Facing down some of their stiffest competition of the young season, the Southeast Cherokee Lancers rose to the occasion on Thursday, Sept. 10, at the Girard Invitational. Benefiting from a light rain and a welcome break in the late-summer heat, Southeast powered through the course to capture five medals, four season-best times, and one career-best mark.
Senior Hudson Locke set the tone for the varsity boys, leading the charge with a seventh-place finish. Locke stopped the clock at 18:36, notching his fastest time of the season.
“I felt that when Hayden Harding [Fredonia] passed me, I tried to go with him; tried not to let the gap get too big. I finished strong,” Locke said.
The Lancers formed a tight pack right behind him. Junior Tucker Sutton crossed the line in eighth place with a time of 18:50, while fellow junior Chris Archey grabbed 10th in 19:04. Head coach Julie Jones praised the trio’s ability to stay within striking distance of one another throughout the 5K race.
“Right now, we’re individuals racing, but once we bump James [Maxton] up to varsity, we’ll race to score as a team,” Jones said. “Those three, racing so close to the front and so close together, is exactly what we’ll need in order to make waves at Regionals.”
Rounding out the varsity boys’ effort, Henry Burns placed 68th with a time of 24:30, shaving a massive three minutes off his performance from the previous week.
Maxton, a sophomore, made his own statement in the junior varsity division before his planned promotion to the varsity lineup next weekend. He took individual gold in the two-mile race, claiming victory with a sharp time of 12:29.
In the varsity girls’ 5K, Jackie Robinson and Journee Rimmer delivered strong outings. Robinson earned a medal by placing 22nd with a season-best mark of 25:28.
“I still wish I had been in the top 15, but I’m happy I took 1:40 off my time from Erie,” Robinson noted.
Rimmer finished 27th, also clocking a season best at 26:19.
In the JV girls’ two-mile race, a pair of freshmen turned in solid performances. Avery Locke paced the duo with a 12th-place finish and a season-best time of 17:06, while Abby Shoemaker crossed in 26th at 20:38.
“We’re coming along,” Jones said. “The runners should feel good about their performances at Girard, and with a break in these temps, they’ll continue to see improvement.”
The Southeast squads will split up for their next action. The girls travel to Oswego on Thursday, Sept. 17, while the boys head to Joplin, Missouri, to race in the Missouri Southern Stampede on Saturday, Sept. 19.
Southeast Cherokee Results
Varsity Boys (5K)
- 7th: Hudson Locke – 18:36 (Medalist, SB)
- 8th: Tucker Sutton – 18:50 (Medalist)
- 10th: Chris Archey – 19:04 (Medalist)
- 68th: Henry Burns – 24:30 (PR)
Varsity Girls (5K)
- 22nd: Jackie Robinson – 25:28 (Medalist, SB)
- 27th: Journee Rimmer – 26:19 (SB)
Junior Varsity (2-Mile)
- Boys 1st: James Maxton – 12:29 (1st Place)
- Girls 12th: Avery Locke – 17:06 (SB)
- Girls 26th: Abby Shoemaker – 20:38
