South Haven News

By Jayden Woodfin

The 2025 cross country season raced by this year as South Haven athletes Annabelle Burden (senior,) Addison Heater (senior,) Avery Strickland (junior,) Mason Noll (junior,) Carlee Heater (freshman,) Landon Goeckel (freshman,) Colt Ferguson (sixth grade,) and Owen Strickland (sixth grade) practiced, ran, and competed across the state. They were led by head coach Joe Halling and assistant coach Jonathan Pettyjohn.

This was Pettyjohn’s third year coaching the South Sumner Cross Country team, but his experience in running goes much farther back. He started running in sixth grade track, continued into eighth grade cross country, and even competed in college. That long history with the sport, and the passion for supporting young athletes in it, shines through in all he does.

Pettyjohn described the season as “great,” praising the team as a hardworking group of students who ran fast and supported each other even while dealing with several injuries throughout the year.

One meet seemed to impress him more than the others: at Central Burden, the high school girls ran as one tight, cohesive pack. Pettyjohn called the moment “awesome to watch,” clearly proud of how the athletes pushed and supported each other.

The thing that made him most proud this year wasn’t some specific race or time; it was watching the athletes work hard, challenge themselves, and grow stronger. What matters most to him is “seeing them do their hardest, pushing harder, and running faster toward success.”

When asked what he is hoping to improve on as a coach, he shared his aspiration to grow in the area of injury care. He hopes to continue learning more about taping, stretching, and helping runners heal so they can stay healthy throughout the season.

Coach Pettyjohn also has high hopes for the future of the program. He believes that the Caldwell boys’ team will continue to grow stronger. He also hopes to see more South Haven girls join next season, especially with two senior girls graduating this year. He hopes to take more athletes to state.

When he was asked why he decided to coach cross country, he described that running has always been a major part of his life. He ran in college and wanted to give back to the sport he loves. He also mentioned wanting to, in part, honor Aliva Bacon, who inspired him and shared the same passion towards running.

He says coaching is both challenging and rewarding. “It’s kinda like teaching; there are good days and there are not-so-good days,” he explained, but the impact on the athletes makes it all worth it. For anyone interested in joining cross country, Coach Pettyjohn has one message: Reach out. “If CC is something that interests you, make sure you reach out to a runner or coach. We will try to convince you.”