In the photo to the left, Fairbanks’ Caleb Wenger finishes down the stretch of the high school boys race at the FHS invitational. In the photo to the right, Lady Panther Rachael Hoover passes Triad’s Shalyn Smiles during the high school girls race. Hoover took top honors among high school girls. Smiles placed eighth. (Journal-Tribune photos by Tim Miller)
Rachael Hoover of Fairbanks was far and away the best high school girls runner on Tuesday when FHS hosted its annual cross-country invitational.
Hoover toured the course at Fairbanks High School with a top effort of 20:57.9.
That bettered the runner-up time of 21:44.8 turned in by Mira Martin of the Columbus School for Girls.
CSG captured top team honors in the girls race with 61 points.
The Lady Panthers were second with 69, based on their fifth-best runner’s time.
That athlete, Kayden Fields, was clocked in 30:53.7 for FHS.
London also tallied a score of 69.
The Red Raiders’ fifth-best runner did not finish.
Centerburg finished with 82, followed by Mechanicsburg-88 and Wellington-128.
Triad did not have enough runners to qualify for a team score.
Other Lady Panther results were as follows:
-Adeline Thrush, fifth, 22:40.5; Kathrine Larsen, 17th, 25:03.9; Kinley Green, 18th, 25:13.1; Fields, 40th, 30:53.7; and Alondra Bosworth, 47th, 33:52.5.
Shalyn Smiles of Triad was eighth in 22:52.3; followed by Tabitha Gaier, 39th, 30:52.5.
Centerburg tallied 42 points to win the high school boys race.
Marion Harding was second with 58, followed by Mechanicsburg-63, Wellington-108, Triad-123 and Fairbanks-129.
Panther results were as follows:
-Caleb Wenger, 12th, 19:44.5; Nathan Parks, 24th, 21:25.8; Cameron Nisly, 31st, 22:16.1; Nicholas Powell, 37th, 22:56.9; and Bryce Nisly, 39th, 23:24.3.
Wyatt Robison was Triad’s top runner with a tenth place effort of 19:33.4.
He was followed by Joe Ferguson, 19th, 20:18; Luke Ford, 32nd, 22:17.9; Jacob Haser, 34th, 22:29.8; and Char Harrington, 52nd, 25:53.2.
London won the middle school boys race with 54 points, followed by Mechanicsburg-57, Wellington-69, Fairbanks-76 and St. Michael-77.
JJ Meihls of Fairbanks was the runner-up with a time of 12:39.4.
CC Schultz of Mechanicsburg broke the tape during that race with a clocking of 11:58.9.
Mechanicsburg and Fairbanks were first and second in the middle school girls race with respective point totals of 31 and 33.
London tallied 71 and St. Michael notched 79.
Mara Vicari of Fairbanks placed second to Isabelle Rodgers of Mechanicsburg.
Rodgers turned in a time of 13:31.5, while Vicari was on her heels at 13:34.2.