Senate Resolution 40

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING THE BROOKHAVEN HIGH SCHOOL LADY PANTHERS GIRLS CROSS-COUNTRY TEAM AND HEAD COACH SHANNON KNOTT FOR WINNING THE SCHOOL'S FIRST 5A STATE TITLE.

WHEREAS, November 2, 2024, is a date that the parents, fans and supporters of the Brookhaven High School Girls Cross-Country Team will never forget. The same is especially true for the student athletes on the team and their Coaches, Shannon Knott and Kevin Bower; and

WHEREAS, it was on that date when the Brookhaven High School Girls Cross-Country Team won its first State Championship in program history in thrilling style at the MHSAA 5A State Title Meet on Choctaw Trails in south Jackson. After being close year after year, the team had finished as 5A runners-up in six of the last seven previous seasons. It was finally their turn to hoist the Championship trophy; and

WHEREAS, Brookhaven High School Lady Panthers beat Corinth High by a single point, as the Lady Panthers earned 35 points, and the Warriors from northeast Mississippi came in second with 36 points; and

WHEREAS, Cross-Country is a sport that demands dedication. An athlete expects to be fast in November if she isn't putting in the punishing miles during the worst of the June and July heat that Mississippi has to offer; and

WHEREAS, the win by Brookhaven High School broke a string of Corinth winning six straight State Championships in its classification. To beat the Warriors, the Lady Panthers knew they'd need to improve and go lower in 2024; and

WHEREAS, Brookhaven High School brought six runners to the Championship, with four of them being seniors. Senior Natalie McKinney was the first Panther across the finish line, finishing the 5K course in 21 minutes and 40 seconds. Following McKinney across the line was her sophomore teammate, Isabella Iles with a time of 21:50, in fourth place. Iles also finished fourth last season in the state meet. Iles' senior teammate, Ariyana Graham, came across the finish line at 21.50.56. Senior Ella Thompson finished 15th in 23:56, and sophomore Abby Slay followed her in 18th place with a time of 24:19; and

WHEREAS, the Lady Panthers did not think they had won at first. In fact, Corinth High was being interviewed by a running website as the winners when the screen flashed that Brookhaven High School had won. The news sent the girls sprinting to find Coach Knott to celebrate; and

WHEREAS, running in a massive field that draws over 100 schools from all over the southeast United States, the Lady Panthers got great results out of Iles, Summers, McKinney and Graham that day as Iles broke her previous school-best time with a 21:50. On November 2, 2024, a group of two sophomores and four seniors wrote their names forever in the Brookhaven High School history books as State Champions; and

WHEREAS, the 2024 Brookhaven High School Girls Cross-County Team MHSAA 5A State Championship roster: Ally Slay, Isabella Iles, Natalie McKinney, Annabelle Summers, Ariyana Graham and Ella Thompson; Head Coach Shannon Knott; and Assistant Coach Kevin Bower; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize this group of student athletes who have brought honor to their school, their community and to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend and congratulate the Brookhaven High School Lady Panthers Girls Cross-Country Team and Head Coach Shannon Knott for winning the school's first 5A State Title, and extend the best wishes of the Mississippi Senate to the team, coaches, administration, parents and sponsors for future state championships.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Coach Shannon Knott on behalf of the team, forwarded to Principal Shonique McLaurin and the Lincoln County Board of Education, and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.