CROSS COUNTRY RUNNERS HAVE SPORTING INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF BJHS

When conference junior high girls hit the cross country trail in Danville for the district meet Tuesday, there will be only two sporting a Booneville uniform.

The duo is Zayla Honey and Pheobe Adair.

The two, who are both eighth say they just cannot convince anyone that running is a fun sport.

“No one really likes running,” said Adair.

“They say it’s too hard to run that much,” adds Honey.

That’s okay, the girls are used to going it alone and, they aren’t afraid to be involved in a sport or activity some may think extreme, difficult, or at even different.

Besides running cross country Adair has developed an interest in martial arts and grappling while Honey is an accomplished soccer player.

Of course neither of those are under the school district’s umbrella of sports options but they say the cross country practice comes in handy for their other sporting interests.

Adair said she had a friend guide her into the martial arts area through kickboxing but she soon decided she was more enthused with jujitsu.

Competitions are sporadic, the next being in November.

“We practice in Ozark and whoever wants to go (to a competition) does. There’s a grappling federation and we’ll have a bunch of kids go,” said Adair. “There’s one coming up in Springdale.”

She’s also been to an event in Tulsa. There Adair placed second in both disciplines of wearing and not wearing a gi, essentially the dress uniform.

Adair practices on Monday, Wednesdays, and even Thursdays when a competition is drawing near.

Her fellow students at Booneville Junior High don’t always understand what Adair is talking about when she speaks of grappling.

“They think it’s wrestling, and it is some, but there’s defensive strategies. They are surprised,” she said.

Matches for Adair may find her pitted “against a guy or a girl.”

Besides cross country at Booneville Junior High, Adair helps out with the basketball teams as a manager.

For Honey there are games on most weekends. She plays in a Hispanic league that uses Hunts Park in Fort

Honey also plays in a river valley league that uses the fields at Ben Geren.

“I started soccer when I was really little but I actually had a pretty good skill for it,” said Honey “I wanted to take it to the next level. Fort Smith is the closest club to us.

“The Hispanic league is like the best of the best players around here and they invited me.”

Being accustomed to running helps when she is on the left wing, but Honey’s main job as a soccer player is that of goaltender. She pitched a shutout in a recent U14 (born in 2009 and 2010) competition under Friday night lights.

Participation, Honey said, requires up to four trips per week for practices, besides the games, which may run through Sunday or even include a Thursday night.

“It’s a lot of gas,” Honey said.

Like a lot of youngsters involved in sports, Honey wants to keep progressing. She has high hopes, as in a profession of soccer.