It was a very successful morning for The Christ Our Rock Silver Stallions Girls and Boys Cross Country teams at the Benton “Showcase” Invitational! 9 career Personal records (PR’s) were set today and a season PR as well by our runners.
The Lady Stallions finished 10th with 222pts out of 26 teams and were lead by Junior Sarah McKowen, running her fastest high school career time this morning finishing 9th and medaled with a time of 18:35! Her teammate Rylee Brammier set a season personal best running 20:17 and finishing 28th, Jr. Abagail Meyer who has been fighting anemia most of the season had her career PR as well finishing in 21:36 (53rd) and sophomore Alexis Livesay and Freshman Gracie Schnitker in their first seasons as runners also got their seasons and person best times. Livesay finished in 26:07 (94th) and Schnitker in 30:55 (102nd).
The boys were again without #1 runner Elijah Gregory (out due to sickness) so the team score wasn’t as good as we would have like but nonetheless they came away with 5 career PRs. The Stallion boys finished 15th out of 26 teams with 328 pts. Zerek Koch stepped up and lead The Stallions breaking the 17 minute mark for the first time in his career running to a 31st place finish in a time of 16:42 (a career personal best). Yilian Lu, who has done nothing but help the Stallions improve since arriving on the scene finished 57th with a season PR in 17:43. Isaiah Lyons ran a strong #3 today, breaking the 18 minute mark for the first time ever finishing with a PR in 17:51 (60th). Thomas Taylor was the Stallions 4th runner today, shattering his career Personal best by :16 seconds finishing in 19:18 (87th) and Christian Nollman continues to get in race shape and is going to play a major factor for this team come post-season, he finished in 21:02 (117th) rounding out the Stallions scoring.
The Stallions #6 runner might have improved the most over the course of the season. Liagel Lyons whose previous PR was a 23:22 ran the course in 21:20 today finishing 121st.
There were 138 boys in the Boys Varsity Race and 103 girls in the Girls Varsity race.
Coach Tim Koch added, “I’d also be upset if I didn’t mention my daughter 8th grader Zelena Koch ran in the Girls open race just for fun and as a training day to get ready for her Jr. High State meet next weekend at Duquoin and was the first girl across the finish line in a time of 20:49… Great job today everyone!”
