CABOT — The Bryant Junior Hornets used a pack-running strategy to earn a third place finish at the WalMart Junior High Cross Country Championships in Cabot on Saturday. The Junior Hornets’ top five runners were separated by only nine seconds, with Dru Wen leading the way with a 10th place finish in a time of 12:03.
The other Junior Hornets to earn top-30 medals were Austin Middleton (13th in 12:09), Charlie Terry (14th in 12:10), Alex Hunt (15th in 12:11), Spencer Adami (17th in 12:12), and Mark Winn (29th in 12:39).[more]
Russellville dominated the meet up front with a total of 27 points, followed by Lake Hamilton (59), Bryant (69), Cabot (110), Conway (192), Heber Springs (218), Pulaski Academy (240), Lakeside (513), and Hamburg (615).
"This was our best team effort of the season,” stated Hornets coach Steve Oury. “We fought hard and, to have only a nine second gap from our first to fifth runners, is remarkable.
“We also were running without our top three runners,” he mentioned. “Tyler Purtle has been injured and Nick Ballew and Clifton Hampton moved up and competed with the senior high team.
“I'm really excited about this group of kids,” Oury emphasized. “They have a lot of talent, but they are also just a great group of young men.
"We are very fortunate to have Coach Rhonda Hall and Coach Deanna Porter at the middle schools, who have done a great job with the seventh and eighth graders,” he mentioned. “Those kids have been well coached and have continued to improve all season."
