Local runners compete in Jesse Owens Classic
Todd Thompson
Hartselle Enquirer
OAKVILLE – Clay Oden’s best cross country race of the season helped Brewer finish 22nd in the Silver division at the Jesse Owens Classic Saturday at the Oakville Indian Mounds Park.
Brewer finished with 563 points in the meet, while Hartselle was 29th at 835.
Oden, a junior at Brewer, ran a 17:18.08 on the 5K course. The time was his best finish of the season and was just eight seconds off his career best.
The Patriots’ Sam Martin was also finished in the top 100 after placing 92nd overall with a time of 18:12.69.
Corey Phelps (18:28.09) was 110th, while Fernando Arellanes (121st, 18:34.25) and Kyle Brakke (19:48.10) completed the Brewer scoring. Jordan Caudle (21:04.96) was 263rd and Storm Leusby (24:51.00) was 308th.
Hartselle’s Jonathan Duncan, running in just his second race at the Indian Mounds Park – the site of the 2010 state championships – was 53rd overall with a time of 17:45.50.
Duncan was one of four Hartselle runners to run sub-20:00 times in the 5A-6A race.
Cameron Cunningham ran a 19:04.58 to finish 167th overall in the race that featured more than 300 finishers.
Hartselle senior Noah Battles was less than one second behind Cunningham to finish 169th.
Also scoring for the Tigers were Tristen Mitchell (219th, 19:54.49) and Alex Wilt (231st, 20:06.38). Chad Wallwork was 302nd at 23:41.46.
Brewer’s girls finished 23rd out of 30 teams in the large school field with 575 points.
The Lady Patriots, led by Lindsey Collier’s 70th place finish at 21:58.61, had two runners finish in the top 100 spots. Katie Brakke (22:21.00) was 89th overall.
Brewer eighth grader Trina Badger ran a 22:51.79 and finished 108th, while freshman Elizabeth Ash was 162nd overall at 24:21.34. Yolanda Luna was 226th overall.
Hartselle’s girls finished 26th overall with senior Anna Craig pacing the Lady Tigers with a time of 22:54.85. She was 115th overall.
Haley Baker was 150th with a time of 23:54.34, while Joy Harris ran a 24:19.17 to finish 161st. Lindsey Elmore (25:56.35) and Cheyenne Sanchez (25:56.74) were 199th and 200th overall respectively.
Sarah Walker ran a 28:32.76 and finished 223rd overall.
Priceville finished 30th in the boys’ Bronze division standings, while Falkville was 33rd.
Tim Rayman, Tyler Johnson and Jarad Gunn gave Priceville three finishers under 20:00.
Rayman was 101st with a time of 19:16.26, while Johnson was 124th at 19:30.58. Gunn ran a 19:35.54 to finish 129th.
Nathan George (21:55.95) andSpencer Johnson (22:17.28) rounded out the scoring for the Bulldogs. Justin Dozier (22:24.17) and Jackson Morris (24:08.21) also competed for Priceville but did not count in the team score.
Falkville’s Heath Blanchard ran an 18:51.73 in the Bronze race to lead all local runners. He was 76th overall.
Michael Hopper (20:22.46), Alex Tuttle (20:40.25), Justin Zimmerman (22:18.11) and Evan Cottingham (22:18.64) capped the Blue Devils’ scoring.
Priceville’s girls were 32nd overall in the TTTT. The Lady Bulldogs’ Paige Terry ran a 26:00.58 and was 176th overall.
Alisha Burchell (26:49.89), Toni Gautney (28:32.88), Alice Gibson (33:13.65), Lauren Clem (34:01.41) and Madison Widner (35:14.04) rounded out the Lady Bulldogs’ runners.
Falkville’s Sarah Ayre was 173rd overall with a time of 25:57.55), while teamate Heather Smith finished 276th at 29:00.21.
