SCHLUP EARNS MEDAL AT TOM STUTHARD SAMPEDE

In a meet that drew runners from three states, Abi Schlup placed 18th in the senior girls division and the Bearcats placed fifth as a team in the senior boys division of the Tom Stuthard Stampede in Acorn Tuesday.

Schlup ran the 5000-meter race in 26:50.5 and earned a medal for her performance.

Cora Nichols was the only other Lady Bearcat in attendance and finished near the middle of the 92 runner field.

Five runners are needed for a team score.

For the senior boys it was Taylor Shaver (shown) leading the way with a time of 21:00.9 for 24th in the 105 runner field.

Nathan Hicks was 35th overall at 22:22.1, Devon Ritchie was almost perfectly in the middle of the pack at 24:03.5.

Cooper Lentz and Aayden Hill completed the Bearcat scoring. with Brendan Hubble in the tiebreaker spot.

The placements among schools with five runners gave the Bearcats 143 points, behind only Mena an De Queen from Arkansas as the second place school was from Oklahoma (Heavener) and the third place school was from Louisiana (Airline).

The junior boys division featured a division best 148 runners and the Bearcats, whose oldest runners are eighth graders, were led by Jaydon Walker with a time of 10:08.1 over the 2500-meter course.

Walker was 50th overall and Leo Vasquez and Parker Sing finished in succession in 82nd and 83rd, with Kipton Jones just four places back, and Parker Schlup completing the scoring.

Also running were Breckyn Denton and Levi Porter.

As is the case with junior boys, the Junior High Lady Bearcats also had a team contingent of eighth and seventh graders and were led by Aleena Guajardo, one of the seventh graders, who ran the course in 16:23.4.

Laken Freeman, Elizabeth Carter, Camrie Day and Brooklyn Adair also finished the course to complete the scoring in a field of 121 runners.

The next race for the cross country teams is set for next Tuesday in Danville.