Local talent was on full display, as Preston Public Schools hosted a low-intensity high school cross country meet on Aug. 29, drawing competitors from across the region. The course featured a one-mile race for girls and a two-mile race for boys, and Okmulgee County schools Preston, Okmulgee and Wilson – turned in strong performances in both divisions.
Note: Only first names of runners were listed in the official results.
Among a crowded field of runners, Hayden from Preston clocked in at 7:59, securing a 13th-place finish for the Lady Pirates. Her placement in the top 15 marked a solid showing in a competitive race dominated by runners from OKU (Our Kids United), Caney Valley and Prue.
Wilson was also represented in the girls’ division by Allie T., who appears in the official results along with fellow Wilson runner Reese, whose time was not listed.
— Boys Division
In the boys’ two-mile competition, Preston made a significant impact with ten athletes completing the race:
• Sam – 12:36 (12th place)
• Jaryn – 13:04 (18th place)
• Braelyn – 13:55 (21st place)
• Eli – 14:01 (23rd place)
• Jonny – 14:30 (28th place)
• Evan – 14:42 (30th place)
• Gunner – 14:55 (36th place)
• Colton – 15:54 (49th place)
• Strayden – 16:54 (51st place)
• Maleik – 17:15 (53rd place) Leading the way was Sam, whose sub-13-minute time earned him a 12th-place finish among a field of 59 timed runners.
Okmulgee High School also had a strong showing with three runners:
• Keaton – 14:00 (22nd place)
• Troy – 17:18 (54th place)
• Xavier – 17:47 (55th place) Keaton’s time of 14:00 placed him just outside the top 20, a promising result for the Bulldogs.
Wilson added three finishers to the board:
• Rylan – 13:00 (17th place)
• Ethan – 14:40 (29th place)
• Alec – 14:54 (35th place)
• Zechariah – 15:29 (48th place) Rylan led the way for Wilson with an impressive 17th-place finish, and all four Wilson runners finished in the top 50 highlighting the strength and determination of the team.
Many of the athletes will be participating this weekend as Henryetta holds their Cross Country meet on Saturday at Nichols Park.
