Long Distance Runners Medal Twice In a Week

Posted Date: 10/22/2020

The 2020 cross country season had its much anticipated debut this past week for the Mansfield long distance runners. The Tigers found medal success at two different stops during their opening week of competitive action.

Darby Jones, Faith Rainwater, Hope Rainwater, and Jadelynn Wood off the MHS senior girls team double dipped into the medal pool for the two game stand. Trinity Triska and Laney Wood made similar splashes for the Mansfield junior girls squad.

At Magazine on September 8, the top Tiger performers were Jones, J. Wood, H. Rainwater, and F. Rainwater. Each of the four senior high players grabbed top 10 medal positions with Jones leading the pack. 

The performance model for the senior girls continued a few days later on September 12 at Fort Smith. This time the Lady Tiger order commutated a bit with F. Rainwater, Jones, J. Wood, H. Rainwater claiming the top four positions from the small school classification.

Faith Rainwater, the small school champion, was number 22 overall when pooled with the large school field. Jones was the next best Tiger at 23rd overall.

Mansfield dominated the small class field when Katlynn Moore, McKenzie Griffin, and Cassidy Carlton all crossed inside the top 10.

For their collective effort, Mansfield’s senior girls took the first place team plaque at the Fort Smith Invitational. They were sixth overall only falling behind large school powers Bentonville, Greenwood, Southside, Russellville, and Van Buren. At Magazine, the group was runner-up,

For the junior girls, Triska led the charge in Magazine with teammate Laney Wood close behind. Triska was third in the 1A-2A division with the small school divisional leaders narrowly ahead.

At Fort Smith’s Ben Geren Park, Laney Wood caught her teammate, Triska, in the last 10 meters before the tape. The younger Wood snatched the small school individual title as a bunched up trio of runners ambushed the finish line. Triska fell to third as the top three small school performers crossed within one second of each other.

The Mansfield junior team finished runner-up in the team standings at both events.

Addison Bowman was the third best Mansfield junior high runner at both places. Azlynn Stover, Shelbie Fuller, and Aidan Fildes revolved inside the team rankings to help secure the team accolades.

John Branche finished top 25 at Magazine for the Tiger men. Preliminary results looked to place the Mansfield junior inside the top 10 small school rankings at Fort Smith.

Rylan Nichols, Jonah Martin, and Joseph Carter ran for the MJH boys. Ethan Streets competed on the senior boys team. Lita Hecox completed the MHS senior girls roster.