By Mark Carpenter-
The cross-country course behind Ripley High School was the site of this year’s Southern Hills Athletic Conference Meet as a chilly early October 12 morning on the river greeted the runners from the conference in a meet which began bright and early at 9 a.m. It turned out to be a memorable day for the Middle School Girls squad from West Union as the Lady Dragons, led by the usual dynamic duo of Sadie Armstrong and Sara Boldman, were one point better in the final standings than county rival North Adams, thereby capturing the 2019 SHAC title.
The top 10 runners in the middle school girls race, which consisted of 41 runners, was dominated by Adams County schools, claiming seven of those spots. Armstrong placed second behind winner Macy Etienne of Lynchburg, coming down the chute in a time of 12:47. North Adams McKenna Shelton was close behind in third at 12:47, with Boldman fourth at 12:55.
Also placing in the top 10 of the middle school girls race were Samantha Seas (Peebles, 6th), Katelynn Boerger (North Adams, 8th), Hunter Grooms (North Adams, 9th), and Tatum Grooms (North Adams, 10th).
In the Middle School Boys competition of 51 runners, a pair of Adams County runners placed in the top 10- North Adams eighth grader Cody Hesler was second behind winner Weston Blair of Whiteoak. Hesler’s time in the two-mile race was 11:11 and he was joined in the top 10 by West Union eighth grader Landen Fulton who finished fourth with a time of 11:25.
In the SHAC high school races (3.1 miles on a tough Ripley course), the top 15 runners are recognized as All-Conference and in the high school girls competition (42 runners), one third of those honorees will be from Adams County schools, led by Peebles sophomore Katy Seas, who was second overall in a time of 20:25. Right behind Seas in third place was West Union sophomore Addie Shupert at 20:58 and it should be a good rivalry between those two for the next couple of seasons.
Peebles senior Alisan Behr, who will next fall be walking the hallowed grounds of West Point, was sixth in Saturday’s high school girls race with a time of 21:59, while West Union claimed the ninth and 10th spots with freshman Makenna Armstrong (22:26) and senior Anna Shupert (22:31) respectively.
Sixty five runners began the High School Boys race, and at its conclusion, two runners from Adams County earned the All-Conference honors. West Union’s Steven Runyan continued his solid senior campaign with a sixth place finish in the SHAC, completing the course in a time of 17:39. Joining Runyan on the All-SHAC squad will be Peebles junior Bryce Willoughby, who grabbed the 15th and final spot with a time of 19:12.
The high school runners from the SHAC will now turn their attention to the district competition, which will take place this Saturday, Oct.19 at Rio Grande University. Runners will be looking to advance out of the districts and on to the regional competition the following Saturday in Pickerington.
All of the runners who made the All-SHAC squads will be honored at the Fall Sports Awards at North Adams High School on Oct. 28.
2019 SHAC Team Standings:
Middle School Girls: West Union 38, North Adams 39, Whiteoak 77, Fairfield 107, Eastern Brown 119, Ripley 119
Middle School Boys: Lynchburg 47, Fairfield 61, North Adams 70, Whiteoak 81, Ripley 95
High School Girls: Eastern Brown 29, Fairfield 49, West Union 50, Ripley 106
High School Boys: Fairfield 22, Eastern Brown 82, Whiteoak 88, West Union 95, Peebles 99, Ripley 149, Manchester 160
Individual Finishes:
Middle School Girls
West Union- Miley Smith (11th), Leena Blanton (14th), Skylan Pennington (17th), Allie McCarty (18th)
North Adams- Ryleigh Collett (19th), Taylor Shelton (22nd)
Peebles- Kayley Edmisten (39th)
Manchester- Gabrielle Arnett (31st), Addimae Padgett (36th)
Middle School Boys
North Adams- Connor Young (17th), Jimmy Hickey (18th), Kyzer Fannin (21st), Breestin Schweickert (30th), Levi Jones (32nd), Caleb DeAtley (40th)
West Union- Carson Brinker (14th), Chase Taylor (16th), Darius Davis (28th)
Manchester- Grant McClanahan (25th)
High School Girls
Peebles- Lexington Shiveley (31st)
West Union- Alexa Rowe (21st), Maddie Taylor (23rd), Christian Shivener (25th), Katrina Boldman (28th), Kendra Grooms (32nd), Katie Fulton (38th)
North Adams- Marcy Shupert (39th), Kate Jones (40th)
High School Boys
West Union- Ethan Prather (17th), Jai-Michael Knox (23rd), Braxton Blanton (28th), Evan DiBiaso (30th), Grant McCarty (32nd), Josh Chitwood (55th)
Peebles- Kyle Lightner (16th), Hayden Crum (22nd), Carter Vogler (27th), Braden Arrasmith (29th)
North Adams- Trenton McCann (43rd), Drew Reid (46th)
Manchester- Declan Huron (21st), Daryan Rigsby (34th), Anthony Young (35th), Carver Morgan (37th), Connor Florence (50th), Bradyn Jones (53rd), Jordan Bowman (58th)
