The Landrum High School Cross Country team once again has achieved the 2A state championship, and the community will celebrate with a parade in honor of the team at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 25.

“A Landrum tradition continues,” said John Cann, Landrum High School athletic director.
Fire trucks will gather behind the Ingles gas station and travel down Hwy. 14 through downtown Landrum, turning left on Hwy. 176 to Landrum High School.

“I couldn’t be more overjoyed,” said Coach Jeremy Darby. “It’s all because of the athletes.”

Darby said that the teams have faced increasingly tough competition in the past two years, as they moved from Division 1A to Division 2A, with larger schools.

The girls cross country team has been first in the state ever since they moved to the more competitive division.

“This is the third time the girls have won the state meet, last year in a tiebreaker and this year by one point,” Darby said. “It’s a winning tradition here, and the great thing is that it’s both teams. The boys’ cross country team has had three state championships since 2008.”

Darby said the cross country teams have excellent senior leadership from runners who have been participating since seventh grade, along with some great younger runners with talent and skill. They run in the open air in all weather.

“In cross country, you know you’re always going to sweat and those practices are always going to be tough,” he said. “Our runners are very coach-able and they have adapted to this stronger level of competition.”