ODYSSEY Media Group’s 2025 Fall Sports Media Day in the CCHS Competition Gym on Aug. 23. Ezra has capitalized on the team’s lack of discrepancy between varsity and junior varsity by running at the varsity level when given the opportunity. “There are seven varsity runners on the (boys) team, and I am the eighth fastest, so whenever someone isn’t there, I run varsity,” Ezra said. Photo by Iliana Tejada
Varsity cross country coaches at CCHS don’t set explicit junior varsity and varsity rosters so that runners can move between levels as they improve.
Unlike some other Clarke Central High School sports, the cross country team doesn’t have a finite varsity and junior varsity distinction. This allows younger runners to prove themselves capable of competing in varsity-level races throughout the season.
Though organization varies from meet to meet, there is often one varsity race, one JV race and a potential open-entry race at each competition, according to CCHS head varsity cross country coach Erica Cascio. Seven-10 runners are entered into each varsity race, providing potential for a different varsity squad to compete at each meet.
“When we’re talking about varsity competitions, we’re going to put in our fastest runners,” Cascio said. “So, regardless of what grade somebody’s in, if they’re the faster runner, they’re going into those competitions.”
Cascio and CCHS cross country assistant coach Lee Patterson determine who will fill varsity spots in each race based on performance and effort in previous meets and at practices. CCHS cross country runner Ezra Irwin, a freshman, is often between varsity and JV, competing with other runners for a spot in varsity races by training with his older teammates.
“It’s super challenging but in a great way,” Irwin said. “(Patterson) always has me train with (varsity runners) at practice, which forces me to push super hard. He watches to see who is pushing themselves to get better (and which teammates) you’re trying to catch (up to), even if they are faster.”
“Regardless of what grade somebody’s in, if they’re the faster runner, they’re going into those competitions.”
— Erica Cascio,
CCHS head varsity cross country coach
For Cascio, her goal of winning the 2025 Georgia High School Association State Cross Country Championships is strengthened by the possibility of teammates being capable of stepping up to varsity, especially if key runners suffer injuries or are absent from races.
“It’s good for everybody to know that (cross country is) a competitive field, and that if you put in the work and you have the determination, you have the opportunity to run the faster races. It’s everybody’s game,” Cascio said.
