LH teams extend dominance

Lake Hamilton’s cross country teams extended their streak of conference championships to 15 in both boys and girls divisions on Thursday at Oaklawn Park.

Senior McKree Martin and freshman Josie Carson won 6A-South titles for Lake Hamilton on the site of state championships in all seven Arkansas high-school divisions Nov. 8. Lake Hamilton is defending 6A boys’ champion and winner of three straight girls state titles.

Martin ran Oaklawn’s 3.1mile infield course in 16 minutes, 57.35 seconds, junior teammate Austin Kohrs second in 17:05.15. Lake Hamilton had fifth- through seventh- place runners in junior Andrew Larey, senior Jacob Thompson and sophomore Hunter Tucker, freshman Ethan Shields placing 10th and junior Dillon Green and ninth- graders Abraham Lierra, Dylan Stephens and Ramon Morales also in the top 15. Also running for Lake Hamilton were freshman Jackson Ryan and sophomores Trestin Blythe and Logan Wilson.

The Wolves had a low total of 21 points, Benton following with 69 and El Dorado third with 72. El Dorado’s Chris Castillo (third), Sheridan’s Hunter Taylor (eighth) and Benton’s Hunter Harrison (ninth) made the top 10.

Carson led the Lady Wolves’ top-three sweep with 3.1 miles in 20: 05.63, senior Cassidy Turner second in 20:58.53 and sophomore Jenny Kirschman third in 21:22.23. Seven consecutive Lake Hamilton runners followed No. 4 Kaylee Stewart of Sheridan: seniors Breana Darnley and Abby Lynch; juniors Jamie Barker and London Martin; junior Ashley Albrecht, freshman Anna Cole and junior Katie Barker. Junior Josey Wilson and sophomore Hannah Hutzel completed Lake Hamilton’s roster with top-20 finishes.

Lake Hamilton had a near-perfect total of 17 points, Sheridan second with 46 as tbe only other school to field a complete girls’ team.