Corin Melear News Today

PEARCY - El Dorado had a feisty challenge in the final regular-season 5A South matchup on Tuesday. The Lady Wildcats held off Lake Hamilton 4-3 and will be the No. 3 seed in next week’s 5A State Soccer Tournament.

In most sports, looking ahead is a bad idea. High school track and field isn’t most sports. El Dorado coach John Koonce has led the Lady Wildcats to back-to-back 5A state championships. This week isn’t the state meet but the state meet is what’s on Koonce’s mind as El Dorado travels to Lake Hamilton on Tuesday for the 5A South Conference Championships. He’s not alone.

El Dorado’s girls soccer team enjoyed an 18-2 season last year, including a conference championship and a run to the 5A state semifinals. And then graduation happened.

HOT SPRINGS – El Dorado cross country coach John Koonce said of Hot Springs Lakeside runner Joseph Bariola, “Joe’s a beast, man. He’s a beast.” Tuesday at the 5A South Championships at Essex Golf Course in Hot Springs, the beast had to track down El Dorado junior Zach McMillon before winning the senior high boys’ 5000-meter race by a mere second. It was a day for career-best performances for El Dorado, which finished fourth in senior boys, junior boys and junior girls. McMillon and L...

El Dorado will compete in the 5A South Cross Country Championships Tuesday at Essex Golf Course in Hot Springs, beginning at 4 p.m. The four races will commence with the junior high girls.

HOT SPRINGS - The Lake Hamilton Invitational provided a stiff test for El Dorado as the cross country season nears the postseason and the big races. “It was a good day as far as our times were good. The competition was top of the line,” said El Dorado coach John Koonce. “It was really good to be able to race against the best. That’s definitely the best field El Dorado has raced in since I’ve been the coach.”

El Dorado sophomores Corin Melear and Ainsley Colvin are cross country teammates. They’re friends on and off the running trails. Even when competing, the two can usually be found running side-by-side.

El Dorado ran well on its home course Saturday morning with the Wildcats winning both senior boys and junior boys at the Wildcat Invitational, held at South Arkansas Regional Airport. Zach McMillon won the senior boys’ event with Julian Marquez finishing first in the junior boys’ race.

El Dorado’s senior boys finished second and junior high boys won the SAU Lois Davis Cross Country Invitational Saturday. The Wildcats’ Zachary McMillon was the overall winner, taking first in the senior high division with Julian Marquez winning the junior high boys’ race.

El Dorado’s girls’ cross country team will begin the season preaching quality over quantity. The Lady Wildcats only have three varsity girls, two short of a team. Coach John Koonce said that will change at the end of the season.