Perkins County girls take second, boys fourth at SPVA meet
By Samantha Goff
Grant Tribune Sentinel
Madison Potts placed second and Leighton Fryzek finished eighth to lead the Perkins County cross country teams at the SPVA Conference meet Thursday, Oct. 8, at Pheasant Run Golf Course in Grant.
The Lady Plainsmen finished second in the team standings, while the Plainsmen boys placed fourth. Runners competed over a 5,000-meter course, facing heat and rolling hills as they headed into the final stretch of the season.
Coach Tristan Stephenson said the conditions, combined with injuries affecting some athletes, made the meet challenging.
Although no Perkins County runners recorded season or personal bests, many improved on their times from previous years at the meet.
“The rolling hills of Pheasant Run Golf Course punish those who go out too fast, and the surprising level of heat doubled the challenge,” Stephenson said.
Potts, a senior, led the Perkins County girls with a time of 21 minutes, 4.1 seconds. Chase County sophomore Addison Hauxwell won the race in 19:52.8, while teammate Emily Randall finished third in 21:19.0.
Senior Savannah Miller gave the Lady Plainsmen a second runner in the top 10, placing sixth in 22:58.2.
Senior Haylea McGreer followed in 12th place with a time of 24:21.6.
Sophomore Alyssa Laber finished 22nd in 26:30.3, junior Hanna Colglazier placed 27th in 27:54.7 and sophomore Kayleen Jurado took 28th in 28:02.4.
The girls race included 36 finishers.
In the boys race, Leighton Fryzek, a sophomore, paced Perkins County with a time of 19:21.3. Junior Jesus Marquez placed 16th in 20:16.0, and junior Miles Knapp finished 18th in 21:12.8.
Freshman Eric Swesey took 25th in 21:41.4, followed by freshman Austin Kraus in 30th at 22:20.1 and freshman Christian Fryzek in 34th at 22:38.5.
Sophomore Logan Pittman finished 40th in 24:21.8, and senior Rodolfo Aragon placed 45th in 26:24.4.
North Platte St. Patrick’s senior Coltan Ham won the 52-runner boys race in 16:59.6. Bridgeport’s Ron Varner finished second in 17:52.6, and Mitchell’s Brody Fuss was third in 18:07.0.
Stephenson said the conference meet marked the end of the season for runners who will not compete on varsity, and he thanked them for their participation and hard work.
Perkins County’s varsity runners will return to Pheasant Run Golf Course on Thursday, Oct. 15, when the school hosts the D-6 district meet.
Stephenson also reported that Potts was ranked seventh individually and the Lady Plainsmen ninth as a team in the latest Prep Running Nerd rankings.
Swesey, Buller lead junior high boys with 1-2 finish
Andy Swesey and Craton Buller finished first and second to lead the Perkins County junior high boys at the SPVA Conference cross country meet Thursday, Oct. 8, at Pheasant Run Golf Course in Grant.
Swesey, a seventh grader, won the boys race in 10 minutes, 41.6 seconds. Buller, an eighth grader, followed in 11:02.8.
Perkins County placed five runners in the top 10. Eighth grader Carson Potts finished fourth in a personal-best 11:35.8, just three-tenths of a second behind Mitchell’s Henry Policky.
Eighth grader Finnley LaGrange placed sixth in a personal-best 11:46.5, while seventh grader Drake Fryzek finished 10th in a personal-best 12:22.3.
In the girls race, eighth grader Mileena Handy led Perkins County with a fourth-place finish in 13:56.5. Eighth grader Kylie Day placed sixth in 14:08.9, and seventh grader Sophia Jeffries finished 15th in 16:18.4.
Hershey’s Ava Bomark won the girls race in 13:01.7, followed by teammate Natalie Blomstedt in 13:11.8. Mitchell’s Heather Gompert finished third in 13:24.1.