With nine runnings finishing in the top 20, the Bryant Junior Lady Hornets forged a team score of[more] 22 points to ease to a team victory in the junior girls division of the annual Bryant Invitational on Tuesday at Bishop Park.
Russellville was a distant second in the team standings with 79 points followed by DeQueen with 84. In all seven teams and 122 runners competed.
Freshman Lindsey Butler paced the Lady Hornets with a third-place finish overall in a time of 13:20. Teammate Caitlyn Bell was close behind in fourth with a 13:49 clocking. Hadley Dickinson was just seconds behind that in fifth with a time of 13:58. Hannah Shelby (seventh, 14:06) and Jenna Freeman (eighth, 14:07) also finished in the top 10 to complete the scoring quintet.
“Our junior girls team dominated this race today,” stated Lady Hornets coach Danny Westbrook. “This group is extremely talented.”
Other Bryant runners taking top 20 medals were Abby McGee (11th, 14:14), Sarah Cowell (12th, 14:22), Lauren Ackley (13th, 14:22), and Melissa Barrientos (20th, 15:02).
“We have a philosophy here at Bryant that the way you win meets is have a pack of runners go the front of the race at the start, stay there, and finish there,” Westbrook noted. “This group performed that perfectly today.”
The Junior Lady Hornets are scheduled to participate in the Bryant Magic Mile race in conjunction with Fall Fest on Saturday, Sept. 24, then return to high school competition on Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Russellville Invitational.
