The Adair County Indians dominated their home course Saturday, sweeping the varsity boys and girls team championships at the second annual Indians Cross-Country Invitational.
Adair County hosted 11 schools and 226 runners. The varsity boys scored a perfect 15 points, with the Indians claiming the top five places in the 5K race.
Luke Albrektson led the way, winning the race in 17:36.34. Owen Davis finished second in 18:25.23, followed by Austin Hamilton in third at 18:25.42.
Carter Albrektson finished fourth in 18:40.22, and Jacob Mendez rounded out the top five in 18:46.91.
The Indians also had two additional runners finish in the top 25. Liam Hillock placed 10th in 19:27.24, while Brock Jasper finished 23rd in 22:24.93.
“Our boys’ team had an outstanding performance, scoring a perfect 15 points by finishing first through fifth with our five scoring runners,” Head Coach Bill Hillock said. “That is a special accomplishment and a reflection of the work these athletes continue to put in.”
The Adair County varsity girls also claimed the team championship, led by an individual victory from Arianna Meyer.
Meyer won the girls 5K in 20:50.20. Olivia Meyer finished eighth in 22:09.06, followed by Elizabeth Dudley in ninth at 22:23.75.
Kennedy Booth placed twelfth in 23:00.96, while Cadence Booth finished fourteenth in 24:05.57 to round out the Indians’ scoring five.
Karly Beoker finished nineteenth in 25:13.43, Raegan Hillock placed twenty-first in 25:41.90 and Karla Manjarrez finished twenty-fifth in 26:08.12.
“Our girls team fought hard for the win,” Hillock said. “Every athlete competed well, and several came away with new personal bests. It was a great team effort from top to bottom.”
Adair County also had strong individual performances in the middle school races.
Jericho Allen led the Indians in the boys’ two-mile race, finishing fifth in 13:56.21. Xavier Cota placed tenth in 15:07.52, while Jackson Corbin finished thirteenth in 15:38.60.
Emalyne White won the middle school girls race in 14:20.86. Caylyn White finished second in 14:21.51.
The elementary runners competed in a one-mile race. Clayton Jackson finished ninth among the boys in 7:42.28, while Keller LaBarge placed 29th in 9:36.65.
Among the girls, Reagan Booth finished 15th in 9:10.35 and Mazie Coffman placed 24th in 10:31.21.
The successful day on the home course was a reflection of the work Hillock said the athletes and coaching staff have put into the program.
“I know I speak not only for myself, but also for our assistant coaches, when I say how incredibly honored we are to coach these young men and women,” Hillock said. “Their dedication, work ethic, and commitment to one another inspire us every day to continue working to be the best coaches we can be for them.”
The meet showcased the success and continual improvement of the Adair County cross country program. The next meet will be Saturday at Central Kentucky Run for the Gold at the Elizabethtown Sports Park.
