The Richmond Red Devils broke a long dry spell on Saturday, Oct. 14, winning the Connersville cross country sectional for the first time since the 2005 season, and they did so in dominating fashion.
The Red Devils ran 1-2, winning the team title with an impressive score of 40 points, 37 points better than second-place Batesville. RHS senior Alex Orihuela won the event with a time of 16:42.6. Teammate Grayson Farmer sprinted past Bradyn Helton from East Central at the finish line to take second place by less than half a second. Northeastern captured third place and Hagerstown finished fourth behind a fourth-place individual finish from Kaden Young. Both teams will join Richmond at the Shelbyville regional.
East Central won the girls race, sliding past Batesville. Richmond slipped by Centerville for third place in the team standings. Both Richmond and Centerville qualified to advance to the regional round.
Final team standings for boys: Richmond 40 (Orihuela 1, Farmer 2, Ethan Miller 8, Xavier Ogle 11, Cale Newton 18, Julian Bowden 33, Bryce Cordova 42), Batesville 77, Northeastern 113 (Logan Smith 9, Nolan Drake 13, Lucas Chamness 16, Bryson McFarland 28, Benjamin Brandt 54, Justice Dalton 55, Nicholas Markward 61), Hagerstown 133 (Young 4, Bryce Tinkle 22, Boyce Jackson 35, Kendrick Herr 41, Max Cabrera 43, Braydon Sanders 44, Brock Creech 50), Rushville Consolidated 133, East Central 140, Centerville 156 (Kyle Sheard 6, Clay Jackson 31, Levi Morgan 38, Grayson Hawkins 47, Tate Chasteen 48, Abram Jarvis 57, Jayden Cornett 59), Oldenburg Academy 191, Connersville 197, Union County 257.
The top five teams and the top 15 runners who are not from the top five teams advance to the regional. Wayne County runners advancing as individuals include Kyle Sheard from Centerville, Brody Puckett from Lincoln, and Clay Johnson and Levi Morgan from Centerville.
Final team standings for girls: East Central 25, Batesville 33, **Richmond 108 **(Keena Barker 17, Katy Peacock 20 Elizabeth Graham 23, Allison Stout 29, Maggie Blair 31, Olivia Bailey 47, Len Allen 54), Centerville 116 (Kendra Shipman 8, Anna Nevels 18, Delaney Foster 30, Julie Carter 32, Lily Black 43, Evie Morgan 49, Tizeta Jarvis 56), Rushville Consolidated 143, New Castle 150, Connersville 154, Northeastern 192 (Heather Crull 13, Madelyn Green 38, Daisee Spence 52, Bella Stoops 60, Samantha Whallon).
Wayne County runners not on advancing teams who are advancing to the regional as individuals include Gwynie Falcone from Seton Catholic, Heather Crull from Northeastern, Sara Swinney from Seton Catholic, Avery Blunk from Hagerstown, Madelyn Green from Northeastern and Logan Klein from Hagerstown.
A version of this article appeared in the October 18 2023 print edition of the Western Wayne News.