Cross country runs well despite cold, rain

Saratoga Panther cross-country runners did not let a cold and rainy day deter them from running in the Shana Ward Memorial Invitational held at the Saratoga Resort and Spa Friday.

Several hundred runners from around the region traveled to Saratoga to compete at the invitational. Despite the poor weather, teams still ran the course that had been mapped out across the resort's golf course, and Saratoga runners performed well at home.

The varsity boy runners ran the 5K, and saw Reid Schroeder coming in fifth place with Jeremy Detterer finishing in eighth place. Four other varsity boys turned in top 25 finishes: Ben Fairbanks came in 14th; Owen Mills came in 18th; Jarom Herring in 19th place and Gage Bartlett in 25th.

There were only two varsity girls competing in the 5K event, Katie Loose and Ashlynn Johnson. The two both placed well, with Loose earning a sixth place finish, and Johnson taking eighth.

Joey Gonzales, on the junior varsity squad came in second place in the 5k event, and Aaron Detterer came in third. Middle school boy runners competed in the 2 mile event with three runners taking positions in the top ten. Gavin Bartlett came in fourth place, Grant Bartlett came in seventh, and Grady Bartlett took ninth place.

The next meet for the Saratoga Cross Country team will be the Lyman Invite in Lyman, Wyo., on Sept. 29.