West Union sophomore Stella Rhonemus was the high school girls individual champion at last weekend’s Ripley Invitational Cross-Country Meet. (Photo by Wade Linville).
Manchester senior Ryan Butcher-Raines placed second overall in the high school boys race at the August 23 Ripley Invitational. (Photo by Wade Linville)
Peebles senior Grady Myers finished 10th overall in the high school boys race at the Ripley Invitational on August 23. (Photo by Wade Linville)
By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
Cross-country action came to the hills behind Ripley High School as 10 teams sent their squad for an early season challenge on a tough course. It turned out to be a successful day for Coach Donnie McCarty and his West Union Lady Dragons high school girls as they were the champions of the Invitational, placing three runners in the top 10, including the individual champion, sophomore Stella Rhonemus. On the high school boys side, Coach Sean Inman and the Manchester Greyhounds places second in the team standings, led vy senior Ryan Butcher Raines’ second place finish.
Rhonemus was the winner of the high school girls race (35 runners) with a time of 21:08.7, with two teammates joining her in the race’s top 10 finishers- sophomore Ella Shupert was third (21:51.4), junior Lydia Armstrong fourth (23:29.6). Manchester sophomore Leotie Carman also made the top 10, placing eighth with a time of 24:16.6. West Union freshman Tabitha Armstrong was 13th (25:29.2) and North Adams freshman Trinity Bosko finished 14th (25:46.6).
In the high school boys race (53 runners), Butcher-Raines was second overall with his time of 17:43.9 with teammate Ryan Mack placing sixth in a time of `8:22.8. Manchester senior Kaden Hazelwood was ninth at 18:51.5, with Peebles senior Grady Myers 10th with a time of 18:54.9. Peebles sophomore Calen Vogler placed 12th overall in a time of 19:19.9.
In the junior high girls race (84 runners), the top local finisher was North Adams eighth grader Haylee Wheeler, who placed 13th with a time of 13:22.3. The junior high boys race featured a crowded field of 82 runners and the top local finisher was Manchester seventh grader Lucas Applegate, who placed 19th with a time of 12:41,7.
The day on the river also included the always popular elementary races and in the Boys 1-3 grade range, the overall winner was from West Union Elementary, Gunner Hammons (7:16.7) with Manchester Elementary’s Gabriel Arnold second (7:54.4). In the Girls 1-3 race, West Union Elementary’s Aurora Kirker was second with a time of 9:04.5 with Manchester Elementary’s Elizabeth McGowan third at 9:15.3,
In the elementary Boys 4-6 race, Manchester Elementary’s Aveyn Lockhart was second with a time of 6:25.8 while Henry Baker from MES was third at 6:39.1. In the 4-6 Girls race, Manchester’s Jasie Jones was the top runner with a time of 6:46.3.
2025 Ripley Invitational Team Standings
Junior High Girls: Oak Hills 17, Georgetown 72, North Adams 77, Western Brown 99, Eastern Brown 118, Ripley 166, New Richmond 181
Junior High Boys: Western Brown 27, Georgetown 67, Oak Hills 75, Eastern Brown 98, Fayetteville 105
High School Girls: West Union 25, Eastern Brown 54, Bethel-Tate 59, North Adams 76,
High School Boys: Eastern Brown 27, Manchester 44, West Union 81, Ripley 93, Bethel-Tate 112
