SALISBURY — Almost half of the members of Kent County High School’s cross country team established personal-best 5K times earlier this month at the Tidewater Fall Classic.
The race at Winter Place Park in Salisbury is easily the largest one the Trojans will experience this season, with about 650 girls and boys from nearly 40 schools in Maryland and Delaware.
Coach Patrick McColigan described it as an “awesome experience” for the Trojans.
The weather on Oct. 1 was cool and breezy, “which the kids were happy about,” McColigan said.
With so many runners the race start was “completely mobbed,” he said, and everyone had to fight for positions from the very beginning.
Senior Alden Swanson had the best place-finish for KCHS, 13th among 276 girls, while classmate Pacome Mennetrier’s time of 18 minutes, 54.2 seconds was the fastest for the team.
Swanson and Mennetrier realized personal records, as did Sam Bell, Ashton Dean, John Fries, Austin Sengprasert-Galan and Devynn Wiggins.
Wiggins, who has lowered her time in every race, was especially impressive as she lopped off more than two minutes from her previous best.
Northwest High School of Germantown boasted the top three place-finishers in the girls race: senior Audrey Wychulis, 18:11.80; sophomore Emily Wychulis, 19:26.50; and sophomore Divya Mudunuri, 19:28.20.
On the boys side, Sussex Academy (Delaware) senior Ryan Moody was the first into the chute in a PR of 15:56.80. Kent Island senior Gunner Hansard was the runner-up in 16:28.6, one step ahead of Smyrna junior Isaiah Winslow (16:29.0).
Printed here are complete results for Kent County. Personal bests are in bold.
GIRLS: Alden Swanson, 20:31.8, 13th; Janey Depp, 20:50.0; Sophie Cousineau, 25:10.5; Devynn Wiggins, 30:25.3; McKenzie Smith, 31.37.0; and Sydney Bortz, 46:42.9.
BOYS: Pacome Mennetrier, 18:54.2, 63rd; Kato Swanson, 18:54.5; Ashton Dean, 20:21.1; Trent Johnson, 20:24.3; Andrew Buckel, 21:38.1; Lynden Saunders, 22:08.4; Austin Sengprasert-Galan, 22:32.10; Dalton Smith, 24:00.0; Nathaniel Copper, 24:51.6; John Fries, 27:07.3; and Sam Bell, 26:11.3.