By Shannon J. Allen/Sand Mountain Reporter
Alexis Powell excelled in cross country, track and cheerleading for Sardis High School. For college, she chose to pursue a scholarship in cross country.
“I just love running,” said Powell, whose best time for Sardis was 21 minutes over the 3.1-mile, or 5K, cross country course.
Powell found what she was searching for in Kentucky Christian, an NAIA university in Grayson, Kentucky. She signed with the Knights on May 24.
“I was looking at colleges that have cross country teams and they just got it,” Powell said. “They got it last year and ran just one year. Their coach emailed me, and I’ve just been talking to him.”
Joseph Hurtgen is the men’s and women’s cross country coach at KCU.
Powell earned four letters in cross country and five in track for the Lady Lions. She also cheered for Sardis from the seventh grade through her senior year.
Powell qualified for the Alabama High School Athletic Association state track meet five years. As a senior, she advanced to state in the 4×400-meter relay, 400 meter, 200 meter and 100 meter events. She placed fourth in the 200 and seventh in the 400. Her relay team took fifth.
As a senior, Powell helped the Sardis varsity cheerleaders experience their best year ever. The Lady Lions won a second straight UCA Regional championship, claimed the Class 4A state crown and competed in the National High School Cheerleading Championship.
The state title was Sardis’ first in the AHSAA competition.
“It’s been amazing,” Powell said. “We’ve accomplished everything we set our minds to.”
She’s excited about the opportunity to continue her athletic career and expressed gratitude to her mother, Lisa Powell, for her assistance in making it happen.
“I want to thank my mom, because without her I wouldn’t be getting the scholarship,” Powell said. “She’s been talking back and forth to the coach and getting everything together.”
