Oklahoma Takes Victory
Ward Finishes First; Raney Leads Arkansas Runners
Regan Ward, a cross-country all-star representing the state of Oklahoma, is the first to finish Saturday at Rogers High during the Arkansas-Oklahoma All-Star Cross Country Challenge. Ward won the race with a time of 18:17.70.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
ROGERS — It was the first 5-kilometer race for many of the Oklahoma girls participating in the Arkansas-Oklahoma All-Star Cross Country Challenge on Saturday.
It didn’t make a difference to Regan Ward.
Prep Cross Country
Arkansas-Oklahoma All-Star Cross Country Challenge
at Rogers High
Girls
Team
Oklahoma 72, Arkansas 99.
Individual
1, Regan Ward, Beggs, Okla. 18:17.70
2, Sydney Lawrence, Stilwell, Okla. 1855.18
3, Abby Hoover, Sapulpa, Okla. 18:59.94
4, Hannah Raney, Bryant 19:22.58
5, Angel Crawford, Lake Hamilton 19:30.85
6, Sierra Gray, Ponca City, Okla. 19:37.03
7, Amanda Agana, Fayetteville 19:39.57
8, Ashley Barnes, Bartlesville, Okla. 19:43.28
9, Melinda Murdock, Bryant 19:44.79
10, Kyanda Chandler, Nettleton 1945.17
The race was Ward’s first competitive 5K in two years, but the senior from Beggs, Okla., took control early and cruised to a relatively easy victory, winning with a time of 18 minutes, 17.70 seconds at the Rogers High course.
Ward, who has verbally committed to run at Arkansas next year, said the longer distance is difficult for Oklahoma runners, who don’t get the chance unless they compete in races out of state.
Oklahoma girls run only 2 miles in cross country, while Arkansas runners run 5 kilometers or 3.1 miles.
“We really don’t get the opportunity to run 5K, but I’m happy with the way I ran today,” Ward said. “When I came out today, I said I just wanted to come out and do my best.”
Ward and her Oklahoma teammates did just that, finishing 1-2-3 to win the team competition 72-99 over Arkansas.
Sydney Lawrence, a sophomore from Stilwell, Okla., and the Class 4A champion, was a distant second at 18:55.18, while Abby Hoover of Sapulpa, Okla., the 6A state runnerup, was third.
Ward, the runnerup in the Oklahoma Meet of Champions and state record holder in the 3,200-meter run, decided to pass up a chance to run at the Nike South regional cross country meet in Houston on Saturday, and she was pleased with the results.
“It’s fun to compete with the girls from our state,” Ward said. “We’re all pretty close, and we compete against each other a lot. It’s awesome to compete against somebody else and represent your state.”
It was a chance at redemption for Hoover, who finished sixth at the Meet of Champions.
“I ran much better today,” Hoover said. “I was really happy with how I ran today.”
Bryant’s Hannah Raney was also pleased with the opportunity to run on Saturday. The senior, who didn’t finish in the top 20 at the Class 7A state meet, ran her second-best time ever of 19:22.58 and finished fourth. She was the top Arkansas finisher, followed by Angel Crawford of Lake Hamilton, who was fifth.
Raney said she went out a little fast and had to ease off, before finishing strong.
“I heard my time was 5:51 after the first mile and I was like ‘Whoa!’ but then about halfway through Angel said ‘Hannah, we’ve gotta go,’ and I just started picking people off.”