RIO GRANDE — The Washington Blue Lion cross country teams competed in the Patty Forgey Invitational at Rio Grande Saturday, Sept. 25.
The Blue Lion boys high school team finished 19th in a large field of 22 teams with 507 placement points.
Washington’s high school girls team placed 17th out of 21 teams with 489 placement points.
The Washington Middle School boys placed 12th out of 19 teams with 336 placement points.
The Washington Middle School girls did not have enough runners to register a team score.
Leetz Martinez was the first Blue Lion to complete the course, placing 80th out of 212 runners in 20:27.78.
Karson Runk was 106th in 21:04.98.
Trace Bartruff was 141st with a time of 22:12.24; Brayden May was 156th in 23:07.87; Mac Miller placed 161st in 23:22.14; Casey Hott was 176th in 24:14.63; Nathan Upthegrove was 189th in 25:26.43; Jack Mead was 199th in 27:48.54; Toby Lovett placed 205th in 29:04.48; Luke Rader was 206th with a time of 29:17.41 and Jon Rader was 209th in 33:52.97.
Cabell Midland won the high school boys team event with 56 placement points.
Jackson was eighth with 238 points.
Senior Gabe Lynch of Unioto won the event with a time of 16:40.74.
Chloe Lovett was the first member of the Washington girls team to finish. She placed 78th out of 198 runners in 24:12.89.
Maggie Copas was 101st overall in 25:15.31; Kayli Merritt was 135th in 26:51.17; Isabella Racine was 171st in 30:35.25; Mia Moats finished 176th in 30:51.52; Ozlyn Racine was 185th in 32:02.13.
Williamstown won the high school girls team event with 55 placement points. Freshman Alyssa Sauro of Williamstown won with a time of 18:32.06.
Jackson senior Olivia Kennedy was 11th in 21:03.03.
In the middle school boys meet, Kentaro Yamazaki of Washington was the top finisher, placing 38th out of 190 runners in 13:17.67.
Cooper Robertson was 71st in 13:57.36; Avery Wightman was 73rd in 14:01.08; T.J. Ooten placed 90th in 14:28.58; Randon Stolzenburg was 140th in 16:20.67; Kaleb Taylor was 141st in 16:20.99; Hayden Lester was 153rd in 17:04.51.
Unioto won the middle school boys team event with 50 placement points.
Jayden Beverly of Unioto won with a time of 11:13.77.
For the Washington Middle School girls, Addison Weaver was 74th out of 136 runners in 17:15.82.
Olivia Haycook was 76th in 17:19.38 and Haley Nickell was 92nd in 18:07.25.
Anna Bennett of Pleasants County won with a time of 12:16.62. Her school won the girls middle school event with 23 placement points. Four of their runners placed in the top nine.
Washington will compete in the Cross the Creek meet at Tim Walters farm Saturday.
On Saturday, the middle school girls race is scheduled to start at 9:30.
The middle school boys race is set for 10 a.m., the high school girls race is slated for 10:45 and the high school boys race is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
