44 local runners impress at OSSAA Cross-Country State Championships

Nov. 3—A contingent of 44 runners from Rogers County schools showcased their electrifying speed and endurance at the Oklahoma Secondary School Athletics Association (OSSAA) Cross-Country State Championships held last Saturday at Edmond Santa Fe.

Their thunderous strides echoed across the grounds as they competed across four classes and seven exhilarating races in cold, windy and rainy conditions.

CLASS 5A

In the Class 5A girls event, Claremore's junior standout Emma Robinson exhibited a stunning performance, slashing nearly 32 seconds off her regional qualifier time to clock a new 5K personal best of 20 minutes and 14.40 seconds, securing the 14th spot among 105 runners and garnering All-State honors.

The Lady Zebras claimed the 11th place among 14 teams with 231 points, their top-five runners averaging 21:55.64.

The remaining Claremore runners showcased their best efforts, with Eleanor Isaacs finishing 42nd overall (34th in scoring) at 21:38.72, Tylea Jones securing 53rd overall (44th in scoring) at 21:57.36, Addison Hamilton at 80th overall (67th in scoring) with a time of 22:41.36 and Chloe Grubbs at 88th overall (74th in scoring) timing in at 23:06.38. Abbie Douthitt and Lillian Miles completed the Lady Zebra squad.

Lincoln Christian won the team championship with 45 points and an average time of 19:43.51 thanks to Tennyson Housley and Baylee Woodrich, who placed first and second in 18:28.41 and 18:53.08, respectively.

In the boys category, Claremore's Gabriel Rodriguez improved significantly, clocking in at 16:54.60 to clinch the 32nd place out of 111 runners and 28th among eligible point earners. The team placed 10th among 14 teams with 263 points.

Other key contributors to Claremore's team performance included Devyn Llewellyn, who finished 55th overall (46th in scoring) with a time of 17:34.43, and Adrian Reyes, who secured the 59th overall position (50th in scoring) with a time of 17:37.21.

The team's scoring lineup also featured Levi Craig (17:42.02) and Sawyer Beller (18:22.14), while Patrick Mitchell (19:21.53) and Chason Sisovsky (19:29.71) rounded out the squad.

The team championship in the Class 5A boys' race was claimed by Lincoln Christian, which secured victory with 62 points and an average time of 16:34.12. The individual race was won by Trae Baker of Tahlequah, who crossed the finish line in 15:41.26.

In all, 12 of the 14 Claremore runner achieved personal bests.

CLASS 4A

In the girls' 2-mile race, Verdigris secured 18th place of 20 teams with a total of 401 points.

The Lady Cardinals' point scorers included Josefina Melkova, who finished 45th overall (39th in scoring) of 162 runners with a time of 13:26.54. Zoe Stout followed closely, securing the 73rd overall position (63rd in scoring) and timing in at 13:50.60.

Leonor Palacios (14:37.08), Riley Abel (14:42.64) and Hannah Ross (14:43.34) completed the point-scoring lineup, while Harper Davidson (15:27.04) and Anniston Moseley (15:37.93) served as displacers for the team.

Pauls Valley won the team championship with 78 points and an average time of 12:30.45, lead by first-, second- and fifth-place finishes from Kenzi Readnour (11:57.44), Keira Readnour (11:58.93) and Isabella Gutierrez (12:08.97).

In the boys 5K race, Verdigris' collective effort earned them the 20th place of 21 teams with a total of 483 points.

The Cardinals had a solid lineup of runners, with point scorers including Carter Gibson, who secured the 62nd overall position (55th in scoring) with a time of 17:55.80. Michael Prewitt followed closely, finishing 88th overall (81st in scoring) and timing in at 18:25.44.

Nyc Genay (19:07.15), Jude Tyson (19:40.85) and Cayden Sappington (20:36.24) rounded off the point-scoring lineup, and Mason Sappington (20:36.24) and Joseph Pruitt (21:21.06) were displacers.

Elsewhere, Oologah's Ty Lewis placed 118th with a time of 19:03.79.

Bethany secured the team championship in the boys' category with 94 points and an average time of 16:52.73. The individual title went to Regent Prep's Clay McKinney, who competed against 163 other runners.

CLASS 3A

Chelsea's girls competed against 19 other teams in the Class 3A 2-mile race, finishing in the 13th position with a total of 347 points.

The Lady Green Dragons' point scorers included Natalie Lopez, who finished 37th overall (33rd in scoring) with a time of 13:31.30. Bryonna Wisdom followed closely, securing the 69th overall position (57th in scoring) at 14:06.36.

Maddie Hillburn (14:12.94), Jaclyn Draeger (14:38.39) and Avery Lawhorn (15:39.96) completed the point-scoring lineup, and Zoee Smith (16:16.11) and Jewell Hubler (16:59.81) rounded out the team as displacers.

Metro Christian claimed the team championship with 70 points and an average time of 12:48.14. Its top runner, Ryleigh Hodges, won the race in a time of 12:02.36.

In the boys 5K race, Sequoyah's collective effort earned them the last position among the 21 teams with 555 points, highlighting the intense competition it faced.

The Eagles point scorers included Wyatt Thompson, who secured the 121st overall position (103rd in scoring) with a time of 20:34.57. Luke Wood followed closely, finishing 122nd overall (104th in scoring) in 20:34.89.

The team's scoring lineup also featured Austin Galvan (20:39.62), Roman Henson (21:10.09) and Gregorio Morales (21:35.70), while Gauge Patterson (21:55.82) and Andre Geiger (24:24.66) finished as displacers.

Casady secured the team championship with 47 points and an average time of 16:51.91. The individual title was claimed by Community Christian's Levi Haynes, who triumphed over 166 other runners in 16:21.12.

CLASS 2A

Foyil's Dalton Ward, running individually in the Class 2A boys 5K race, secured the 91st place among 156 runners with a time of 19:20.37 in what was his first season running cross-country.

Brayden Cowan of Watonga won the race in 16:22.84.