Lady Raiders have top state XC finish

As he tried to tip-toe through the mud, Justin Edsall still had a smile on his face.

The Lomega girls cross country team had just finished sixth in the Class A state meet Saturday at North Rock Creek High School in Shawnee.

It’s the highest-ever finish for a Lomega girls team at state.

“I’m just really proud of them,” Edsall said.

Lomega finished with 130 points.

Laverne won its first-ever state championship with just 18 points.

Balko-Forgan was the runner-up with 60 and Thomas third with 78, Also finishing ahead of the Lady Raiders were Velma-Alma with 99 points and Okeene with 107.

The Lady Raiders were paced by a freshman as Gracie Sawyer finished the soaked, soggy and sometimes muddy two-mile course in 13:27.1, which was a personal record.

She finished 19th overall out of 117 runners and was 12th among runners scoring points for their teams.

Claire Myers finished 57th (34th) in 14:17.

Also scoring were Joann Bilger, who was 66th (40th), and Olivia Landreth, who placed 73rd (44th).

The good news for Edsall is all four of those runners - as well as Josey Nusz and Jackie Penaran, who also competed at state - return next year.

Like Sawyer, Landreth is only a freshman.

Myers, Bilger and Penaran are juniors and Nusz a sophomore.

“I’m proud of the work they put in this year and we’re really excited to see what we can do next year,” Edsall said.

Lomega, Dover both have runners in boys race

Edsall will also see the return of the lone Raider to qualify for state.

Junior Hunter Russell placed 19th out of 126 competitors in the Class A boys state race.

Russell finished the 5,000 meter boys course in 18:18.6, which was also a PR for him.

He was joined in the race by Dover freshman Nick Spradlin, who finished 91st in 20:16.2.