The Harlan County cross country team competed at the Border Clash on Wednesday in Wise, Va. The varsity Bears placed second overall, behind defending Virginia state champions Central Wise.
“I’m really proud of our kids. They turned in some really impressive times,” Harlan County coach Ryan Vitatoe said. “This is one of the flattest (and fastest) courses I’ve ever seen, and they made the most of that opportunity.”
Tanner Daniels won the boys varsity race to pace the Bears, finishing with a time of 16:17 and breaking the school record he set in the previous meet. Kaden Boggs was seventh with a time of 17:52. Jacob Schwenke (18:36) placed 11th. Caleb Schwenke (18:55) was 14th, immediately followed by Ethan Simpson (19:01). Evan Simpson (19:25), DaShaun Smith (19:40) and Jonavan Rigney (19:58) finished 21st, 22nd and 23rd, respectively. Kaylob Stevens placed 29th with a time of 20:47, while Caden Craig was 56th with a time of 27:54.
“I’m really proud of the boys. Tanner is in uncharted territory with the times he’s running right now,” Vitatoe said. I’m really proud of him. We’ve only had one guy run sub 17 in our program, and Tanner’s now hit it twice in a row. He’s a hard worker and it’s paying off.
“But all our guys ran big PRs tonight. They were really dialed in and ready to race. I thought they all competed hard. Central Wise is the defending state champion in Virginia and I thought we battled them tooth and nail. These boys work hard, and they’re growing as a team right before our eyes. They are completely different than they were two months ago. They work hard, and I’m proud of them.”
The Lady Bears had an impressive performance as well, winning the girls race and with each runner finishing under 26:00.
Peyton Lunsford led the Lady Bears, placing second with a time of 20:15. She was immediately followed by Lauren Lewis (20:36), Gracie Roberts (20:45), Preslee Hensley (21:39) and Kiera Roberts (21:40). Jaycee Simpson (22:53) and Charli Shepherd (23:34) were 10th and 12th, respectively. Addi Gray placed 21st with a time of 25:14, while Olivia Kelly (26:47) was 30th.
“The girls had another big race. They keep dropping their times each race, and I’m really proud of them. They are a close-knit, hard-working team and it’s been fun watching them develop,” Vitatoe said. “They packed up really well, and I thought they ran a great race. The key is to keep their foot on the gas the last month of the season. We can continue to improve.”
“We needed a sloppy, wet meet. Everything we’ve ran this year has been beautiful, but I’m thankful we had to test ourselves in the elements. This was great for their development,” Vitatoe said. “You never know what the weather will be like at region or state, so you have to train and race in whatever mother nature gives you.”
Harlan County will return to action Saturday at home for the Bob Howard Classic/Area 9 Championship.
