The Hagerstown cross county team traveled to Springfield, Ohio, on Saturday, Sept. 28, to participate in the Jim Murray Memorial Invitational, which featured hundreds of competitors primarily from schools in the Dayton and Springfield area. The course was slick because of recent weather so the times were slower than normal, but runners participating turned in a gutsy effort.
The Lady Tigers finished ninth in a 22-team field, placing second among schools with enrollment under 700 students. The Hagerstown boys finished 14th in a 28-team field and second among schools with less than 700 enrollment.
Avery Blunk was the top runner for the Lady Tigers with a 47th place finish, six spots ahead of Abigail Smith in 53rd. Other finishers for Hagerstown runners were Zayle Payne 66th, Emsley Holcom 67th, Claire Bowen 68, Abbie Gilbert 71st and Zoe Meek 83rd.
The Hagerstown boys, who were competing without No. 1 runner Bryce Tinkle, were led by Kendrick Herr in 84th place, four spots ahead of Brock Creech in 88th. Other finishes for the Hagerstown runners were Max Cabrera 89th, Cory Nash 91st, Braydon Sanders 93, Hayden Pruitt 99th and Robert Sullivan 107th.
Top five girls team scores: Bishop Watterson 42, Lebanon 55, Little Miami 58, Hilliard Darby 116, Fairmont 124
Top five boys team scores: Little Miami 51, Covington Catholic 70, Bishop Watterson 105, Archbishop Moeller 137, Lebanon 144.
A version of this article appeared in the October 2 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.