TJ's James Partlow uses finishing kick to put finishing touch on dominant season with first state title
Nov. 12—PARKTON — When James Partlow started running for the Thomas Johnson High boys cross-country team as a freshman, he worried that he wouldn't have a finishing kick in his races.
Gradually, over the last four years, those concerns were alleviated.
kAm"~?46 96 C2? 2 ci'c ,>:=6. =2DE DAC:?8[" 9:D 4@249 2E %y[ {2CCJ ~'w2C2[ D2:5[ "96 H2D =:6 H966=D]'"k^Am
kAm}@H[ E96 7:?:D9:?8 A:@?D9:AD 2E w6C67@C5 w:89 $49@@=]k^Am
kAmr@?E6?5:?8 H:E9 2? F?6IA64E65 492==6?86 7C@> ~=5 |:== ;F?:@C %D6566E6CD 2?5 AF==65 2H2J 7@C 2?@E96C 4@>7@CE23=6 G:4E@CJ :? E96 b\>:=6[ r=2DD cp 3@JD C246 2?5 9:D 7:CDE DE2E6 E:E=6 :? 4C@DD\4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAm!2CE=@H 56D4C:365 E96 G:4E@CJ 2D "2 C6=:67" 27E6C 4C@DD:?8 E96 7:?:D9 =:?6 :? 'd >:?FE6D[ bh]ag D64@?5D — 2=>@DE 2 7F== 7:G6 D64@?5D 29625 @7 y2 :E'D G6CJ 92C5 E@ H:? 2 4C@DD\4@F?ECJ C246 3642FD6 E96C6 :D @?=J @?6 H:??6C[" ~'w2C2 D2:5] "p?5 96 925 E92E >6?E2=:EJ 2== E96 H2J E9C@F89 E96 D62D@?]"k^Am
kAm!2CE=@H H@? 6G6CJ C246 96 6?E6C65 E9:D D62D@?[ :?4=F5:?8 9:89\AC@7:=6 @?6D :? {66D3FC8[ ':C8:?:2[ 2?5 r2C=:D=6[ !6??DJ=G2?:2[ H96? 96 96=5 @77 >@C6 E92? ba_ @E96C CF??6CD :? 3@E9 C246D]k^Am
kAmw:D G:4E@CJ 2E DE2E6D 42AA65 2 C6>2C66E 2D 2 7C6D9>2?[ H96? ?@ DE2E6 >66E H2D 96=5 3642FD6 @7 E96 4@C@?2G:CFD A2?56>:4] w6 7:?:D965 d'DE 2E DE2E6D 2D 2 D@A9@>@C6 :? bp[ 2?5 E96? C@D6 E@ "E9 2D 2 ;F?:@C =2DE D62D@? :? bp]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 96 76=E "2 =@E @7 AC6DDFC6" 8@:?8 :?E@ $2EFC52J'D cp C246]k^Am
kAm"uC@> >JD6=7 9@?6DE=J[" 96 D2:5] "—@F 2C6 E96 72G@C:E6] —@F 2C6 E96 @?6 H9@ D9@F=5 H:? :E] yFDE 8@ @FE 2?5 5@ E92E]"k^Am
kAm~E96C ?@E23=6 C6DF=ED $2EFC52J 7@C uC656C:4r@F?EJ CF??6CD H6C6 EFC?65 :? 3J r2E@4E:? D6?:@C v23C:6= #:=:?8[ H9@ 7:?:D965 D64@?5 :? E96 'p 3@JD C246 W'fi_']'eX 2?5 96=A65 E96 r@F82CD 7:?:D9 D64@?5 :? E96 E62> DE2?5:?8D W'bcX E@ {:36CEJ WagXj %FD42C@C2 D6?:@C yFDE:? q2? DE2?5:?8D W'dgX]k^Am
kAm"x 2> 92AAJ H:E9 ,E96 D62D@?.[" D2:5 #:=:?8[ H9@ 7:?:D965 ?:?E9 @G6C2== :? 'p 7@C r2E@4E:? =2DE D62D@? 369:?5 E62>>2E6 2?5 492>A:@? p=6I2?56C r@?EC6C2D] "q:8 ,A6CD@?2= C64@C5D.] #68:@?2= 492>A:@?] x 2> 92AAJ H:E9 :E]"k^Am
kAmu66=:?8 AC6DDFC6 E@ AC@5F46 2 3C6266E — !2CE=@H 92D 2=D@ 366? 2 E@A 7:?:D96C :? 5:DE2?46 C246D 2E DE2E6D 5FC:?8 E96 :?5@@C 2?5 @FE5@@C EC24D62D@?D H:E9@FE 7:?:D9:?8 7:CDE — 9:D A=2? H2D E@ =6E @E96C CF??6CD D6E E96 A246 2?5 25;FDE 7C@> E96C6]k^Am
kAm"z:?5 @7 =6E 6G6CJ@?6 6=D6 5@ 2== E96 H@C6 5@H? E@ :E[ 8@ 2D 92C5 2D J@F 42? E@ H:?[" !2CE=@H D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 C246 F?7@=565 AC6EEJ >F49 2D 96 6?G:D:@?65[ E9@F89 y2 >F49 =@?86C E92? 96 2?E:4:A2E65]k^Am
kAm"x 925 ?@ :562 96'5 36 DE:46 ,E9C@F89@FE E96 C246.[ 2?5 x @C?:?8 EC2:?:?8 D6DD:@?D @? 72>:=J DF>>6C G242E:@?D] w6 @DE]k^Am
kAm"x ;FDE DE2J65 C6=2I65[ H6?E @FE 2?5 5:5 :E[" 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm}6IE $F?52J[ !2CE=@H H:== CF? :? 2 }:66E :? r2CJ[ }@CE9 r2C@=:?2[ H:E9 E96 9@A6D @7 A=24:?8 :? E96 E@A 7@FC 2?5 BF2=:7J:?8 7@C E96 ?2E:@?2= 4C@DD\4@F?ECJ >66E :? !@CE=2?5[ ~C68@?[ :? 62C=J s646>36C]k^Am
kAm"(6 E9:?96 92D 2 8@@5 D9@E @7 5@:?8 :E[" ~'w2C2 D2:5]k^Am
Follow Greg Swatek on Twitter: @greg_swatek