Emerging from the fog along the river banks, Peebles’ Matt Seas makes his way along the course in Ripley on his way to another SHAC cross-country individual title.

Peebles family also has a junior high champion – 

By Mark Carpenter – 
Photos by Kaiajade – 

It was certainly another banner day for the “running” Seas family of Peebles in the Saturday, Oct. 14 Southern Hills Athletic Conference Cross-Country meet, held on the hilly course at Ripley High School. With the 10 schools of the conference all represented at both the high school and junior high levels, it was the Seas siblings taking home a trio of individual titles, with Matt and Jenny claiming high school championships, and younger sister Katy taking home the junior high girls crown.
Because of commitments to other sports that afternoon in this unusually busy time of year, the two high school races were held first and in the early morning fog along the Ohio River, a contingent of 86 high school boys began at the start line and it was Matt Seas leading them all across the finish line with a time of 16:13, just edging out Fairfield’s Matthew Mangus, who hit the chute at 16:17. After Seas winning, the race was totally dominated by Fairfield, who placed an unprecedented 10 runners in the top 15 and thereby on the All-Conference team. It was the seventh consecutive season that the Lions have captured the SHAC high school boys crown.
West Union senior Adam Fulton barely missed out on the All-Conference list as he placed 16th with a time of 17:50, just one-hundredth of a second behind the 15th place finisher, Fairfield’s Blake Haines. The next highest finisher from an Adams County school was Manchester’s Ethan Pennywitt, who has battled through a tough senior campaign and placed 20th with a time of 18:47.
As it is many times when Jenny Seas is on the course, the high school girls race was a “no-contest” as Seas again cruised to victory in a time of 18:04, far ahead of second place finisher Cierra Colwell of Fairfield, who came in at 19:52. The race featured 55 runners.
The Girls All-Conference Team will also have six more representatives from Adams County, beginning with West Union sophomore Anna Shupert, who placed third in a time of 20:48. Peebles’ Abby Faulkner was eighth at 21:38 with Manchester’s Billie Kinhalt ninth with a time of 21:45. Peebles took the 13th and 14th spots, with Alisan Behr 13th at 22:21 and Kierra Stone 14th at 22:25. The 15th and final All-SHAC spot went to North Adams senior Adison Wright, who completed the race in a time of 22:39.

Manchester’s Austin Stamper navigates his way uphill during the Oct. 14 SHAC Cross-County Meet, held at Ripley High School.

The high school girls team titles went to Eastern Brown, with their top runner being Camryn Pickerill who was fourth (20:53). Peebles placed third, West Union fourth, North Adams fifth, and Manchester sixth.
In the junior high races, the top 10 runners were awarded medals and in junior high boys, that group included only a single Adams County runner, Peebles eighth grader Bransyn Hopkins, who placed ninth with a time of 11:55. West Union’s Cameron Campbell was 15th with a time of 12:04. The junior high boys team crown went to Fairfield , who looks as if they won’t miss a beat at the high school level when 2018 rolls around, with three eighth grade runners in the top 10.
It has been an interesting battle all season in the junior high girls’ races between Peebles’ Katy Seas and Manchester’s McKenzie Morrison. In the SHAC race on Saturday, it was Seas again getting the best in the battle, winning the SHAC title in a time of 11:53, with Morrison second at 12:15, both receiving medals for their efforts. Another medal went to West Union’s Adelyn Shupert, who placed sixth with her time of 13:09. One more Adams County runner earned a spot as an SHAC medalist, North Adams1 Ainsley Grooms finishing seventh with her time of 13:21.
The junior high girls team title went to Eastern Brown, with Fairfield second, West Union third, and North Adams fourth.
For the junior high runners, the SHAC meet marked the end of their 2017 season, but the high school runners will be competing in the district tournament this weekend at Rio Grande with the older Seas siblings looking to again make the trip to the OHSAA State cross-Country Meet.