By Staff for www.mcpherson-county-ks.com

            LINDSBORG – On Thursday, September 1, the Smoky Valley cross country team opened their 2022 season by hosting a home meet and winning both the boys and girls divisions.

            For the Viking boys, they won the team championship with 27 points well ahead of second-place Hesston with 49.

            The Viking boys finished with five of the top-ten placements as seniors Wyatt Johnson and Tytus Reed placed second and third, sophomore Britton Becker ran fifth and juniors Samuel Peterson and Brayden Eyer ended up seventh and tenth, respectively.

            Other runners for Smoky Valley were Sebastian Pavlovich who placed 20th, Kaden Bishop (24th), Elijah Spooner (28th), Immanuel Cooper (39th), and Judah Cooper (44th).

            When they broke the races down by freshman/sophomores and junior/seniors, then Britton Becker won the freshman/sophomore division.

            The Lady Viking also won their meet, scoring 32 points a solid 20 points ahead of second place Sterling who had 52.

            Keira Mullen, a junior, took third for the Lady Vikings while Hope Willems, a freshman, and Sophia Fruits, a sophomore ran ninth and tenth. Gracia Peterson and Adrien Lochard ran 12th and 13th with Taylor Helton (19th) , Esther Clark (21st) and Mila Sims (30th) also running for the Lady Vikings.

            The Smoky Viking cross country runners next compete on Thursday, September 8 at Hesston.

SMOKY VALLEY VIKING CROSS COUNTRY MEET

BOYS DIVISION:

Team Standings: 1. VIKINGS 27; 2. Hesston 49; 3. Sterling 64; 4. Lyons 82.

VIKING BOYS INDIVIDUAL RESULTS:

2. Wyatt Johnson, senior, 18:58

3. Tytus Reed, senior, 19:06

5. Britton Becker, sophomore, 19:29

7. Samuel Peterson, junior, 19:35

10. Brayden Eyer, junior, 20:40

20. Sebastian Pavlovich, junior, 21:53

24. Kaden Bishop, freshman, 23:08

28. Elijah Spooner, sophomore, 25:00

39. Immanuel Cooper, junior, 28:52

44. Judah Cooper, freshman, 33:42

GIRLS DIVISION:

Team Standings: 1. LADY VIKINGS 32; 2. Sterling 52; 3. Hillsboro 73; 4. Ellinwood 82; 5. Lyons 107.

LADY VIKING INDIVIDUAL RESULTS:

3. Keira Mullen, junior, 21:42

9. Hope Willems, freshman, 23:27

10. Sophia Fruits, sophomore, 23:30

12. Gracia Peterson, freshman, 25:40

13. Adrien Lochard, junior, 25:50

19. Taylor Helton, senior, 27:58

21. Esther Clark, sophomore, 29:01

30. Mila Sims, freshman, 35:47

 (The Staff covering McPherson County Activities can be reached by email at crossdovewriter@gmail.com)