Kingston High School and Junior High cross country runners turned in a strong showing Thursday, Aug. 27, at a cross country meet in Hanna, with both the high school and junior high boys competing well against runners from across the area.
The Kingston High School boys were led by Everett Eason, who captured first place with a time of 12:14. Eason got off to a strong start and continued to push through the finish, setting the pace for the Kingston runners.
BenjaminManessfinished fifth in 14:13, followed by Dakota Tiger in sixth at 14:40. Chet Nix placed eighth with a time of 15:00, while Andrew Cantrell finished 30th in 20:15.
Kingstoncoachessaidthey were extremely proud of the effort turned in by the high school boys, who, along with the team's trainers, were at the school early Thursday morning to make the long trip to Hanna. The meet also gave Kingston an unusual distinction as the school's team was the largest school represented at the competition, something the program is not accustomed to seeing.
The junior high boys also produced several strong finishes. Andrew Laclair led the Kingston junior high runners with a second-place finish in 6:41.
Colin McKinney placed ninth at 7:04, while Hayes Magby finished 13th in 7:37. Wyatt Hampton was 14th at 7:53, followed by Jackson Palmer in 16th at 8:05. Chris Mariles finished 17th in 8:18, Daxton Stover placed 20th at 9:11 and Aaron O'Neil finished 25th in 9:21. Liam White also competed for the junior high team, finishing 28th.
Kingston suffered one setback during the junior high race when Colby Higgs, normally one of the team's strongest runners, rolled an ankle less than a quartermile into the race. Coaches said Higgs is a tough competitor and expect him to be back in action soon.
Kingston also had a strong showing in the sixth-grade division, where Denver Arnold finished fourth with a time of 6:41. It was Arnold's first cross country meet, making the performance particularly encouraging for the young runner.
With strong finishes at both the high school and junior high levels, Kingston's runners gave their coaches plenty to be proud of as the cross country season continues.
“The effort from our young men today was something to be proud of,” the Kingston coaching staff said, noting the early morning start, long trip and determination shown throughout the meet.