FLORENCE- James Clemens senior cross country runner Kylie Gero broke the 19-minute mark to win the Tennessee River Classic at McFarland Park in Florence and earned the Alabama Spotlight for girls cross country by the Alabama High School Athletic Association.

Gero was clocked at 18:55.55 to win the race by 20 seconds over Hartselle freshman Grace Goldman. This was the season opener for cross country teams as the kickoff for the 2024 season in Alabama. The season winds through until the State Championships scheduled for Nov. 9 at the Oakville Indian Mounds Park. Gero was very busy during the off season as she participated for the North in the annual North-South All-Star Week competition held in Montgomery in July.

One additional performance made the list of top efforts in the Spotlight. Ami Marks of Bob Jones won the Bob Jones Friendly First Chance two-miler in Madison with a time of 12:12.75.