The North Adams Junior High girls placed second overall in the 2025 Southern Hills Athletic Conference Cross-Country Meet. From left, Jenna Work, Lucy Meade, layla Martin, Haylee Wheeler, Brynley Bradford, Ellie Armstrong, Kendall Geeslin and Reagan McAdams. Not pictured- Addison Spiller and Chloe Cox. (photo provided by Southern Hills Athletic Conference)
MHS boys second in high school race
The West Union High School girls cross-country team won the team championship at the October 11 Southern Hills Athletic Conference Meet. Front row, from left,Lydia Armstrong, Raeghan Rothwell and Stella Rhonemus; Back row, from left, Tess Holloway (Assistant Coach), Aubree Hoop, T.J. Armstrong, Kaylee Vogler, Emma Crawford, Nina McCann, Ella Shupert and Head Coach Donnie McCarty. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
Favorites going in and champions coming out. For the third consecutive year, the West Union Lady Dragons and Coach Donnie McCarty are the champions of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference Cross-Country Meet. This year’s meet was held at Ripley High School on a brisk October 11 morning and the Lady Dragons not only had the 2025 individual champion and the top three runners overall, they placed five girls on the All-Conference Team (top 15 runners).
It was West Union sophomore Ella Shupert who led the field of 34 runners across the finish line, becoming the SHAC champion with her time of 20:24.08. In second place was the Lady Dragons’ junior Lydia Armstrong at 20:37.7 with West Union sophomore Stella Rhonemus third with her time of 21:06.2. Joining that trio on the All-SHAC Team were freshman Tabitha Armstrong, who placed seventh in a time of 22:54.2, along with senior Emma Crawford finishing 10th at 23:18.9.
“With four of my top five runners coming back this season, I knew the potential our team was going to have,” said West Union head coach Donnie McCarty. “They have put in a lot of work to be able to win the conference race again this year. Hopefully we can keep that momentum going as we move into the postseason.”
That quintet from West Union were joined on the All-Conference Team by five other countians. Manchester sophomore Leotie Carman was fourth overall in a time of 21:24.2, while North Adams freshman Trinity Bosko placed sixth with her time of 22:27.9. Manchester junior Ariel Boldman was 11th in a time of 23:25.2 and teammate, junior Maddie Napier was 14th at 24:25.4. Grabbing the final All-SHAC spot was North Adams junior Emma Thatcher, 15th with a time of 24:25.7.
In the high school boys race (57 runners), the Manchester Greyhounds finished second overall in the team standings, behind first place Lynchburg and placed a trio of runners in the top 15, led by senior Ryan Butcher-Raines who placed fourth with his time of 17:15.4. Joining Butcher-Raines on the All-Conference Team were fellow Greyhounds Kaden Hazelwood (10th, 18:21.4) and Elijah Crabtree (14th, 16:26.4).
Also earning All-Conference honors were Peebles senior Gray Myers, who placed ninth in a time of 18:19.1, West Union junior Andrew Daley, who finished 11th in a time of 18:21.8, and Peebles sophomore Calen Vogler, 13th at 18:22.3.
In the junior high girls race, consisting of 43 runners, the North Adams squad placed second overall in the team standings behind champion Fairfield. The Lady Devils placed four runners in the top 15, led by seventh grade Kendall Geeslin, who came down the chute in fourth place in a time of 13:26.5. Geeslin was joined in the top 15 by teammates Haylee Wheeler (5th, 13:31.1), Jenna Work (7th, 14:23,4), and Ellie Armstrong (10th, 14:44.8).
Also finishing in the top 15 were Manchester’s Ellie Shope, who was 13th in a time of 15:18.4 and West Union’s Ashlynn Barnhart, who placed 15th with a time of 15:32.5.
The most populated race of the morning was the junior high boys with 55 runners and the Manchester boys managed a third place team finish, behind champion Fairfield and second-place Lynchburg. The Greyhounds had just a single runner in the top 15, seventh grader Robert King placing 10th in a time of 12:55.6. Also making it into the top 15 was Peebles’ Banner Tolle, who finished 15th in a time of 13:18.8.
The SHAC meet ended the local season for the junior high runners but the high school runner will be setting their sights on the postseason and the district meets coming up this Saturday at Rio Grande University. where the West Union and Manchester girls will be looking to defend their 2024 district championships.
2025 SHAC XC Team Scores
JH Girls: Fairfield- 30, North Adams- 38, Eastern Brown- 60, Ripley- 88
JH Boys: Fairfield- 23, Lynchburg- 54, Eastern Brown- 62, Manchester- 86, Peebles- 127, West Union- 159, Ripley- 177
HS Girls: West Union- 17, Eastern Brown- 67, Whiteoak- 70, Fairfield- 71
HS Boys: Lynchburg- 31, Manchester- 66, Eastern Brown- 72, West Union- 118, Whiteoak- 125, Ripley- 148, Fairfield- 152
