Brings Plenty returns to lead Wildcat cross country

By Andy Brown
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Updated: September 5, 2024

***Louisburg senior Jerynce Brings Plenty leads the Wildcat cross country team this season after earning a state medal a year ago.***

The Louisburg cross country team had two runners reach the final meet of the season last year as they competed at the Class 4A state championships.

One of those runners, Jerynce Brings Plenty, is back to lead the Wildcats after earning his first state medal in 2023.

The Wildcats lost several varsity runners from a year ago, especially on the girls side, and now they look to reload both rosters.

Louisburg currently has 15 on its roster, but Wildcat head coach John Reece believes he has several quality runners who can make an impact this year.

“Our 15 runners this year is down from past years,” Reece said. “We are a young team with only one senior girl and two senior boys. We do return experience with the younger runners as they stepped up last season and ran in the big meets in the end.”

It all starts with Brings Plenty as he returns after finishing 12th overall at the Class 4A state meet last season. He also recorded the school’s second fastest time a year ago.

“We look for Jerynce to have a great season,” Reece said. “We will be taking him to some larger meets to gain experience in tactical racing within a large group of competitive runners.”

***Louisburg’s Ben Proctor is one of three seniors on the Wildcat cross country team this season.***

The Wildcat boys also return several runners who saw varsity time last season. Senior Ben Proctor is one of four others who will join Brings Plenty in the lineup.

Levi Cotter, Truman Ellison and Spencer Mattison also return after putting a year of experience under their belt.

“We have five guys and all saw varsity races last year so we have the experience to move right into the season with all running the varsity races,” Reece said. “With continued growth, we should be a strong group come the end of the season.”

On the girls side, senior Marissa Vallejo is in her first year with the program after moving into the district and brings several years of running experience with her.

She will join sophomores Talen McMurray and Ella Bockelman, along with freshman Anna Cotter, as several runners who will compete for varsity spots this year.

“Our girls side is very young,” Reece said. “Marissa is our lone senior but she brings experience to the team as she has run the past three years,” Reece said. “Ella and Talen will also be looking at varsity races and then we will have to see how our freshman girls progress through the season.”