The times they are a changin’
XC runners improve PRs at Watonga
KHS SENIOR cross country runner Ashtin Witt, left, is pictured during last Saturday’s meet in Watonga. Witt ran a PR at the meet and helped the Lady Jackets to a third-place finish. [Photo by Diego Olivares/KHS Photo
Five Kingfisher runners – three of them on the girls team – ran their best times of the season last week at the Watonga Cross Country Invitational.
Katon Lunsford, Ashtin Witt and Dani Ramirez clocked their best times of 2019 on Watonga’s 3,200 meter course.
Lunsford finished in 13:30.25, good for ninth overall and eighth toward the team standings.
Witt ran it in 13:59.72, placing her 17th (15th) and Ramirez in 14:50.97, which placed her 33rd (29th).
For Ramirez, it was a personal record (PR) for her career.
That trio, along with Zoey Evans and Jacee Mueggenborg, helped bolster KHS to a third-place finish.
The Lady Jackets ended with 93 team points.
Hooker won the meet with 55 points while Watonga was second with 61.
Those teams are ranked No. 1 and 2 in Class 2A.
Cherokee, ranked fifth in 2A, was fourth with 108 team points. Twelve full teams competed, including Hennessey, which was eighth with 262.
“I thought we ran well overall,” said coach Kerri Lafferty, noting the three 2A teams are part “of a very strong class this year.”
KHS is currently ranked fourth in 4A.
The Lady Jackets were led by Evans, who was fifth overall in 13:07.41.
Beaver’s Zoee Weaver won the meet in 12:12.50, 20 seconds faster than runner-up Riley Coleman of Watonga.
Mueggenborg was Kingfisher’s fifth scoring runner as she was 42nd overall and 36th toward the team standings.
The KHS boys tied for fourth in their team standings.
Jayden Newkirk and Aryan Haro ran PRs on the 5K course.
Newkirk was 10th in 18:42.00. That counted eighth toward the team total.
Haro was 64th (42nd) as he ran it in 22:07.81.
Jon Henry paced the squad in 18:24.31, good for sixth. Also for KHS, Joel Munoz ran 15th (11th) and McCall Sinclair 44th (35th).
KHS scored 102 points, tied with Timberlake.
Mooreland won the meet with 33 points while Chisholm was runner-up with 61. Hooker took third with 82.
“Both teams are running better each meet, which is what we work towards,” Lafferty said.
“Watonga is a tough course with quite a few hills. We thought they handled it well.”
Kingfisher’s middle school girls won their team title, as they’ve done in every meet this season.
KMS scored 45 points to beat Cherokee’s 69.
Kingfisher was led by Peyton Walker’s third-place finish. Scout Snodgrass was fifth and Emmy Lunsford eighth.