BHS XC 2024 Report

 

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Nov. 5 update corrects Abby Le’s class to ninth grade throughout and one incorrect reference to sophomore Nallely Cruz as a ninth-grader.

5A State Championships, Oaklawn Park, Nov. 7

No runner finished top 50 and neither boys nor girls finished team top 10 but Pioneer spirit reigned Thursday at the 5A Cross Country Championships at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs.

As senior Kaylee Montgomery sprinted to the finish near her best-ever pace, the girl just ahead of her went down 100 yards from the line. Montgomery immediately stopped, checked and got a shoulder under to walk her in, talking and making sure she could safely be moved all the way to the end.

Emergency personnel on site took over at the line.

Giving such aid is against the rules and the recipient is disqualified for not finishing by their own strength, but for the rest of the afternoon Montgomery and her parents were showered with praise and gratitude for having done the right thing without hesitation. The official result for each was secondary to the day’s deed.

Montgomery closes her career leading the Lady Pioneers as she has done all season. She finished in 24:35, more than a minute spent helping a struggling rival.

The Lady Pioneers have heartwarming stories throughout the roster, as just behind Montgomery came sophomore Jordan Porter in 24:56. She is a late season addition to the squad, joining from preseason basketball practice. Sophomore Kyra Logan finished close on her heels in 25:16. Logan’s best ever time came at last year’s state final in her first race up from junior high. This season’s leader up from junior high, Darcy Nikkel, has improved every week in her three senior high runs, setting a PR of 26:17 Thursday.

Sophomore Lydia Montgomery (Kaylee’s sister) and junior Victoria Nelms paced steadily together throughout to finish at 28:00. Two of Nikkel’s classmates debuted on the big stage, with Genevieve Campbell running 29:41 and Abby Le 30:45. Sophomore Nallely Cruz, new to the sport this year, jogged steady as ever all season, never walking, seconds off her fastest ever in 38:06.

On the season, the Lady Pioneers won two team titles and three runnerup titles in 10 meets.

Sophomore Alan Aguilar led the Pioneers in 18:40, with senior Ethan Insell next in 19:27. Senior Grant McDonald, a championship season addition from football, paced with classmate Isaac Wehrung each in 21:12. Freshman Isaiah Newcomer ran well in his first senior high 5K as fifth scorer in 23:57.

Sophomores fill out the lineup: Carsten Byers (24:37), Reece Wixson (25:20), Parker Rodgers (25:22), and Andy Santizo (26:52).

For the season, the boys won the Tuckerman Bulldogs River Run at Jacksonport Park, with Aguilar setting the 5K course record at 17:44.

RESULTS: 2024 Arkansas Championships at Milesplit.

5A East/4A Region 3 Championships, Sulphur Rock Elementary, Oct. 29

The Batesville Lady Pioneers and the junior high boys earned runnerup titles at Tuesday’s 5A East Cross Country Championships.

Senior Kaylee Montgomery ran her career best 23:09 for sixth place on the home course at Sulphur Rock Elementary. Junior Melania Hendrix also medalled in ninth at 24:09, with sophomore Jordan Porter just missing a medal in 11th at 24:29. Ninth-grader Darcy Nikkel finished 21st in 26:21 in her second race coming up from junior high. Fifth scorer Kyra Logan led the solid midpack in 24th at 26:54, with Lydia Montgomery (25th ,27:00) and Victoria Nelms (26th, 27:03) right behind. Senior Kennedy Johnson ran her career best in 29:15 and sophomore Nallely Cruz finished in 38:27.

Valley View took the team championship with five runners in the top 15 behind winner Starlyn Edwards of Paragould, who was nearly three minutes ahead of the field in 19:34 for the 5K.

The Pioneer junior high boys put three in the Top 10 to take second place behind MacArthur Junior High with all five runners in the Top 10. Greene County Tech’s Tyler Bedgood won in 8:23 over the flat 2.5K course.

Eighth-grader Kendall Johnson led the Pioneers in fourth at 8:48, with seventh-grader Will Henry Hogue chasing in fifth at 9:01. Eighth-grader Hayes Yarnell claimed a medal in ninth at 9:14, but classmate Tate Murphree just missed in 11th at 9:51. Freshman Isaiah Newcomer’s 10:33 for 22nd place in the field of 65 gave the Pioneers the edge over Greene County Tech. Freshman Leo Medina ran seconds off his season’s best in 12:09.

Nick Sherwood of team champion Searcy won senior high boys in 17:10. Zaylie Davis of team champion Searcy won junior high girls in 9:55. Valley View took second for both team contests.

Sophomore Alan Aguilar took the only medal for the Pioneers in eighth at 18:14. Senior Grant McDonald returned from football for the first time since eighth grade to finish 17th in 19:12. Classmates Ethan Insell (25th, 20:03) and Isaac Wehrung (41st, 22:06) followed, with sophomore Parker Rodgers (50th, 23:32) the fifth scorer. Fellow sophomores Andy Santizo (24:43), Carsten Byers (24:54) and Reece Wixson (24:55) gave a glimpse of depth for the future as all look ahead to the state championships Nov. 7 at Oaklawn Racing Park.

Eighth grader Aurora Tickner led the junior high girls in 16th at 11:19 and twin sister Scarlett ran well as fifth scorer, 40th in 13:15. Seventh graders Shiekenya Wren (23rd, 11:44), Lea Wilson (25th, 12:05) and Viga Morales-Szulga (37th, personal best 13:00) filled the scoring slots between the twins. Eighth graders Genevieve Campbell (13:17) and Shelbea Fowler (17:13) closed their season with seventh grader Madison Driver (18:59).

The senior high squads run Thursday in the state championships at Oaklawn in Hot Springs. The junior high season is over, but ninth-graders Isaiah Newcomer, Leo Medina, and Genevieve Campbell are eligible to be among nine runners per team at the state races.

The 4A Region 3 championships raced in conjunction with the 5A East contests.

Brent Whiteley of Pocahontas won the senior boys in 19:06 with Westside Consolidated of Jonesboro team champion ahead of Brookland. Emilee Coleman of Brookland won senior girls in 22:59 with Westside taking the team title. Alice Baltz of Brookland won the junior girls in 10:25 with Highland edging Westside 35-37 for team honors. Zeppelin Schultz of Highland triumphed in junior boys in 9:00 as Westside claimed the top team spot over Brookland.

RESULTS: 5A East/4A Region 3 at Milesplit.

NEXT UP: The Pioneers head to Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs for the 5A State Championships next Thursday (Nov. 7). The senior girls run at 2:30 and the boys at 3 p.m. at 3 p.m. The 4A-3 championships will run concurrently.

Arvest Bank Valley View Blazer Invitational, Joe Mack Campbell Park, Oct. 22

The Batesville Pioneer runners got a glimpse of their district rivals Tuesday at the Arvest Bank Invitational at Jonesboro’s Joe Mack Campbell Park.

Host Valley View, Searcy, Greene County Tech, Marion, Nettleton and West Memphis all had runners at the meet and will be at Sulphur Rock for the 5A East championships Tuesday (Oct. 29).

Softer ground and warmer weather slowed the Pioneers a bit after two weeks of team-wide personal bests, as only seventh-grader Will Henry Hogue made it into the Top 10 medals on the day.
The junior high girls had the best team finish, one point behind Searcy in fifth place. The junior girls ran first, with Valley View taking the team title for the 1.5-mile race.

Lady Pioneer eighth-grader Aurora Tickner ran 11:20 for 15th of 113, with twin Scarlett the fifth scorer in 46th at 13:34. Seventh-graders Lea Wilson (25th, 12:18) and Shiekenya Wren (31st, 12:49) filled in between with ninth-grader Abby Le (39th, 13:15). Seventh-grader Viga Morales-Szulga ran 13:42 for 48th. Eighth-grader Shelbea Fowler got within a few seconds of her best ever at 15:52 and seventh-grader Madison Driver worked all the way in a steady debut as the newest member of the team.

The Pioneer junior boys were without two of their usual scorers, including Kendall Johnson who won last year’s race here, so did not have a team score. But Hogue ran right up front on the plush grass of the sports complex, finishing fifth of 123 as the fastest seventh-grader in 9:18, behind three freshmen and an eighth-grader from 5A-East rivals. Eighth-grader Hayes Yarnell hung close for 13th in 9:46, with classmate Tate Murphree a minute behind in 44th, and freshman Leo Medina steady in 12:56.

Ninth-grader Darcy Nikkel moved up to senior girls and ran well over the 5K distance, keeping company with sophomore Lydia Montgomery as third and fourth scorers. Nikkel debuted in 26:23 for 34th place of 65, with Montgomery 35th just two seconds off her best ever in 26:27. Older sister Kaylee Montgomery led the team in 17th at 24:08 and basketball teammate Jordan Porter took 29th in 25:39. Sophomore Kyra Logan (40th, 27:51) and junior Victoria Nelms (41st, 27:53) once again ran well together. Sophomore Nallely Cruz never let up in 42:21.

The ladies finished sixth of seven teams from 17 schools competing, with Valley View the only district rival ahead of them.

Jonesboro runners finished first and second in a near sweep for the senior boys team title, with 5A-East teams Searcy and Valley View chasing. The Pioneers were sixth with sophomore Alan Aguilar top finisher at 18:11 in 20th place. Seniors Ethan Insell (34th, 19:34) and Isaac Wehrung (59th, 22:02) followed. The Pioneers are building with youth as the rest of the squad are sophomores: Parker Rodgers (24:16), Andy Santizo (24:49), Carsten Byers (25:31), and Reece Wixson (25:58).

RESULTS: Arvest Bank Invitational at Milesplit.

NEXT UP: The Pioneers play host to the 5A East championships Tuesday (Oct. 29) at Sulphur Rock Magnet Elementary. The junior boys run first at 3 p.m. The 4A-3 championships will run concurrently.

Tuckerman Bulldogs River Run, Oct. 15

The Batesville Pioneers won all four team divisions Tuesday at the Tuckerman Bulldogs River Run at Jacksonport State Park.

The growing Pioneer squads delivered across the board against a smaller field than in recent weeks, with just a dozen schools including neighboring Southside, Cave City and Cedar Ridge in action.

The story of the meet is strength in team. Medals went to the Top 20 in each race on the flat, fast, out-and-back riverside course. The chilly wind suited the Pioneers just fine as most ran two or three side-by-side. Scoring reflected the power of the pack: seven junior high girls claimed medals as did six senior girls, five junior boys, and four senior boys.

The teams have grown with seven new runners suiting up in the past three weeks. And they have grown speedy in the cooler weather and flatter courses, with 21 of 27 runners setting personal records last week at the Caveman Open then doing more Tuesday, with 21 of now 32 athletes setting PRs. Four of the remaining 11 ran for the first time (so strictly speaking PRs as well), three others had season’s bests, and the other four narrowly missed matching their PRs from Cave City.

Sophomore Alan Aguilar earned the individual spotlight on the team day, winning in the 5K course record at 17:44. He started strong behind a pack of Cedar Ridge Timberwolves and stayed stride for stride with familiar rival Ryan Barber through the first mile. Senior Ethan Insell tracked closely with the pair. Aguilar pulled away before the turnaround of the two-loop course, and Insell moved into second as Barber lost a shoe and slowed being stuck with sand burrs in the path.

Behind them, senior Isaac Wehrung made his debut from tennis season, medalling in 15th in the field of 43 at 21:14. Sophomore Carsten Byers took the last medal at 20th in 22:05, lopping another minute off last week’s PR. Sophomores Andy Santizo (21st, 22:11) and Parker Rodgers (24th, 22:38) also ran PRs just outside the medals. Classmate Reece Wixson logged a season’s best 24:42.

The team took first of four scoring squads of the 12 schools entered, topping Cedar Ridge 33-45.

The junior girls ran first, with 10 Lady Pioneers working together in bunches on their way to seven medals. Eighth-grader Aurora Tickner, ninth-grader Darcy Nikkel and seventh-grader Shiekenya Wren ran up front early in the field of 67. Tickner pushed the last half mile of the 2.5K loop to finish third going under 11:00 for the first time at 10:54. Nikkel PRed in sixth at 11:06. Wren in 11th at 11:31 has now dropped five minutes from her debut two weeks ago. Ninth-grader Abby Le (13th, 12:01) led the remaining medalists, all with PRs: seventh-grader Lea Wilson (14th, 12:02), eighth-grader Scarlett Tickner (18th, 12:32) and ninth-grader Genevieve Campbell (20th, 12:40). Seventh-grader Viga Morales-Szulga PRed for the second week in a row at 13:07 and ninth-grader Shaylee Horton followed right behind in her best 13:10. Eighth-grader Shelbea Fowler ran a steady 16:38.

Low score of 35 took first of seven teams, ahead of Highland at 66 and Melbourne at 69.

The senior girls nearly matched the junior results, with six ladies in the top 20 and Taylor Bishop 21st in her PR of 26:59. The field was small but fast in front as Britney Mahan of Cave City joined Aguilar in breaking the course record, winning in 21:06 with teammate Aubree Milligan chasing in 21:18.

For the Lady Pioneers, sophomore Jordan Porter and junior Melania Hendrix made strong debuts, keeping company early with lead senior Kaylee Montgomery, their teammate from Lady Pioneer basketball. Montgomery broke under 24:00 for the first time at 23:27 in eighth with Porter hanging on her heels in ninth at 23:35. Hendrix held on for 11th in 24:22. Sophomore Kyra Logan (14th, season’s best 25:01) and Victoria Nelms (15th, PR 25:03) made up the scoring five for 20 points, topping Salem at 41. Basketball teammate and sister, sophomore Lydia Montgomery raced to the last medal in 20th at a season’s best 26:39. Nallely Cruz ran close to her PR of the week before at 38:25.

The junior boys produced the tightest group finish on the day as Kendall Johnson (9:03), Will Henry Hogue (9:09.2) and Hayes Yarnell (PR 9:09.7) finished second, third and fourth. Tate Murphree (17th, PR 10:00) and Isaiah Newcomer (15th, PR 10:16) medaled in the field of 68. Ninth-grader Leo Medina chopped 40 seconds off his best a week ago for a PR of 12:01 and seventh-grader Brandtly Williams ran his first race at a steady 12:40.

As with the junior ladies, the team score of 34 led seven teams, ahead of Sloan-Hendrix at 61 and host Tuckerman at 68.

Pioneers took all four team titles, 22 of 80 individual medals, broke a course record, and logged 27 career or season bests.

RESULTS: Tuckerman Bulldogs River Run at Milesplit. Timer’s page with River Run finish line video links.

NEXT UP: It’s another flat, fast course Tuesday (Oct. 22) at Valley View’s Arvest Bank Invitational at Joe Mack Campbell Park in Jonesboro.

Cave City Caveman Open, Oct. 8

Cooler weather and a well-tended course brought out the best in Batesville Pioneer runners Tuesday at the Cave City Caveman Open. Of the 27 Pioneer entries across the four races, 21 broke personal records and three of the remaining six ran season’s best times.

Alan Aguilar (third of 125 senior boys), Kendall Johnson (third of 233 junior boys), Kaylee Montgomery (18th of 108 senior girls) and Aurora Tickner (20th of 197 junior girls) led the way, all with PRs.

The junior high boys finished third of 21 teams in a tight contest, with Rural Special School taking the title at 103 points over Heber Springs 109 and Batesville 111. The firm footing on mowed lanes on Cave City agri fields and twisting hills of the school’s Turnbough Nature Trail made for fast times and wild finishes along the closing 250-yard straight.

Johnson paced with the top five throughout the first mile and coming out of the wooded trail before surging past three in the closing straight for his 8:42 PR as the fastest eighth grader in the race. Charging close behind as the fastest seventh-grader in the 2.5K, teammate Will Henry Hogue set his PR at 9:02 in eighth place, with eight-grader Hayes Yarnell 12th in 9:18 for his best-ever. The Top 10 received medals and the Top 30 received Tshirts. Eighth-grader Tate Murphree raced hard in a tight pack of more than a dozen runners, weaving his way left, right and between half a dozen rivals in the last 100yards to put the team in contention for the title. His PR of 10:05 put him just a bit ahead of freshman Isaiah Newcomer in his own PR of 10:23. Freshman Leo Medina ran sub 13:00 for the second time for his PR in 12:40.

Aguilar followed Johnson’s approach in senior boys as he hung around the top five throughout the two loops of the 5K. Tracking the leaders over the gentle climb of the tree line from the two mile mark and into the hills on the nature trail, he saved energy for a strong closing straight from sixth into third in his 18:18 PR. Senior Ethan Insell ran 19:20 for 15th, with sophomore Carsten Byers moving up into third scorer in his first time under 24:00 at 23:20. Classmate Parker Rodgers, a standout on the state champion swim team, hit right at 24:00 in his PR as fourth scorer. Sophomores Andy Santizo, right behind in 24:15, and Reece Wixson (season’s best 25:21) rounded out the squad for a team finish in sixth of 12.

Senior Kaylee Montgomery consistently closes strong on the back half of the 5K and Tuesday was no exception. She gained ground each loop on the trail downhills and on the long treeline of the closing mile, with a sprint finish past three or four rivals into 18th in her 24:04 PR. Junior Victoria Nelms and sophomores Lydia Montgomery and Kyra Logan continued their good pack running, finishing close together in the midpack. Nelms hit her PR of 26:36 ahead of Montgomery at 27:06 and Logan at 27:10. Sophomore Nallely Cruz raced three minutes faster than ever before to round out the team scoring for sixth place of seven teams from more than 20 schools entered.

PRs were the rule of the day for junior girls as well, with eighth-grader Aurora Tickner at 11:08, ninth-grader Darcy Nikkel 11:21 just outside of Tshirt awards in 32nd, and seventh-grader Lea Wilson in a big jump under 12:00 for the first time in 11:51. The biggest improvement came from seventh-grader Shiekenya Wren in just her second race, dropping four minutes from the previous week to surprise as fourth scorer at 12:34 with a sprint finish sweeping past a few rivals. Ninth-grade teammate Abby Le closed fast right behind in her best-ever 12:36.

Ninth-grader Genevieve Campbell in 13:33 led a solid Pioneer pack with seventh-grader Viga Morales-Szulga in her PR of 13:34, just ahead of Aurora Tickner in hers of 13:40. Newcomer eighth-graders Shelbea Fowler in her best-ever 15:41 and Arabella Williams in hers of 16:11 made it a grand day of bests for the junior girls in fifth of 18 teams from more than 20 schools.

RESULTS: Caveman Open at Milesplit

NEXT UP: The Pioneers travel Tuesday (Oct. 15) to Jacksonport State Park for the Tuckerman Bulldogs River Run. The junior high girls start first at 4 p.m.

Lyon College Invitational, Oct. 1

The Batesville Junior High boys took three of the Top 15 medals Tuesday at the Lyon College Cross Country Invitational. The field included 222 runners from 29 schools and the team finished fourth of 22 scoring squads.

The senior high girls finished fifth of 10 teams, junior girls seventh of 15, and senior boys seventh of 13.

Needing to get out fast in the crowded field, eighth-grader Kendall Johnson used his championship sprinter’s speed to take the lead through the first quarter mile and then pace with the ninth-graders in front. He finished fourth over the 1.5 miles in 9:20, the fastest eighth-grader in the field. Will Henry Hogue kept his teammate in sight to finish in 9:36 as the fastest seventh-grader on the rolling hills and varied terrain. Eighth-grader Hayes Yarnell closed fast right behind in 9:44 for 14th.

The team scoring was close as MacArthur claimed the title with 79 points, followed by Greene County Tech at 96, Heber Springs 99 and Batesville 107. Heber Springs was the only other school with three in the Top 15, and GCT and Batesville actually had faster five-runner cumulative times than MacArthur.

The course featured firm grass lanes, woodland dirt and pine needle trails, and a wood bridge crossing campus waters.

The remaining three junior Pioneers ran their personal bests, though the course measured a bit shorter than usual, not quite half the senior 5K distance. Eighth-grader Tate Murphree (10:20, 41st) and ninth-graders Isaiah Newcomer (10:39, 67th) and Leo Medina (12:45, 169th) all ran nearly a minute faster than before, a bigger drop than the shorter distance alone should provide.

The senior ladies faced a bit more competition than the past few races, where they had finished first once and runners-up twice. Senior leader Kaylee Montgomery again showed her durability and downhill strength as she worked through the field of 101 in the closing stages of the three-loop course to medal in 10th, seconds off her PR in 24:26. Fifth scorer Taylor Bishop also registered her PR at 29:36. Junior Victoria Nelms ran within a second of her PR at 27:14. Sophomores Kyra Logan (26:13) and Lydia Montgomery (27:36) made up the scoring five for an overall season’s best team cumulative time. Sophomore Nallely Cruz once again ran steady all the way, within 30 seconds of her best on the challenging course.

For the senior boys, sophomore Alan Aguilar stuck tighter on the leaders through the hills and used his own track speed at the finish to grab ninth of 124 at 18:54. Senior Ethan Insell finished 26th in 20:14, with sophomores Andy Santizo (71st, 23:41), Carsten Byers (78th, 24:16 PR), Reece Wixson (26:27) and Parker Rodgers (29:32) completing the scoring.

The junior girls squad continues to progress and to grow, with midseason debuts for the second week in a row. Eighth-grader Aurora Tickner led in 23rd of 174, 10 seconds off her PR in 11:41. Ninth-grader Darcy Nikkel finished 48th in 12:33, with seventh-grader Lea Wilson (69th, 13:11) and ninth-grader Abby Le (78th, 13:18) working nicely together not far behind. Seventh-grader Viga Morales-Szulga ran her best ever by a minute in 13:57, finishing as the squad’s fifth scorer for the first time. Ninth-grader Genevieve Campbell ran 14:24 and Scarlett Tickner 15:11 as the sixth and seventh runners whose places count against other team totals. Eighth-grader Shelbea Fowler, last week’s newcomer, ran 17:10. New to the squad and the distance this week, seventh-grader Shiekenya Wren held steady and chased down two rivals in a strong finish at 16:30, and Arabella Williams pushed through in 17:04.

RESULTS: Lyon Invitational at Milesplit

NEXT UP: Junior girls will race first at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, at the Cave City Caveman Open.

Eye of the Tiger River Run, Old Davidsonville State Park, Sept. 24

The Lady Pioneers continued their group success with a second place finish Tuesday at the Eye of the Tiger Invitational at Old Davidsonville State Park. More than 20 schools took part, but Batesville is among the few with a full healthy scoring squad of five ladies or more.

The junior boys also did well, taking fourth of 20 scoring teams, with Will Henry Hogue sixth and Kendall Johnson seventh of 201 finishers.

Johnson went to the front right away in the first race of the day. The course starts with a brief uphill sprint from a wide turf starting line. It narrows quickly into a hard right turn onto woodland dirt and gravel trail. It’s a mad scramble with 200 runners squeezing into an eight-foot-wide lane, and Johnson and Hogue did well to be in the first 15. Teammate Hayes Yarnell fell and was delayed getting up in the crush. He fought his way back to 32nd place, but was a minute off his pace from the week before when he finished right on Johnson’s heels.

Hogue is a seventh-grader; Johnson and Yarnell are eighth-graders. Fellow eighth-grader Tate Murphree ran his PR, first time under 11:00 as he improves in his first season. Also in his first season, freshman Isaiah Newcomer hit his top time of 11:14 to cap the scoring five for the team’s fourth place finish at 129 points, just behind Sloan-Hendrix at 120. Freshman Leo Medina dropped a minute off his fastest time, clocking 13:51 on the twisting woodland dirt and rolling grass inclines.

For the Lady Pioneers, senior leader Kaylee Montgomery ran a strong tactical race right from the unusual speedy start with the front pack. In 11th before the first mile mark, she used her downhill speed to good advantage picking off rivals one by one on the second lap and then catching three more in the closing quarter mile. Junior Victoria Nelms and sophomores Lydia Montgomery and Kyra Logan again ran close together early, with Nelms finishing a bit stronger in the last 300 yards for 24th in 28:24 and Montgomery keeping challengers at bay right behind in 25th 28:39. Logan battled home in 28th at 29:13. Multisport senior Kennedy Johnson made her debut on a day away from volleyball to score fifth for the ladies. She took 38th place at 30:43, her best time since sophomore year. Sophomore newcomer Nallely Cruz ran her best race yet, faster even than her debut on the flat fast course at Sulphur Rock two weeks ago.

The junior girls hit two PRs, as Aurora Tickner earned a medal for the third time in four races, finishing ninth in her PR 11:31. Ninth-grader Shaylee Horton ran her best in 48th at 13:19. In between, ninth-grader Darcy Nikkel finished 26th in 12:19. Seventh-grader Lea Wilson finished 52nd of 172 at 13:24 and ninth-grader Abby Le ran 14:29 for 76th as fifth scorer. Twin Scarlett Tickner ran right in the middle of the pack, 85th in 14:39, with Viga Morales-Szulga holding steady at 15:05, her third of four races within five seconds of that mark. Eighth-grade beginner Shelbea Fowler paced well in her first race after joining a few weeks into the season. The ladies finished seventh of 16 teams.

Sophomore Alan Aguilar made his own fast start in the top five senior boys at the mile. He lost some ground in the wooded hills but chased back at the finish to medal in seventh in 20:03. Senior Ethan Insell worked up just outside the medals in 13th at 20:29. Sophomores Carsten Byers (57th, 25:28) and Andy Santizo (59th, 25:38) paced together much of the way. Santizo felt the time off late in his debut after recovering from a fall in training just before the season opener. Classmate Reece Wixson persevered through abdominal distress to complete the scoring five in 27:58.

RESULTS: Eye of the Tiger at Milesplit

NEXT UP: Junior boys will race first at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, at the Lyon College Invitational.

Paragould Race on the Ridge, Crowley’s Ridge College, Sept. 17

The Lady Pioneers raced to another high finish Tuesday in the Race on the Ridge at Crowley’s Ridge College, second behind Quitman. The Pioneers ran well also, in third behind Searcy and Greene County Tech.

The junior boys had the best individual results with three in the Top 15.

The junior girls ran first on the rain-sodden course laid out mostly along campus tree lines. The soft turf and occasional mudslicks made for a challenging day, with sun also creating pockets of humidity rising from the soggy grass.

Aurora Tickner ran with the lead pack through the first mile, eventually finishing 20th in 12:36. Darcy Nikkel moved through the midpack to 28th in 13:16 with Abby Le (45th, 14:01), Shaylee Horton (46th, 14:03) and Lea Wilson (50th, 14:08) working well together throughout for a fifth-place team score. Genevieve Campbell finished 66th and seventh-grader Viga Morales-Szulga, newest member of the squad, continued to improve in 91st of 147.

For the second week in a row, technical issues bedeviled the first race of the day, with the timer resorting to backup systems to compile the results overnight. As the week before, the remaining races came off without a hitch.

The young Pioneers got up front early in that second race, with seventh-grader Will Henry Hogue again leading the way. He gained places on the tough climb just past the mile mark of the slightly more than 1.55 mile loop, and caught another one or two in the downhill finish over the final 200 yards. He finished fifth in 9:25. Kendall Johnson, who was last year’s seventh-grade leader, and classmate Hayes Yarnell stuck together close to the front. Johnson had an edge with his sprinter’s background just at the finish, taking the 10th place medal half a second ahead of his teammate. Eighth-grader Tate Murphree and freshman Isaiah Newcomer likewise paced together most of the way. Murphree (52nd, 11:02) got a bit of separation from Newcomer (69th, 11:28) in the hills of the last half mile, though both were faster than on the shorter, flatter course at Sulphur Rock the week before. Freshman Leo Medina also improved to 14:41, 153rd of 191.

Senior Starlyn Edwards of host Paragould ran away from the girls 5K field in 20:39, with her sophomore sister Kaelyn her closest challenger in 23:51. Quitman had five in the top 15 for the team title. The Pioneers were next best with five in the Top 30. Lady Pioneer Kaylee Montgomery finished seventh in 25:24, steadily passing rivals on the second loop. Teamwork behind her again paid off as sister Lydia Montgomery (19th, 29:53), Victoria Nelms (23rd, 30:27) and Kyra Logan (25th, 31:07) pushed each other until separating a bit the last half mile. Taylor Bishop filled out the team scoring five in 29th at 32:36 and Nallely Cruz, last week’s fifth scorer, ran steady all the way in her second race, 60th of 68.

Alan Aguilar and Ethan Insell took their cue from the junior boys and went hard to the front in the tight starting area, with sophomore Aguilar occasionally surging in front of eventual winner Bryce Barry of White County Central early on. Aguilar wobbled to the finish in the steamy conditions, just holding off Gabriel Fatula of team champ Searcy for second in 19:40. Insell outsprinted Searcy’s John Arnett for eighth in 20:20. Sophomores Carsten Byers (25:25) and Parker Rodgers (25:27) paired up in 39th and 40th, as classmate Reece Wixson (28:23) worked hard as fifth scorer in 48th of 77.

RESULTS: ar.milesplit.com

NEXT UP: The Pioneers travel Tuesday (9/24) to Old Davidsonville for Maynard’s Eye of the Tiger River Run, with the junior boys racing first at 4 p.m.

Pioneer Invitational at Sulphur Rock, Sept. 10

The Lady Pioneers earned the team title Tuesday in their home invitational at Sulphur Rock with four runners in the top 16.

The neighborhood rival Southside Southerners matched the score of 49, but neither team had a sixth runner for the first tiebreaker. The second tiebreaker is the highest placed fourth runner, and sophomore Lydia Montgomery finished ahead of Southside’s third. She missed out by one place on an individual medal, just behind classmate Kyra Logan in 14th and junior Victoria Nelms in 15th, but bringing home the championship plaque is fitting consolation.

Older sister Kaylee Montgomery led the ladies in fifth place at 24:30 as she continues her senior campaign hovering within seconds of her best ever times. She moved steadily through the top 15 after the mile mark. Fifth scorer Nallely Cruz, a sophomore new to the sport, made up the championship team in her first 5K.

The junior boys also had three medalists with seventh grader Will Henry Hogue fifth, eighth-graders Kendall Johnson seventh and Hayes Yarnell 12th. Timing failure on this first race of the day leaves most result information in doubt except for the top 15 medals and the team champion, as Greene County Tech had five runners in the first 20. Coaches, parents and fans are sharing information to help update the results by matching bib numbers with time stamps from the emergency hand timing.

The junior girls went into action after the unfortunate delay, with the reconnected automated system functioning normally. Eighth grader Aurora Tickner picked off a number of runners in the last half mile of the 1.55-mile race, grabbing the medal for 12th and dropping 40 seconds from the week before at Melbourne. Ninth-grader Darcy Nikkel finished 21st a few seconds better than the previous week. Seventh-grader Leah Wilson dropped 20 seconds off her debut at Melbourne, finishing 39th in 12:51, with ninth-grader Abby Le the most improved, 1:20 faster at 13:00 in 41st. Ninth-grader Shaylee Horton picked up 10 seconds at 13:22 in 49th, with classmate Genevieve Campbell right behind in 51st in her first race of the season as she splits time with tennis. Twin Scarlett Tickner finished 58th and seventh-grader Viga Morales-szulga dipped just under 15:00 in her second race. The team finished fifth.

The senior boys preferred the cooler weather at Melbourne, as sophomore Alan Aguilar finished eighth but well off his pace from the week before at 19:37. Senior Ethan Insell also grabbed a medal in 10th at 19:47. Sophomores Parker Rodgers and Carsten Byers ran close together throughout in 53rd and 55th. Classmate Reece Wixson was the exception for the boys as he improved nearly two minutes from the previous week to finish 61st. The team finished fifth, just a few points out of third.

RESULTS: Girls races and senior boys are at Pioneer Invitational 2024 results

NEXT UP: The Pioneers travel Tuesday to Crowley’s Ridge College for Paragould’s Race on the Ridge, with the junior girls racing first at 3:30 p.m.

Melbourne Bearkatz Invitational, Sept. 3

Batesville Pioneer cross country hit the ground at full speed Tuesday, with eight runners winning Top 15 medals across four divisions at the Melbourne Bearkatz Invitational.

The junior high girls, junior boys, and senior girls all earned third place team honors and the senior boys took sixth on a fifth-place tiebreaker. More than 20 schools competed.

Highlights included seventh-grader Will Henry Hogue surging to third place among 107 junior boys in his debut, just ahead of eighth-grader Kendall Johnson, who won junior district for the Pioneers in 2023. Senior Kaylee Montgomery started the season in grand fashion, running her best ever 24:22.17 for 11th place.

The junior girls raced first, with returning leader Darcy Nikkel working her way up into ninth at 12:20, two minutes faster than her race on the same course in 2023. Closing strong on her ninth grade teammate, eighth-grader Aurora Tickner also medaled in 10th in 12:22 in her first time at cross country distance after a standout spring track season. The squad is flush with first timers, with seventh-grader Lea Wilson 27th at 13:16; Scarlett Tickner (Aurora’s twin) 37th at 13:41; ninth-grader Abby Le 47th in 14:19; and seventh-grader Viga Morales-szulga 15:02. Ninth-grader Shaylee Horton missed last fall but traded on her track experience to finish as fourth scorer in 13:36, 35th out of 106.

Heber Springs and Melbourne took the team plaques.

The senior Lady Pioneers started in a solid pack of four through the first half mile, with Montgomery, sophomores Kyra Logan and younger sister Lydia Montgomery, and junior Victoria Nelms all bunched in the top 25 of 56. Kaylee Montgomery held her pace and moved up through the field, kicking into medals in the last 200 yards. She topped her previous best time at the 2023 state championship by nearly half a minute. Logan was right behind Montgomery at state and Tuesday’s start but fell off the pace midway. She fought back to 23rd in 27:06. Nelms last ran cross country as an eighth-grader, sticking with lower mileage in track since. She finished 30th in 27:56. Lydia Montgomery moved up to be fourth scorer in 2023 and she starts this year in the same spot, taking 32nd in 28:42. Junior Taylor Bishop rounded out the scoring five, 35th at 30:36.

Heber Springs and Rural Special won team titles.

The junior boys joined team champ Heber Springs with three runners each in the top 15. Hogue (9:42) pushed through the top 10 over the closing half mile, and Johnson (9:52) used his exceptional track speed over the last quarter mile to improve by 40 seconds over the same course last year. Eighth-grader Hayes Yarnell dropped a minute from the same course last year to grab the third medal for the junior boys, eighth in 10:11. Rookie eighth-grader Tate Murphree, 29th in 11:28, and freshman Isaiah Newcomer, 36th in 11:44, rounded out the scoring five. The fourth first-timer of the six, freshman Leo Medina, ran a steady 14:58 at the new distance. Four from Rural Special scored 10th through 13th in edging the Pioneers by three points for the runnerup plaque.

For the senior boys, sophomore Alan Aguilar returns as the frontrunner, narrowly missing his personal best at 18:37 in fifth place of 69. Senior Ethan Insell also charged home to medal at ninth in 19:15. Sophomores Parker Rodgers (46th, 24:09) and Carsten Byers (51st, 24:45) both topped their personal bests from the 2023 state championships. Classmate Reece Wixson pushed through as fifth scorer in 28:06.

RESULTS: Melbourne Bearkatz Invitational 2024 results

NEXT UP: The Pioneer Invitational at Sulphur Rock Magnet Elementary next Tuesday, Sept. 10, with the junior boys racing first at 4 p.m. The 5A East Championships also will be on the Sulphur Rock course Oct. 29.

2024 Season Preview

The Pioneer cross country squads are primed for a busy season starting Tuesday, Sept. 3, at Melbourne for the Bearkatz Invitational.

Featuring ladies first, senior Kaylee Montgomery and sophomore Kyra Logan led the Lady Pioneers at 5A State in 2023 and return with new depth behind them. Montgomery’s sister Lydia, a sophomore, moved up midseason last year and returns with plenty of summer miles as she looks to get under 25 minutes for the 5K. Juniors Taylor Bishop and Victoria Nelms have also been busy in summer workouts, and both are achievers heavily involved in other school activities. Nelms was a junior high standout before slow and steady injury recovery. Senior Kennedy Johnson rounds out the squad as she juggles multiple sports, cheerleading, and pageantry.

The junior ladies are again led by veteran ninth-grader Darcy Nikkel, who earned numerous individual medals in 2023. She and classmates Shaylee Horton and Genevieve Campbell figure to move up for the state championships if not earlier at 5A East. Campbell will miss part of the season as she splits her time with tennis. Horton also is a multisport athlete who joins cross country after leading the middle distance ladies in spring track.

The junior lineup boasts a wealth of newcomers making up the fullest squad in several years. Tenth-grader Nalley Cruz is new to the sport, as are ninth-grader Abby Le and seventh-graders Viga Morales-szulga and Lea Wilson. Eighth-grade twins Aurora and Scarlett Tickner join cross-country after a strong spring track season. The Tickners and Wilson have been active in the summer road-racing circuit and should make a formidable scoring five with Nikkel and Horton.

For the boys, Alan Aguilar came up early from junior high in 2023, leading the Pioneers at 5A State. The sophomore looks to pick up where he left off, with veteran senior Ethan Insell keeping pace close behind. Sophomore Andy Santizo, running cross country for the first time after a strong spring track season on the 4 x 800 relay, will provide depth as he builds mileage. Sophomore Parker Rodgers, one of Insell’s teammates on the Pioneer threepeat state champion swim team, brings his triathlete training to the pack. Sophomore Reece Wixson moves to senior high full time after three years with junior high. Classmate Carsten Byers likewise should progress quickly in just his second year in the sport. Senior Isaac Wehrung, who joined late last year after reaching the state tournament in tennis, is on the same two-sport path in 2024.

As with the ladies, the youth movement is strong as well, with eighth-graders Kendall Johnson and Hayes Yarnell returning after medal-winning debut seasons in 2023. Three first-year runners have top 10 finishes in summer road races under their belts, hinting at a strong pack going forward. Seventh-grader Will Henry Hogue has been the fastest of those three, with ninth-grader Isaiah Newcomer and eighth-grader Tate Murphree side by side close behind.

The Pioneers race every Tuesday beginning at Melbourne and continuing to the 5A East Championships at Sulphur Rock Oct. 29. The home Pioneer Invitational is also at Sulphur Rock Sept. 10.

FIRST UP: Melbourne Bearkatz Invitational, Tuesday, Sept. 3, junior girls first at 4:15.