~by Dustin Teays for The Scranton Journal
The Greene County Rams boys and girls cross country teams set off on their first meet Aug. 29 and battled not only the course, but also Mother Nature.
The Rams headed to the Gowrie Municipal Golf Course and saw plenty of local competition, as Panorama, AC/GC, and West Central Valley attended the meet. While Mother Nature tried its best to dampen the Ram runners’ spirits, they still produced good results. The boys placed eighth overall, while the girls did not place due to not having enough girls to score.
“Really pleased with the team’s attitude at (the) meet. Although conditions weren’t ideal, they took on the challenge and persevered. It is a testament to the hard work they have put in at practice and over the summer,” head coach Jeff Lamoureux said.
While the experienced runners on the team showcased their running prowess, including Noah Hinote, who medaled with an 11th-place finish, some younger runners also showed they have been working hard to improve their skills, including freshman Rylee Mowrer who medaled in the girls race with a 24th-place finish.
“I am pleased with some of our younger runners and the effort they are giving. That first meet as a freshmen can be tough. Going from two miles in junior high to the 3.1 in high school is a big jump and they have to prepare and attack the course a little differently. They did a great job, and I am excited to see the progress this season,” the coach said.
Next up for the Rams boys and girls cross country teams is the Wildcat Classic at the West Central Valley Middle School in Redfield on Sept. 5, with the girls scheduled for 4:30 pm and the boys planned for 5. That meet features a field of 13 teams, including Greene County. The Rams will host their home meet on Thursday, Sept. 12, at Greene County Middle School.
Places and times, boys at Gowrie: Noah Hinote, 11th,18:49.91; Carter Hinote, 29th, 20:37.08; Nick Black, 36th, 21:11.36; Kole Johnson-Peterson, 54th, 22:13.68; Eli Carstensen, 55th 22:15.07; Maddox Carstensen, 67th, 23:17.74; Raymond Bauer, 90th, 25:30.07;Tucker Ford, 103rd, 26:22.48; Rhys Palmer, 109th, 27:07.06; and Dexter Ritter, 123rd, 28:59.45.
Girls at Gowrie: Rylee Mowrer, 24th, 24:23.75; Evelyn Snyder, 58th 28:24.90; and Leah McCormick, 82nd, 38:13.01.
