October 10, 2025
BY JOHN BAILEY
The 32nd annual John F. Hall Catawba County United Way Cross Country Invitational was held Wednesday at Southside Park in Newton with more than 280 runners representing 19 teams from across the region competing.
Along with providing an opportunity for local athletes to compete in a first-class meet, teams are required to give back to their communities through service projects.
The Rotary Club of Hickory provides monetary rewards for the top three judged projects, which teams can have paid to a nonprofit of their choice.
1st Place: T.C. Roberson High School
The team partnered with the T.C. Roberson Preschool Program to help with the creation of a new preschool library. They organized a book drive to stock the shelves, read to the preschoolers and had a relay.
2nd Place: Hibriten High School
The team worked on reading skills with students in the exceptional children’s classroom. Through October, members of the team will partner with an individual EC student to read a short story together.
3rd Place Freedom High School
The team tutored and helped support students at Glen Alpine, a feeder elementary school that has some academically high needs students. They worked with kids at all grade levels.
Race Results
Boys Championship – Top Three
1 Brooks Roslonski - T.C. Roberson - 16:36.66
2 Alex Davis - T.C. Roberson - 16:43.19
3 Jack Anderson - T.C. Roberson - 17:06.04
Girls Championship – Top Three
1 Elisabeth Sawdy - Patton - 19:31.87
2 Ama Higgs – Hibriten - 20:53.55
3 Layla McGuire - Patton - 21:06.41
Boys Invitational – Top Three
1 Elijah Baker - East Burke - 17:26.98
2 Austin Whittington – Hibriten - 18:47.76
3 Anderson Wise - West Lincoln - 18:57.40
Girls Invitational – Top Three
1 Madison Sledge - University Christian High - 20:03.94
2 Jade Gonzales-Cardenas - St. Stephens - 21:17.35
3 Olivia Demoss - T.C. Roberson - 21:38.04
Top Three Teams – Boys Championship
1 T.C. Roberson
2 Asheville
3 St. Stephens
Top Three Teams – Girls Championship
1 T.C. Roberson
2 St. Stephens
3 Patton
For full meet results visit - https://nc.milesplit.com/meets/704388-john-f-hall-united-way-cc-invitational-2025/results
A Day of Firsts
This was the first year the NC School for the Deaf competed at the United Way Cross Country Invitational, and the first time in 75 years that the school fielded a team at any meet. It was also the first time the school had a girls’ team in cross country. The school also hosted a visit from this year’s special guest.
Special Event Guest
This year’s special guest was Debra Shofstahl, who shared the story of Sue Thomas, who passed away in 2022.
At 18 months old, Thomas became profoundly deaf. Despite her loss of hearing, she learned to speak and read lips, became a champion skater, an accomplished pianist, college graduate and a special agent for the FBI. Her skills as a lip reader with the FBI became the basis for TV series in the early 2000s. Thomas also started Operation Silent Night, which works to feed and provide clothing and other resources to the unsheltered.
Learn more about Sue Thomas’s community outreach efforts - https://suethomasministries.org/operation-silent-night/.
Thank You...Thank You
The Catawba County United Way thanks this year’s sponsors who ensure the CCUW is able to provide this invitational to area schools every year:
· Big Kahuna Timing
· Catawba Valley Health System
· CT Management
· Dave and Angela Hamilton
· Hickory Rotary
· H.T. Hackney
· Hickory Metro Sports Commission
· Lenoir Rhyne University
· Premier Screen Printing
· Publix
· Sharp Business Systems
· True Energy
The CCUW also thanks the nearly two dozen volunteers from our community and the Rotary Club of Hickory who helped make sure this year’s event was a success.
More Photos at - https://www.ccunitedway.com/2025-john-f-hall-catawba-county-united-way-cross-country-invitational