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Commentary October 3, 2002
Week 4 Recap
Week 4 got off to a bang at the Josh Park Memorial Meet in Heber Springs (9/28) as the nationally-ranked (7th by The Harrier) Russellville Cyclones took a 5K win on a hot day and hilly course by a 28-48-58 score over Bolton High (TN) and the Conway Wampus Cats (ranked 2nd in Class 4/5A behind Russellville in the Arkansas Coaches Poll). The Cyclones averaged a sub-par 17:33 in tough conditions with a spread of 2:10. Bolton averaged only 18:22 but with a nice 46 second spread. Conway tallied an average of 18:34 and finished in a solid 78 second spread. In the Class 1/2/3A Division, Little Rock Lutheran of Class 2A narrowly defeated the host team from Heber Springs that was ranked 2nd in the 123A Arkansas Coaches Poll by a score of 42-46. Lutheran averaged only 7 seconds ahead of Heber, 19:50-19:57, but won easily on the spread, 66 seconds to 92. On 9/28 Missouri powerhouse and nationally-ranked (3rd by The Harrier) West Plains Zizzers invaded Mt. Home for the Bomber Invitational held at Arkansas State University-Mt. Home. The Zizzers showed their team strength with a near perfect score of 16-60-123 win over the host Mt. Home Bombers, ranked 5th in the Arkansas Coaches Poll, and Bryant. West Plains averaged a respectable 16:26 over the 5K course on a very warm morning and turned in an impressive 10 second spread. Runner-up Mt. Home averaged 17:22 with a 1:36 spread while Bryant came in at 19:20 with a 3:45 spread.. At the Panther Invitational in Siloam Springs (9/28), the Rogers Mounties (4th ranked in Arkansas Coaches Poll) set a meet record with a perfect score to easily best runner-up Springdale, 15-70. Rogers averaged 16:41 with their Top 6 under 17 minutes and a spread of only 43 seconds. On 9/23 at the Lyon College High School Meet in Batesville, unranked Cabot bested Heber Springs, 2nd ranked in 1/2/3A, and Vilonia, 10th ranked in 4/5A, by a tight 52-60-72 score.
On the Girls side, West Plains (MO) put away the Bryant Lady Hornets, ranked 1st in the Arkansas Coaches Poll, and 6th ranked Mt. Home at the Bomber Invite (9/28) with a perfect score 15-56-102. West Plains averaged 15:48 over the 4K course with a spread of only 41 seconds. Runner-up Bryant tallied a solid 16:50 average with a spread of only 1:04 while host Mt. Home averaged 18:20 with a 2:23 spread. Meanwhile, 5th ranked (Arkansas Coaches Poll, 4/5A) Mount St. Mary’s of Little Rock earned a solid win over 7th ranked Russellville and unranked Vilonia, 30-51-81, by averaging 16:36 at the Josh Park Meet (9/28) with a 2:46 spread. Russellville averaged 17:18 with a 1:23 spread while Vilonia came in at 17:51 with a 2:05 spread. In the 1/2/3A Division, 6th ranked Lutheran won handily over Heber Springs, 26-47, while averaging 18:52 for 4K with a 3:39 spread. As a note of interest, Lutheran was led by a 2-3 finish by Megan Bradshaw and Janine Hanssen who finished only 3 1/100 of a second apart in 17:28.03 and 17:28.06. The Rogers Lady Mounties (4th ranked in Arkansas Coaches Poll, 4/5A) won handily by 41-97 over Benton County rival, Bentonville. Rogers averaged a solid 16:17 over the 4K course with a 2:00 spread. At the Lyon College meet on 9/23 in a battle of unranked teams, Vilonia took a 61-79-81 win over Cabot and Greene County Tech.
STARS OF THE WEEK:
GIRLS --- Jessi Barnes of Bentonville won a hard fought race with Andrea Peerson of Rogers at the Panther Invite (9/28) over the 4K course in 15:05 to 15:12. Sophomore Ashley Williams of Little Rock Mount St. Mary’s cruised to a 14:43 clocking over the 3800m course at the Josh Park while Ana Laura Salinas of Rogers posted an impressive 15:42 at the Panther Invite on 9/28.
Other notables were:
Alicia Owensby, Bentonville 16:05 (Panther Invite, 9/28)
Maira Carroll, Ft. Smith Southside 16:12 (Panther Invite, 9/28)
Aston Armstrong, Ft. Smith Southside 16:14 (Panther Invite, 9/28)
Leigh Ann Moore, Pocahontas 16:12 (Lyon College High School Meet, Batesville, 9/23)
Erin Dalbey, Rogers 16:22 (Panther Invite, 9/28)
Brooke Higgs, Bryant 16:20 (Bomber Invite, 9/28)
Jessica Cox, Springdale 16:26 (Panther Invite, 9/28)
Lizzie Phillips, Mount St. Mary’s 16:26 (Josh Park, 9/28)
Kristy Parker, Bentonville 16:28 (Panther Invite, 9/28)
Hayden Wood, Marion 16:30 (Lyon College, 9/23)
Dianne Miller, Siloam Springs 16:40 (Panther Invite, 9/28)
Shannon Brown, Searcy 16:40 (Lyon College, 9/23)
Candice James, Bryant 16:44 (Bomber, 9/28)
Laura Broderdorf, Mt. Home 16:42 (Bomber, 9/28)
Jessica Graham, Bryant 16:45 (Bomber, 9/28)
Jessica Miller, Van Buren 16:50 (Panther Invite, 9/28)
Melissa Arnold, Decatur 16:51 (Panther Invite, 9/28)
Lauren Ellis, Berryville 16:52 (Panther Invite, 9/28)
Blanca Estevez, Rogers 16:55 (Panther Invite, 9/28)
Mary Edwards, Bryant 16:55 (Bomber, 9/28)
Lizzie Phillips, Mount St. Mary’s 16:56 (Josh Park, 9/28…for 3800m, 40 seconds added to actual time)
BOYS --- Sophomore Luis Flores led Rogers to victory with a 16:16 clocking at the Panther Invite (9/28) while Chase Feltner of Russellville navigated the difficult course at the Josh Park meet for a win in 16:29.
Other notables were:
Zach Hines, Rogers 16:26 (Panther Invite, 9/28)
Derek Curry, Mt. Home 16:29 (Bomber Invite, 9/28)
Brandon Wheeler, Ft. Smith Northside 16:36 (Panther Invite, 9/28)
Travis Feltner, Russellville 16:39 (Josh Park, 9/28)
Nathan Roten, Rogers 16:49 (Panther Invite, 9/28)
David Salinas, Rogers 16:56 (Panther Invite, 9/28)
Caleb Gordon, Rogers 16:59 (Panther Invite, 9/28)
Stefan Mueller, Rogers 17:00 (Panther Invite, 9/28)
LATEST RANKINGS:
Girls 1A/2A/3A …….Berryville, Dover, DeQueen, Pulaski Academy, Little Rock Lutheran
Girls 4A/5A …………Bryant, Lake Hamilton, Rogers, Fayetteville, Mount St. Mary’s
Boys 1A/2A/3A …….DeQueen, Heber Springs, Berryville, Pottsville, Dover
Boys 4A/5A …………Russellville, Rogers, Fayetteville, Conway, Lake Hamilton