TOTAL TEAM EFFORT

Turns out, Kerri Lafferty has more than one underclassman to be excited about.

Lafferty’s girls team won its second cross country meet in as many tries this season as the Lady Jackets claimed their own Kingfisher Cross Country Invitational on Saturday at Briscoe Park.

They tallied just 30 points to beat eight other teams in the field.

Oklahoma Christian School was the runner-up with 65 points while Hennessey managed to take third place with 101, 10 points better than Weatherford.

Leading Kingfisher’s charge was junior Chesni Newkirk, who ran the twomile course in 13:34.97, which was good for fifth place out of 105 total runners.

Two of the runners ahead of Newkirk- including winner Lilly Woolery - weren’t on full teams, meaning Newkirk’s team points placing was third.

Perhaps the surprise of the meet was freshman Harper Evans, who finished on Newkirk’s heels in sixth (fourth) place with a time of 13:36.53.

“She was definitely my runner of the day,” said Lafferty of Evans. “She’s been getting better every time out, so it was fun to see that.”

Fellow freshman Scout Snodgrass, who won the Weatherford meet the previous week, was right behind Evans in 13:39.53, giving KHS third, fourth and fifth in score placings.

Junior Peyton Walker was 12th (eighth), Taylor Mills was 15th (10th) and Emmy Lunsford 20th (12th).

“Harper and Chesni really stepped up for us when some of the other girls were struggling just a little bit,” Lafferty said. “But really I’m very happy with all their times. They’re much faster than last year at this meet.”

Lafferty also said although Hannah Francis didn’t count in the team points, her time was promising and indicative of the entire team.

“She just continues to improve,” Lafferty said. “They are really starting to come together as a team. They push and support each other in such a positive way during both practices and races.”

The top local finisher was Cashion’s Addison Mc-Cracken.

She was the lone Lady Wildcat in the race and placed fourth in 13:27.72.

Woolery, who ran unattached, won the race in 12:54.69.

Jocelyn Matousek paced Hennessey’s squad with a 14th-place (ninth) finish in 14:08.69.

Tayler Franklin was 22nd (14th) and Taryn Jech 31st (22nd) to give the team three runners among the top-25 in score placings.

Lomega’s Kate Myers was also among that top-25. Her time of 15:14.15 led the Lady Raiders and was good for 37th (25th).

Lomega was ninth as a team with 195 points.