WORTON — All that summer training paid off for Janey Depp and all that experience paid off for two-time team MVP Alden Swanson, as the Kent County High School duo ran away from the rest of the field Wednesday, Sept. 10 in the first cross country race of the season.
Depp, a junior, toured the 3.01-mile course around the KCHS campus in 20 minutes, 38 seconds — entering the chute 1 second ahead of her senior teammate.
The two Trojans challenged one another for the lead throughout, and were each other’s only real competition.
Junior Olivia Redgraves of Kent Island was a distant third in 23:15, followed by North Caroline senior Emma Davis (23:35) and Kent Island senior Jasleen Paquer (24:19) to round out the top five.
Junior Sophie Cousineau (24:30), who returned to cross country after playing soccer last fall, was a step ahead of Kent Island’s Emma Francis (24:31) for the sixth spot, helping KCHS place second in the team scoring.
Also contributing to the Trojans’ scoring were senior Jordana Capp (29:12, 17th) and junior Margaret Bilbrough (31:13, 19th).
With all its scorers placing 12th or better, including four in the top nine, Kent Island won as a team with a low score of 36 points.
KCHS was a respectable runner-up with 42 points, and North Caroline totaled 48.
There were 24 girls.
On the boys side, senior Gunner Hansard (16:13) and sophomore Cole Fury (17:15) went one-two for the Buccaneers, who had all five scorers and a “pusher” in the top 10. Kent Island totaled the low score of 26 points.
There were 49 boys.
Miguel Castro (18:01), Tyler Mencer (18:13) and Joshua Wurtz (18:31) placed third, fourth and fifth, respectively, for North Caroline, which placed second as a team with 43 points.
KCHS totaled 61 points.
Wye River Upper School, Centreville, traveled with only four runners — one shy of the number of finishers required to score as a team.
Queen Anne’s also was scheduled to compete, but the school was shuttered for the day because of an electrical fire the night before.
Sophomore Kato Swanson had the best finish for Kent County, seventh in 18:54.
Also scoring for the Trojans were junior Ashton Dean (20:24, 11th), senior Trent Johnson (20:26, 12th), senior Lynden Saunders (21:18, 19th) and senior Andrew Buckel (21:37, 21st).
Unofficially, Pacome Mennetrier (18:53) was the Trojans’ top racer, nudging Swanson as the two entered the chute almost simultaneously.
Mennetrier, an exchange student from France, was not registered for the race by the deadline so his place-finish is not tabulated in the team scoring, according to KCHS coach Patrick McColigan.
The issue has been resolved, McColigan said, and Mennetrier has a roster spot for the upcoming Rumble in the Jungle invitational on Sept. 18 hosted by Cambridge-South Dorchester High School.
Conditions on Wednesday, for the most part, were ideal — cool and cloudy, with a light rain that started during the girls race.
McColigan deemed it to be “perfect race weather.”
He said he was “thrilled with how the runners did in the first meet of the season.”
“Almost everyone lowered their times from the previous week course time trial,” McColigan told The Evening Enterprise in a text message. “All the kids found a way to push one another and it was so nice seeing smiles on everyone’s faces as they crossed the finish line.”
Printed here are complete results for Kent County.
GIRLS: Janey Depp, 20:38, first; Alden Swanson, 20:39; Sophie Cousineau, 24:30; Jordana Capp, 29:12; Margaret Bilbrough, 31:13; McKenzie Smith, 32:48; Devynn Wiggins, 33:42; and Sydney Bortz, 46:13.
BOYS: Kato Swanson, 18:54, seventh; Ashton Dean, 20:24; Trent Johnson, 20:26; Lynden Saunders, 21:18; Andrew Buckel, 21:37; Austin Sengprasert-Galan, 23:20; Dalton Smith, 23:37; Nathaniel Copper, 24:31; Joshua Na-El, 25:42; Samuel Bell, 26:23; and John Fries, 27:22.
