2002 Cross Country
Week 4 - 9/28/02

by Arkansas TrackStats, the site for news of Arkansas

Week 4 got off to a bang at the Josh Park Memorial Meet in Heber Springs (9/28) as the nationally-ranked (7^th 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 2^nd 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 2^nd 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 (3^rd 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 5^th 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 (4^th 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, 2^nd ranked in 1/2/3A, and Vilonia, 10^th 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 1^st in the Arkansas Coaches Poll, and 6^th 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, 5^th ranked (Arkansas Coaches Poll, 4/5A) Mount St. Mary’s of Little Rock earned a solid win over 7^th 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, 6^th 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 (4^th 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

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