University cross-country dominant at opening meet of 2026 season with Gainer, Rogers taking top spots
UHS cross-country sweeps opening meet
Trending
MORGANTOWN – There are several simple ways to describe University High’s season-opening home cross-country meet on Tuesday.
Sunny. Somewhat slippery. Slightly slow. Steady. Safe.
And for the Hawks, you can add two more: solid sweep, as the girls finished on top with 21 points. Trinity Christian (50) finished second, followed by East Fairmont (62), while the UHS boys earned their honors with 18, outpacing East Fairmont (58), Trinity (62), Clay-Battelle (121), and Robert C. Byrd (135).
UHS's Abby Rogers ran a strong race over the rain-soaked course, finishing the 5K distance in 19:40:06, with teammates Lia Buindo and Shae Hopkins finishing third and fourth, and afterward, she admitted that the footing was challenging.
"It was pretty muddy in spots," grinned the senior, "and you sank in pretty deep in a few places, but I was just careful and concentrated on my foot placement. It felt really good to get out there and finish a race early in the year."
Rogers, hampered by injuries throughout her career, was comfortable setting the pace, and hopes to continue helping her team as they look once again toward the State meet in the fall.
"I want to keep improving, and set some personal best times," she continued, "but mostly I just want to enjoy the year. We have a great group of girls, and we run well as a team, and it's just so much fun to run with your best friends."
The boys followed the girls, but despite the rapidly deteriorating track, University dominated, starting with junior Micah Gainer's 16:00:55 winning time. Logan Conroy took second place and freshman Matthew Grant was third, plus three other Hawks finished in the top 10.
"It was a pretty big mess out there," the defending Class AAAA champion Gainer admitted, "so it forced you to run a more controlled, careful race, especially on the downhills. The strategy definitely shifted, and while I'm happy with the way I ran and the win, I feel like the effort I expended didn't really translate into a low time. I know I can run faster."
"I feel good," he continued, "which is always a good thing after a race, and I really feel good about our team. We have a really good group of freshmen, and it's exciting to see what they'll do this season. Plus, it's great to welcome them in, and for me and the upperclassmen to help them improve."
UHS assistant coach Josh Robinson was happy that both groups stuck to the game plan and stayed focused.
"Conditions were a little rough out there," he admitted, "so we reminded them to be a little conservative out there. It's the first race, so be smart. But even with that safety mindset, we still kept our intensity up through the whole race, especially Micah and Abby. Lia ran really well, and Logan has been there and just knows how to race, where to push and take advantage. We're excited about our freshmen boys as well, including Matthew, who has been pushing hard, and it showed today.
"We run for October at UHS," he concluded, "and our goal is always to win state titles. This was the first step."
Two final words for the Hawks and their season-opener? Solid start.
GIRLS SOCCER
University 9, Brooke 0
Sophomore Lauren Goodenow led the way on Tuesday with three goals and an assist, Braylee Armentrout added a goal and three assists, and Brynn Ferry and Khloe King each chipped in a pair of goals, as the Hawks (2-1-0) dominated visiting Brooke (0-2-0) 9-0. UHS scored early and often, building a 7-0 halftime lead. Maddie Fritsch and Libby Murray also picked up assists, while Emily Servian recorded her first high school shutout in the UHS net. University hosts Linsly on Thursday at 5:45 p.m.