HOT SPRINGS -- Kendall Hays said the thought of running cross country races against girls two and three years older than her made her feel a little intimidated at times.
The West Fork freshman didn't show it Saturday morning as she bolted away from the leaders and captured the Class 3A girls individual title at Oaklawn Park. It provided to be a day when youth served well as Prairie Grove freshman Bekah Bostain claimed the 4A girls individual title, and Haas Hall Bentonville freshman Tori Willis was the 1A/2A state girls runner-up.
Arkansas State Cross Country Championships
at Oaklawn Park, Hot Springs
Class 3A boys
Individual — 1. Noah Eskew, Jessieville, 16:47.9; 2. Michael Harris, Elkins, 17:15.2; 3. Marshall Harriman, Elkins, 17:25.7; 4. Brayden Alvarez, Greenland, 17:40.2; 5. Patrick Hunter, Green Forest, 17:44.3; 6. Jake Carter, Jessieville, 17:54.2; 7. Gabriel Ramos, Green Forest, 18:07.5; 8. Connor Daniel, Elkins, 18:08.8; 9. Jacob Thompson, Green Forest, 18:09.1; 10. Kolten Smith, Melbourne, 18:09.9.
Team Totals — 1. Green Forest 56; 2. Elkins 72; 3. Haas Hall Academy 114; 4. Genoa Central 119; 5. Jessieville 132; 6. Greenland 169; 7. Melbourne 178; 8. Little Rock Episcopal 202; 9. Rose Bud 231; 10. Bismarck 265; 11. Harding Academy 290; 12. Bald Knob 313; 13. Cossatot River 376; 14. Manila 381.
Class 3A girls
Individual — 1. Kendall Hays, West Fork, 20:47.9; 2. Tera Frost, Genoa Central, 21:05.5; 3. Victoria Hill, Genoa Central, 21:11.6; 4. Shelby Bowman, Greenland, 21:11.9; 5. Alina Homan, Jessieville, 21:24.3; 6. Hannah Howry, Genoa Central, 21:25.4; 7. Callie Ray, Valley Springs, 21:26.9; 8. Cassey Gay, Genoa Central, 21:28.2; 9. Karina Maravillas, Green Forest, 21:28.7; 10. Carly Eddy, Genoa Central, 21:57.7.
Team Totals — 1. Genoa Central 24; 2. Greenland 110; 3. Elkins 132; 4. Mansfield 157; 5. West Fork 165; 6. Haas Hall Academy 185; 7. Green Forest 197; 8. Bismarck 227; 9. Haskell Harmony Grove 234; 10. Harding Academy 241; 11. Bald Knob 273; 12. Little Rock Episcopal 325; 13. Melbourne 355; 14. Booneville 357; 15. Rose Bud 395; 16. Manila 429; 17. Smackover 462; 18. Cossatot River 463.
Class 4A boys
Individual — 1. Oliver Perez, Berryville, 16:38.7; 2. Parker Ables, Heber Springs, 17:09.1; 3. Jesse Applewhite, Heber Springs, 17:14.0; 4. River Gosvener, Huntsville, 17:14.8; 5. Andrew Galicia, Berryville, 17:18.6; 6. Dakota Fritts, Huntsville, 17:22.4; 7. Austin Henley, Shiloh Christian, 17:39.3; 8. Kendall Townsley, Cave City, 17:43.3; 9. Patrick Hill, Heber Springs, 17:51.3; 10. Shaed Cates, Pea Ridge, 17:52.8.
Team Totals — 1. Heber Springs 51; 2. Berryville 55; 3. Huntsville 65; 4. Shiloh Christian 100; 5. Pea Ridge 181; 6 Prairie Grove 235; 7. Gentry 253; 8. Dardanelle 257; 9. Subiaco Academy 257; 10. Waldron 281; 11. Batesville Southside 320; 12. Mena 341; 13. Ozark 344; 14. Pottsville 370; 15. Hamburg 458; 16. Gosnell 480; 17. Pulaski Robinson 481; 18. Dover 482; 19. Star City 505; 20. Central Arkansas Christian 523; 21. Bauxite 539.
Class 4A girls
Individual — 1. Bekah Bostian, Prairie Grove, 20:05.5; 2. Jessica Weiss, Gosnell, 20:10.4; 3. Mallory Morris, Gentry, 20:34.7; 4. Brynn Elliott, Gentry, 20:55.6; 5. Linsey Farmer, Ozark, 21:13.6; 6. Katie Hartzell, Dover, 21:16.3; 7. Alisa Kimble, Dardanelle, 21:24.4; 8. Grace Lehfeldt, Heber Springs, 21:27.8; 9. Kennedy Timmerman, Ozark, 21:34.7; 10. Tyneisha Nolen, Monticello, 21:40.5.
Team Totals — 1. Pottsville 61; 2. Gentry 87; 3. Berryville 96; 4 Ozark 112; 5. Gravette 114; 6. Dardanelle 122; 7. Waldron 178; 8. Heber Springs 199; 9. Gosnell 210; 10. Bauxite 261; 11. Pea Ridge 273.
Class 5A boys
Individuals — 1. Seth Waters, Harrison, 16:15.5; 2. Trey Hurlbut, Harrison, 16:46.7; 3. Zach Powers, Harrison, 17:12.0; 4. John Taylor, LR Christian, 17:17.6; 5. JD Otts, Vilonia, 17:20.7; 6. Zach Blocker, LR Christian, 17:22.1; 7. Ian Kelly, Greenbrier, 17:24.1; 8. Cy Spears, Harrison, 17:24.7; 9. Jack Long, Magnolia, 17:31.2; 10. Bryan Sampson, Vilonia, 17:31.2.
Team Totals — 1. Harrison 25; 2. Vilonia 70; 3 Little Rock Christian Academy 70; 4. Magnolia 104; 5 De Queen 142; 6. Maumelle 153; 7. Batesville 198; 8. Greenbrier 229; 9. Hot Springs Lakeside 232; 10. Beebe 272; 11. Clarksville 312; 12. Greene County Tech 365; 13. Pulaski Academy 365; 14. Valley View 386; 15. Jacksonville 390.
Class 5A girls
Individuals — 1 Erin Woodward, LR Christian, 19:08.4; 2. Allison Risius, LR Christian, 19:37.5; 3. Rachel Barnhardt, Greenbrier, 20:00.9; 4. Grace Ann Dickey, LR Christian, 20:39.9; 5. Emily Milbourn, Hot Springs Lakeside, 20:50.5; 6. Anna Reddell, Valley View, 21:02.4; 7. Seleni Rojas, De Queen, 21:05.6; 8. Natalie Ward, Harrison, 21:20.0; 9. Robbyn Rose, Harrison, 21:22.7; 10. Allyson Patton, Harrison, 21:29.0.
Team Totals — 1. Little Rock Christian 41; 2. Harrison 77; 3. Vilonia 154; 4. De Queen 160; 5. Pulaski Academy 160; 6. Greene County Tech 178; 7. Beebe 190; 8. Valley View 209; 9. Nettleton 210; 10. Maumelle 214; 11. Hot Springs Lakeside 238; 12. Greenbrier 264; 13. Clarksville 365.
Class 6A boys
Individuals — 1. Elliott Pearson, Siloam Springs, 16:32.9; 2. Colby Lowe, Lake Hamilton, 17:01.8; 3. Hunter Usdrowski, Lake Hamilton, 17:05.6; 4, Austin Morgan, Sheridan, 17:07.9; 5. Mckree Martin, Lake Hamilton, 17:17.3; 6. Cody Weldon, Lake Hamilton, 17:28.6; 7. Austin Kohrs, Lake Hamilton, 17:34.0; 8. Nathan Gonzalez, Greenwood, 17:36.6; 9. Tyler Braswell, Texarkana, 17:40.1; 10. Christian White, Alma, 17:41.0.
Team totals — 1. Lake Hamilton 23; 2. Siloam Springs 66; 3. Greenwood 106; 4. Mountain Home 128; 5. Sheridan 171; 6. Alma 184; 7. Russellville 197; 8. Benton 220; 9. Texarkana 259; 10. Jonesboro 268; 11. Marion 277; 12. Little Rock Parkview 345; 13. Searcy 370; 14. El Dorado 415.
Class 6A girls
Individuals — 1. Josie Carson, Lake Hamilton, 19:25.2; 2. Jasmine Guillen, Siloam Springs, 19:37.8; 3. Jenny Kirschman, Lake Hamilton, 20:43.2; 4. Mary Anne Reid, Siloam Springs, 20:56.4; 5. Alexis Duffy, Siloam Springs, 21:03.4; 6. Chloe McGooden, Siloam Springs, 21:06.0; 7. Caroline Farine, Siloam Springs, 21:08.5; 8. Morgan Pruitt, Lake Hamilton, 21:18.5; 9. Kami Ward, Lake Hamilton, 21:22.8; 10. Astrid Christianson, Russellville, 21:24.7.
Team totals — 1. Siloam Springs 24; 2. Lake Hamilton 33; 3. Russellville 107; 4. Mountain Home 125; 5. Sheridan 166; 6. Benton 186; 7. Greenwood 196; 8. El Dorado 211; 9. Searcy 245; 10. Jonesboro 261; 11. Marion 319.
Class 1A/2A boys
Individuals — 1. Bennett Pascoe, Conway Christian, 17:12.4; 2. Garrett Sheets, Haas Hall Bentonville, 17:22.7; 3. Hashane Abeyagunawardene, Haas Hall Bentonville, 17:25.1; 4. Trevor Falco, Salem, 17:35.3; 5. Jakob Martin, Trinity Christian, 17:40.9; 6. Wyatt Pavelsek, Eureka Springs, 17:48.9; 7. Payden Stewart, West Side, 18:01.7; 8. Gage Hewitt, West Side, 18:12.4; 9. Colton Youngblood, Trinity Christian, 18:13.0; 10. Randon Carlton, West Side 18:14.4.
Team Totals — 1. Greers Ferry West Side 34; 2. Trinity Christian 61; 3. Eureka Springs 62; 4. Decatur 109; 5. Caddo Hills 116; 6. Ouachita 151; 7. Johnson County Westside 237; 8. Magnet Cove 261; 9. Acorn 262; 10. Sloan-Hendrix 299; 11. Parkers Chapel 301; 12. Quitman 305; 13. Hermitage 310; 14. Magazine 371
Class 1A/2A girls
Individuals — 1. Elizabeth Gillette, Trinity Christian, 18:54.4; 2. Tori Willis, Haas Hall Bentonville, 19:02.8; 3. Gabi Bloch, Eureka Springs, 20:05.7; 4. Anna Cree, Trinity Christian, 20:55.1; 5. Alysa Dohm, Des Arc, 21:19.3; 6. Sydney Cowgill, Trinity Christian, 21:25.0; 7. Faith Hill, Acorn, 21:28.1 ; 8. Morgan Fagan, Acorn, 21:56.6; 9. Halah Nelson, Trinity Christian, 22:05.0; 10. Hannah Villines, Jasper, 22:15.6.
Team totals — 1. Trinity Christian 25; 2. Acorn 92; 3. Eureka Springs 119; 4. Jasper 127; 5. Nemo-Vista 139; 6. Johnson County Westside 148; 7. Magazine 185; 8. Hermitage 202; 9. Quitman 206; 10. Murfreesboro 220; 11. Rison Woodlawn 230; 12. Conway St. Joseph 316.
"I just wanted to stay with the top girls, then peak out at the end," Hays said. "I took the lead at probably the mile-and-a-half mark. Everything went as planned.
"Being a state champion as a freshman is exciting, but it's also intimidating. I think the weather helped me a little bit, knowing I wouldn't overheat."
Hays finished the 5-kilometer race in 20 minutes, 47.9 seconds, almost 18 seconds faster than runner-up Tera Frost of Genoa Central. Genoa Central had all five runners place in the top eight and dominated the team title with 24 points, while Greenland was a distant second with 110, Elkins was third at 132 and West Fork took fifth with 165.
In the Class 3A boys division, Green Forest had a much tougher battle against a pair of 3A-1 West Conference rivals to earn its second straight title. The Tigers used three top-10 finishes by to compile 56 points while Elkins had 72 and Haas Hall Academy had 114.
Jessieville sophomore Noah Eskew was the individual winner with his time of 16:47.9, while the Elkins duo of Michael Harris and Marshall Henderson took second and third, respectively. Harris' time was 17:15.2, 10 seconds faster than Harrison.
Class 4A
Bostain kept a similar pace with Gosnell senior Jessica Weiss throughout most of the race, but the Prairie Grove freshman used a strong push over the last 400 meters to earn her title in what proved to be the closer races.
"I didn't know if I was going to catch that last girl," Bostain said. "My dad was off to the side cheering me on, and I was able to do it. That made me happy.
"I just tried to keep a close distance to her so I could have a kick at the end. Whoever was in first, I wanted to keep a certain distance so I could kick. I caught up with her at the final curve, then I sprinted past her where all the parents gathered."
Bostain's time was 20:05.5 and was almost 5 seconds faster than Weiss, who was disqualified from the race at one point but was re-instated minutes later after a meeting with officials. Gentry had the next two runners -- Mallory Morris at 20:34.7 and Brynn Elliott at 20:55.6.
Gentry had 87 points for a second-place finish behind Pottsville, which finished with 61. Berryville was third with 96, while Gravette was fifth with 114.
On the boys side, Berryville's Oliver Perez repeated as state champion with his time of 16:38.7, more than 30 seconds faster than Heber Springs freshman Parker Ables. The victory, however, was a bittersweet one for Perez, who closed out his high school career with the race.
"I didn't want to finish the race," Perez said. "I have a family that I'm leaving, and it's hard. I've been running for three months with these guys, and this is the last year. I've worked with these coaches for six years now, and without them I wouldn't know where I would be."
Heber Springs earned the team title with 51 points, while the next six teams all hailed from the 4A-1 Conference. Berryville was second with 55, followed by Huntsville with 65, Shiloh Christian with 100, Pea Ridge with 181, Prairie Grove with 235 and Gentry with 253.
Class 5A
Harrison had the top three runners and cruised to its title with 25 points, while Vilonia and Little Rock Christian finished tied for second with 70.
Seth Waters led the Goblins' charge with his winning time of 16:15.5, followed by teammates Trey Hurlbut and Zach Powers. Harrison placed a fourth runner, Cy Spears, among the top 10 finishers.
Harrison's girls finished as the state runner-up with 77 points, second only to Little Christain. Natalie Ward led the Lady Goblins with an eighth-place finish.
Class 6A
Elliott Pearson jumped ahead of the pack and stayed there throughout the race as the Siloam Springs senior took the individual title.
"The past two races, that's what I've done," Pearson said. "That helped, and it worked.
"I just held that lead. I wasn't going to let anybody pass. There was a guy that was close for the first mile or so, but he fell back."
Pearson's winning time was 16:32.9 and was 29 seconds better than freshman Colby Rowe of Lake Hamilton, which had all five runners place in the top 10 to win the team title. The Wolves had 23 points, while Siloam Springs was second with 66.
In the girls side, Siloam Springs' five runners finished among the top seven runners to claim their second consecutive team title. The Lady Panthers had 24 points, while host Lake Hamilton took second with 33.
"They showed up," Siloam Springs coach Sharon Jones said. "We knew if they came here and ran like they were capable of doing, we would have a great shot. We're thrilled and excited."
Jasmine Guillen led the charge with her second-place finish, finishing in 19:37.8. The remaining Siloam Springs runners -- Mary Anne Reid, Alexis Duffy, Chloe McGooden and Caroline Farine -- finished the race one behind the other and took the fourth through seventh places.
Class 1A/2A
Haas Hall Bentonville didn't have enough runners to field a team, but made an imprint on the individual standings.
Freshman Tori Willis earned a second-place finish in the girls race, while Garrett Sheets and Hashane Abeyagunawardene finished two-three in the boys standings.
Eureka Springs took third and Decatur fourth in the boys team totals, while Eureka Springs' girls finished third.
Sports on 11/08/2015