Times drop with temps at latest meet

Cooler weather - finally brought with it some prime running conditions.

KingfisherHighSchool’s runners responded.

Kingfisher was second and Hennessey fifth in the girls race last Saturday at the OBA/Chisholm High School Cross Country Invitational.

KHS tallied 78 points while Hennessey scored 161 in the 14-team field.

The team title was won by Hooker, which totaled only 41 points.

Hooker is the defending Class 2A state champion and is ranked No. 1 in that class this season.

This race was the closest Kingfisher has been to full strength all season, but it was the times the runners clocked that had coach Kerri Lafferty excited.

“It was a great day for us all the way around,” Lafferty said. “Everyone ran their best time. It was PR’s across the board. Girls. Boys. They all had a great day.”

All of Kingfisher’s scoring runners were 26th or better in a race with 142 competitors.

Chesni Newkirk led the way with a 14th-place finish.

She was 10th among scoring runners and crossed the finish line of the two-mile race in 12:42.28.

It was the first time she’d broken the 13:00 mark.

“She absolutely crushed it,” Lafferty said of the junior.

Scout Snodgrass was one spot behind Newkirk in 12:43.75. Junior Peyton Walker was 20th (16th) in 13:09.44. Terry-Ann McCully placed 24th (20th) and Harper Evans 26th (21st).

Liberty Starr ran for the first time this year after being one of the team’s top runners last season. Starr placed 46th in just

over 14:00. “We are dropping times and that’s the most important thing,” Lafferty said. “That’s what we need to do this time of year.” KHS is ranked seventh in Class 4A.

Hennessey is currently sixth in Class 3A.

The Lady Eagles saw three freshmen cross the finish line first.

Tayler Franklin was 33rd (27th) in 13:35.43 while Jocelyn Matousek placed right behind her in 13:37.00.

Emma Sipe took 40th (33rd) in 13:53.18.

Taryn Jech finished 42nd (34th) and Jamie Torres 49th (39th).

The meet also featured a “small school” race that saw Lomega take third.

Balko won that team title with 43 points. Deer Creek-Lamont was second with 64, two points better than Lomega.

Sophomore Kate Myers paced the Lady Raiders with a fifth-placed (third) finish in 13:58.47.

Monse Rivera was 16th (11th) and Hadley Ott 18th (13rd) to give Lomega three runners in the top-20.

Jackets also improve times

Kingfisher’s boys were 14th in a 16-team field among the large schools.

KHS totaled 329 points. Bethany won the meet with 54, 25 points better than runner-up Chisholm.

The Jackets were led by Coleman Gilles, who was 42nd out of 153 runners.

He ran the 5 kilometer track in 18:49.50.

It was the first time Gilles has been able to go lower than 19:00.

“The guys continue to work hard and it keeps paying off for them,” Lafferty said.

Sophomore Conner Askey was 69th (62nd) and Wyatt Long 70th (63rd) for KHS.

Lomega boys were second in the small-school race with 44 points. Timberlake won it with 18.

Jonah Pendergraft led the Raiders by placing 12th (fifth) in 19:51.50.

Austin Chestnut was two spots behind Pendergraft.

••• The middle school girls saw Kingfisher take third in the team race.

The Lady Jackets had 94 points.

Laverne won with 53 and OKC Knights were second with 79.

Hennessey was ninth with 223.

Lily Lunsford was third individually in the 2,500 meter race.

She crossed the line in 9:50.81.

Kinley Taylor was seventh (6th) in 10:09.75.

Julianne Matousek was Hennessey’s top runner as she placed 17th (13th) in 10:49.31.

••• In the middle school boys, Hennessey was eighth out of 11 teams.

Gabriel Roman finished fourth (third) to lead the Eagles. He ran the two-mile course in 11:42.09.

Kingfisher didn’t field a full team. Brantley Johnson was tops among the Jacket runners as he was 74th in 14:05.66.