Manchester’s Leotie Carman and West Union’s Stella Rhonemus battle up the first of the two challenging hills on the Manchester course in last week’s Adams County Meet. Carman ended up winning the high school girls race with Rhonemus finishing second. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
MHS Boys, WUHS Girls take team titles
Manchester senior Ryan Butcher-Raines was the individual champion of the high school boys race at the September 23 Adams County Meet. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
Bragging rights were once again on the line as the cross-country teams from the county gathered on September 23 at Manchester High School to race in the annual Adams County Meet. The course at Manchester High School is a tough one to navigate and the afternoon featured the elementary Fun Run, a combined junior high race and a pair of high school races.
A beautiful, sunny fall day greeted all the runners to the Manchester course and the day began with the always popular elementary Fun Run, for grades 1-3 and 4-6, where the first 15 male and female finishers left with medals draped around their necks. In the 1-3 male division, the top 15 runners were James Arnold, Garrett Tepe, Gabriel Arnold, Morgan Fryman, Zayden Thomas, Kolby O’Hearn, Aiden Gallagher, Everett Rhonemus, Gannen Grooms, Conor Dalton, Degan Kinman, Calvin Gaffin, Brylan Jones, Wyatt Roberts and Kellen Kattine. The 1-3 female winners included Josephine James, Aurora Kirker, Elizabeth McGowen, Maylee Bramblette, Taelyn Newland, Savannah Bosko, Callie Combs, Savannah Lee and Maylee Carter.
In the 4-6 male group, the top runners included Aveyn Lockhart, Kaden Edingfield, Henry Baker, Jack Armstrong, Brantley Davis, Jenson Crabtree, Kayson Hoop, Jessie Combs, Tucker Smith, Aiden Emerson, Harper Newland, Jaxon Flora, Ryan Rothwell, Nick King and Colten Storer. In the 4-6 female race, the medalists were Alayna Lee, Ava Smalley, Arabella Kirker, Serenity Dalton, Trudi Kremin, Amiyah Greene, Grace Glenn, Cora Edmisten, Lydia Skaggs, Avery Stephens, Payge Gould, Kylie Parker, Isabella Webb, Audrey Bolin and Jenna Glenn.
In the junior high girls race with 20 runners, it was North Adams capturing the team title, as the Lady Devils had four of the top five runners in the race. NAJH eighth grader Haylee Wheeler topped all runners with her time of 15:10.6, while teammates Kendall Geeslin and Ellie Armstrong placed second and third respectively with times of 15:27.8 and 16:48.3. North Adams’ Jenna Work finished fifth at 17:54.1 and with the top seven receiving All-County honors, the final three spots went to Peebles seventh grader Dayla Vogler in fourth (16:59.9), Manchester eighth grader Lilly Shope sixth (17:56.6) and Peebles seventh grader Addie Hoop seventh (17:58.5).
The host Greyhounds took the junior high boys team title in a race that included 22 runners. Winning the top spot was Greyhounds’ seventh grader Lucas Applegate in a time of 14:08.6, followed closely by teammate Robert King in second at 14:10.2. Third place also went to the host team, Manchester eighth grader Jackson Roberts with his time of 15:20.9. The remaining medalist and All-County spots went to West Union’s Colton Meade (Fourth, 15:24.8), Manchester’s Konnor Mitchell (Fifth, 15:32.6), Manchester’s Gage Carter (Sixth, 15:45.0) and Peebles’ Zane Van Fleet (Seventh, 16:15.4).
The high school girls race (15 runners) ws an exciting one, with the top two spots being hotly contested by a pair of sophomores, Manchester’s Leotie Carman and West Union’s Stella Rhonemus. In the end, it was Carman defending her home turf and taking first place with a time of 22:28.8, barely defeating Rhonemus who was second at 22:35.6. It was Rhonemus and the Lady Dragons who took home the team title ,however, ending up with four medalists in the race. The Lady Dragons’ Ella Shupert placed third (23:13.6), Lydia Armstrong fourth (23:42.9) and Tabitha Armstrong fifth (25:37.3). The final two All-County spots went to North Adams’ Trinity Bosko, who finished sixth (25:38.7) and Manchester’s Ariel Boldman in seventh (26:36.7).
Finally, the high school boys race capped off the meet and it was the host Greyhounds capturing the team title, putting four runenrs on the All-County team. Winning the race that consisted of 25 runners was Manchester’s Ryan Butcher- Raines, whose first place time of 18:36.4 barely edged out teammate Kaden Hazelwood, who was second at 18:56.4. The final five medals and All-County berths went to Peebles Grady Myers, third at 19:12.5, West Union’s Andrew Daley fourth at 20:07.4, West Union’s Ethan Caldwell fifth at 20:34.6, Manchester’s Landon Doyle sixth at 20:55.3 and Manchester’s Ryan Parker seventh at 20:58.9.
The cross-country teams from West Union, Peebles and North Adams will be participating in the West Union Invitational this Saturday, October 4, beginning at 9 a.m.
2025 Adams County Meet Team Scores
Junior High Girls: North Adams 18, Peebles 43
Junior High Boys: Manchester 17, West Union 49, North Adams 62
High School Girls: West Union 16, North Adams 42
High School Boys: Manchester 22. West Union 37, North Adams 73
