Special to The Tribune
SPRINGVILLE – The Springville Tigers were the top team at the Fairview Invitational boys’ cross country meet 5A-7A division over the weekend, with five runners in the top 16.
David Robles came in third, with Benjamin Chapman right behind him in fourth place. Houston Colley was ninth, Cole Broome was 12th, while Nick Johnson finished 16th.
On the girls’ side, Carmen McMaster was the highest finisher for Springville, coming in at eighth place.
In other cross country news from around the state:
Mountain Brook High School junior Reagan Riley finished second in the girls’ championship division of The Southern Showcase at Huntsville’s John Hunt Park last weekend.
Riley’s second-place finish, however, ranks her first in the state, because she clocked Alabama’s best girls’ 5,000-meter cross country time of the season in a race that draws many of the South’s top runners. She finished in 17:27.71, nearly 10 seconds faster than Vestavia Hills senior and Alabama commit Crawford West’s time at the Chickasaw Trails Invitational earlier this month.
Riley’s performance lands her in this week’s AHSAA Cross Country Spotlight along with Auburn’s Maxwell Hardin. Hardin, a junior, finished fourth at the Southern Showcase boys’ championship division with a time of 15:04.45. He was the fastest Alabama runner in the field and delivered the fastest boys’ time of the 2021 season. Sam Rich of Catawba Ridge (SC) won the boys’ championship race with a time of 14:38.91. Keegan Smith of Knoxville Catholic (TN) was second (14:53.79), and Landen McNair of Bartlett (TN) was third, also under 15 minutes with a time of 14:59.9 0.
Chelsea senior Miles Brush finished sixth at the Southern Showcase in 15:11.84, while UMS-Wright’s Joseph Perry was seventh in 15:12.84, Spain Park’s Keith Warner was eighth in 15:13.65, and Scottsboro’s Evan Hill was ninth in 15:16.81.
Perry’s time set a new UMS-Wright school record, and teammate Charles Perry, who finished 17th in 15:26.80, also broke the previous school record.
Cold Springs’ Ethan Edgeworth clocked 15:24.38 to finished 16th, but the runner who claimed the AHSAA Class 1A/2A state meet title last year shaved nearly 10 seconds off his personal best he set just a week earlier at the Chickasaw Trails Invitational.
Scottsboro finished fifth as the top Alabama team in the 32-team field that included 245 boys’ runners.
On the girls’ side, Abby Faith Cheeseman, a freshman from The Webb School (TN) won in 17:19.43. West was third in 17:53.81 and Northridge junior Mary Mac Collins finished eighth in 19:18.77.
Brentwood (Tenn.) took the girls team title and Mountain Brook was second.
The boys’ feature race included 245 runners and 32 teams. The girls’ feature race had 221 runners and 31 teams. Overall, more than 2,000 boys and girls competed at The Southern Showcase last weekend.
Other top performances reported by www.alabamarunners.com:
GIRLS
KATIE MAE COAN, LAWRENCE COUNTY: The eighth-grader won the girls’ Class 5A- 7A race at the Fairview Invitational in 19:44.05 in a tight race with teammate and fellow eighth-grader Katie Dumas, who clocked 19:46.68. Lawrence County’s Savannah Williams was third in 19:56.88, as Lawrence County won the team title with all seven runners in the top 12.
TAYLOR KNIGHT, ASHVILLE: Won the girls 1A-4A division at the Fairview Invitational in 19:52.86, and Hatton senior Neidyn Lopez led the Hornets to the team title by finishing second in 20:49.94.
BELA DOSS, BRIARWOOD CHRISTIAN: At the TCBY Classic in Tuscaloosa, the sophomore clocked 20:33.82 to win by more than a minute. American Christian’s Karis Kelley finished third in 22:00.37. Briarwood finished runner-up in the team competition to Clinton (MS).
SARAH SLOUGHFY, JACKSONVILLE: The freshman won the Raider Invitational at Jacksonville in 21:56.32, and Sardis sophomore Barit Snead was runner-up in 22:33.56. Pleasant Valley won the team title, led by Macey Roper’s fourth-place finish in 23.38.05.
AVA CAIN, LAMP: The seventh-grader won the Montgomery Public Schools Championship at Gateway Park with a time of 23:38.60. Jeff Davis senior Tatieera Brown finished runner-up in 24:24.25.
CLAIRE ATKINS, ORANGE BEACH: Won the Dolphin Run in Gulf Shores with a time of 22:39. Satsuma’s Isabella Riddick was second in 22:45.
CAROLINE PINSON, PELL CITY: Clocked 25:19 to win the Minor Invitational in Adamsville, as the Panthers swept the top four spots.
BOYS
JOE STEVENS, ASHVILLE: Won the 1A-4A division in the field of 117 runners at the Fairview Invitational, finishing in 16:29.44. Elkmont’s Alex Kuntz was second in 16:52.10.
STEELE JOINER, LAWRENCE COUNTY: The senior won the 5A-7A division race at the Fairview Invitational by nearly a minute, clocking 16:40.17. Fairview’s Alex England was second in 17:35.51.
COLE BYERS, AMERICAN CHRISTIAN: The sophomore won the TCBY Classic in Tuscaloosa in 16:55.41 as the Patriots won the team title by taking four of the top five spots. Teammates Carson Renicks (17:28.11), Alex Byers (17:47.24) and Stephen Billman (17:47.61) finished third-fourth-fifth, respectively. Briarwood Christian finished runner-up in the team competition, led by sixth-place runner Brandon Dixon (17:52.49).
CAYDEN NELSON, PLEASANT VALLEY: The junior was the fastest of the 121 runners at the Raider Invitational in Jacksonville, clocking 17:25.27 to finish first. Gadsden City senior Tanner Rice was runner-up in 17:32.08, while Lincoln placed four runners in the top 10, led by Ja’Leel Harris in fifth (18:09.97), to take the team title.
AGUSTIN LEMUZ, LAMP: Won the Montgomery Public Schools Championship at Gateway Park, clocking 17:43.45. LAMP swept the top six spots with Landon Perdue finished runner-up in 17:55.75.
XANDER McLAUGHLIN, ORANGE BEACH: Won the Dolphin Run in Gulf Shores in 17:46, more than a minute ahead of runner-up Beck Montiel, of Gulf Shores, who finished in 18:50. Gulf Shores’ Caleb Colvin was third in 18:51.
RIVER RICHARD, PELL CITY: Won the Minor Invitational in Adamsville with a time of 19:36, leading the Panthers to the team title with three of the top five runners.