Carson, Eskew win XC titles; Wolves keep 5A boys crown
Collectively and individually, meet host Lake Hamilton celebrated Class 6A cross country championships Friday at Oaklawn Park.
The Wolves won a fifth-straight boys’ team title, and Lady Wolf senior Josie Carson reigned as 6A girls champion for the fourth consecutive year.
Carson battled season-long rival Gracie Hyde before pulling away in 19 minutes, 18.9 seconds. Hyde, of Benton, followed in 19:30.5.
“It feels amazing, honestly,” Carson said. “I knew that when Gracie moved, it would be much more of a challenge, but it is great to have someone to run with because we can both help each other get our best times.”
With temperatures in the low 80s, Carson considered a personal record unlikely though posting the fastest finish by a female runner Friday.
“I kind of wanted to go for the best time today of all the races, and I did end up making that,” she said. “I did want to run a little bit faster to get a PR, but with the heat, I did the best I could.”
Defending 6A boys winner Colby Swecker slipped into third after leading for much of the race, but with four teammates finishing in the top 10, the Wolves had a low score of 31. Benton finished second with 78, and Greenwood placed third.
Swecker finished the 5K in 17 minutes, 9.8 seconds, almost a half-minute slower than last year. The junior took 10
weeks off during the summer after surgery, costing him key training time.
“I started training about when school started,” he said. “It’s been messing with me ever since. I never know when I’m going to have a good race… I’m just glad our team pulled together and won, even though I didn’t have a good race as a leader of the team.”
Sophomore Noah Smith (17:39.8), junior Skylar Davis (17:44.9) and freshman William Swecker (17:51.6) finished five through seven while senior Cody Weldon placed 10th in 18:00.9.
While the Wolves did not finish 1-2-3 like last year, Swecker was glad to see them run as a group.
“It feels like we’re together, like we’ve been all year,” he said. “We train together. We run together. It was like practice, one behind another.”
It was the program’s 10th cross country title and ninth since Class 6A’s formation in 2006.
“I’m glad to get the win,” said coach Karl Koonce. “I’m a little disappointed for Colby. It’s not what’s he’s capable of doing. Some of our guys were not 100 percent, but we were good enough to get it. I’m proud of their efforts. It’s tough conditions out here today.”
* Jessievile senior Noah Eskew claimed his fourth consecutive Class 3A boys title and helped the Lions finish second overall.
“It feels great, and it’s very humbling to know that I’ve been given the ability to run like this four years in a row,” Eskew said. “I’m just greatful for the competition I’ve had to push me in both track and cross country. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Eskew finished in 16:31.6, no record but no matter.
“Today we were just hoping to go out and win it,” he said. “I knew weather coming into this wasn’t going to be on our side. The course, itself, is a little bit difficult. It was kind of come out and see what everyone else was feeling and base our race on that.”
Fellow senior Alina Homan led the Lady Lions with a fourth-place finish, 15 spots higher than last year.
“I feel really good about this race because not only did I beat all of Genoa (Central), but the weather really helped this time,” she said. “I just felt really ready. In my mindset, it was state, and I was like, I’ve got to do my best. I’ve got to give everything I’ve got and no matter what be proud of myself for what I did and be happy that I’m here.”
Clocked in 21:13.1, Homan bested last year’s finish by just under two minutes.
“Last year, it was terrible conditions,” she said. “I was very, very ill, and that really had an effect on my running. I really just tried to give it all that I’ve got in that race. I still came out with a medal, so I’m really proud about that.”