Bryant runs to dual conference championships
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CONWAY — The Bryant High School cross country teams both turned in stout performances to capture dual AAAAA-Central Conference championships at the league’s title meet at Conway on Thursday, Oct. 30.
Both will advance to the Class AAAAA State Championship meet this Saturday at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs. The Lady Hornets, trying to repeat as State champions, are ranked No. 1 in the state’s largest classification. The league crown was their second in a row. The Hornets, hoping to improve on recent State performances, are ranked fifth in the state. The conference title is their first in recent years.
The Lady Hornets put six runners in the top 10 to score 28 points. Junior Brooke Higgs led the way with a second place finish individually. She finished with a time of 15:39. Sophomore Mary Edwards, who has run 1-2 with Higgs all season, continued that scenario. Her 16:31 clocking was good for fourth overall with freshman Chelsea Mansfield on her heels, finishing fifth in 16:37.
Bryant’s Jessica Sowell was eighth in 17:06. Jessica Finley finished ninth in 17:07 and Nicole Sample was 10th in 17:14. All top 10 finishers earned medals and all-conference honors.
The Lady Hornets had three other runners finish in the next five. Sarah James was 13th in 17:38, Cari Odle 14th in 17:39 and Kim Bergen 15th in 17:43.
Mount St. Mary’s was second to Bryant with 37 points followed by Conway with 67.
“Two conference championships in a row is really great,” commented Lady Hornets coach Dan Westbrook. “I am really proud of this team. They have made the sacrifices to be a very good cross country team and it is paying great dividends. It was great to see Brooke back in good form and I thought Chelsea had a great race. Nicole Sample also stepped up great today.
“This takes care of one of our goals for the season, but we still have some unfinished business to take care of next week at the State championship,” Westbrook added. “There are at least four or five teams that have a good chance to win and we are one of them. I think it will just come down to whichever team has a good day next Saturday.”
Meanwhile, the Hornets put all five of its scoring runners in the top 10 to compile a low score of 26 points. Conway was second with 37.
Senior Bryan Ballew set the pace for the Hornets. He was third overall with a time of 17:07. Freshman Ethan Blakley, junior Steven Bright and sophomore Adam Schneider finished in succession behind Ballew. Blakley (4th) ran a 17:31, Bright (5th) finished in 17:53 and Schneider (6th) turned in a 17:59. Senior Zach Roberson completed the scoring quintet, finishing eighth in 18:04. All five earned all-conference recognition.
The Bryant contingent also included Justin Hefner (14th in 19:00), Andrew Linder (16th in 19:11), Tino Kretschmer (20th in 19:33) and Zach Williams (27th in 20:08).
“I am extremely proud of this group of guys,” declared Hornets coach Steve Oury. “This is the first conference championship for the guys in a long time. We knew we could win if we executed our race plan, so it is very satisfying to see it happen.
“Bryan was not his normal self,” added the coach, “but he did what was best for the team, which was to pull our top runners through a good first mile and establish our position in the race.
“Adam Schneider and Zach Roberson did a great job of staying ahead of Conway’s third runner,” Oury noted. “That was the key for us. We knew Conway’s top two are very tough, so we had to pack our runners between their second and third finishers, which we did.
“This was a nice way to go into the State championships next week. If we continue to perform like we have been, a top four finish is within our reach. Rogers may not be beatable, but the next spots are up for grabs between Fayetteville, Lake Hamilton, Springdale and us. We just need to stay healthy and not be satisfied with what we have done so far.”
