Cross Country

LONDON - Lincoln County's cross country runners fought an uphill battle at the Class AAA, Region 7 championships Saturday. While cross country runners are continuously challenged to post their best times striding over rolling countrysides, crossing cornfields, jumping creeks and slopping through mud to reach the finish, Lincoln has had no course this season to match the hilly layout of the course at North Laurel High School. The 5K (3.1-mile) race got off to a nice, flat start and had some downward slopes, but just beyond the one-mile mark loomed several hills, including one with a steep 65 degree incline.

It wasn't exactly the meet Lincoln's Alex Bunch was looking for to end her final regular season of high school cross country, but, despite a slower time, the Lady Patriot runner captured the girls senior title at the Kentucky Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Meet of Champions  Saturday in Lexington. Bunch had little trouble picking up her second straight title, pulling away from Madison Peace of Walton Verona to win by more than 29 seconds. However, Bunch's time was over a minute and a half slower than her winning pace from last year's meet.

HARRODSBURG - After all those years and all those miles, the Mercer County boys discovered they really were getting somewhere. One step at a time, one meet after another, they were working toward what might well be the best season ever for their cross country team. A team consisting primarily of veterans has seen the fruits of its labor pay off with a successful regular season and the chance to win their first regional championship right in front of them. “We've all been running together for the longest time,” junior Jacob Crowell said.

Meagan Smith of Danville took second out of 157 runners Saturday in the Class A-AA race at the Lexington Catholic Invitational at the Kentucky Horse Park. Smith finished in 19:20.68, six seconds behind Karly Gawarecki of Louisville Holy Cross. In the boys Class A-AA race, Garrard County's Cole Grecco finished 15th in a time of 17 minutes, 21.01 seconds. Lincoln County's Brian Carlson was 15th in the Class AAA race, finishing in a time of 16 minutes, 50.2 seconds. Woodford County Invitational - At Versailles, Boyle County's Nikki Coffey finished sixth in 19 minutes, 59.89, while Mercer County's Taylor Gray finished 13th in 21:12.14 at the Woodford County Invitational.

It's been nearly 25 years since an intercollegiate competition has been held in Clark County.  With the move of Kentucky Wesleyan to Owensboro and the closing of Southeastern Christian College in 1979, it appeared the book on college sports in the county had been written. A new chapter will be written today when Asbury University, University of Pikeville and Morehead State University arrive in town to compete in the 9th Annual Run for the Water Barrel Cross Country Invitational at Lykins Park.

Boyle County's Nikki Coffey took home the girls title Saturday at the Area 6 Championships at Anderson-Dean Park in Harrodsburg. Coffey finished in 20 minutes, 32.54 seconds, nearly a minute ahead of runner-up Gabriella Sabino of Madison Central. Taylor Gray of Mercer County led the Titans with a ninth-place finish. Mercer's James Stinnett led area boys runners by placing fifth in 18 minutes, 40.32 seconds. Area 6 Championships At Anderson-Dean Park, Harrodsburg Saturday GIRLS Team scores - 1. Madison Central 15. Winner - Nikki Coffey, Boyle County, 20:32.54.

More than 1,000 fans and runners converged on Lykins Park Saturday for the eighth annual George Rogers Clark Coaches Classic Cross Country Invitational. The high school races featured a combination of current regional foes, former regional and conference rivals. The boys event featured approximately 100 runners from 13 high schools. The rece featured a rematch between Powell County's Mark Ventura, Bath County's Evan Staviski and Clark's Grayson Brookshire. Madison Central's Brennan Fields joined the mix in front of the pack.

Danville's Meagan Smith edged out Butler's Rose Jolly on Saturday to break the course record and win the Tates Creek Invitational at Masterson Station Park. Smith won the 3.1-mile race in a time of 19 minutes, 13.3 seconds, edging Jolly by a half-second. Hillbilly Run At Bardstown, Boyle County's Nikki¿Coffey finished seventh in a personal-best time of 20 minutes, 5.5 seconds to lead area runners at the Nelson County Hillbilly Run. Lincoln County's Morgan Gourley finished 13th in the girls race in 20:54.