County cross country teams race at Gatorade Classic

Varsity cross country student-athletes from four local high schools—Belgreen, Russellville, Tharptown and Vina—competed at the Gatorade XC Classic (formerly known as the Jesse Owens Classic), held at Oakville Indian Mounds Park in Moulton, on Saturday, October 3.

There were several different 5K divisions at the meet. Belgreen, Tharptown and Vina runners raced in the Green division; Russellville’s student-athletes competed in the Silver and Red divisions.

Belgreen’s lone runner was eighth-grader Elizabeth Motes, who placed 83rd in the girls’ 5K. She finished with a time of 24:58.44.

Both Russellville’s boys’ and girls’ cross country squads raced in two divisions, Silver and Red.

As a team the RHS boys placed fifth in the Silver division with an average 5K time of 17:56. Pascual Felipe, a junior, was the Golden Tigers’ top finisher in that division, placing 24th with a time of 17:01.11. Three others finished in the top 100.

In the Red division standings, Russellville’s boys finished 16th among 21 teams. Sophomore Ezequiel Mateo had RHS’ top finish in Red at 81st. Mateo completed the 5K in 20:06.33.

In the girls’ Silver division, RHS came in 24th place out of 31 teams. Junior Heidy Jacobo led the Lady Golden Tigers with an 86th place finish (22:37.58).

RHS girls participating in the Red division took the team to 15th in the standings. Junior Vanessa Rojas’ 101st-place finish (27:45.52) was tops among Russellville’s girls in that division.

To see all of Russellville’s individual results from the Gatorade Classic, click HERE.

Tharptown High School had three girls and a team of six boys compete at the Classic. Tharptown’s boys ended the event at 20th in the Green division standings with an average 5K time of 21:39.

Individually, junior Angelina Thomas Mendez had the best finish for the THS girls, placing 168th (30:56.60) in the Green division; seventh-grader Giovani Mojica was the boys’ top finisher, coming in 52nd with a time of 19:34.84.

To view Tharptown’s individual results, click HERE.

Vina had two student-athletes race in the girls’ Green division 5K race. Freshman Lindie Easterling placed 110th with a time of 26:04.77, and eighth-grader Kinsley Newton finished 185th with a time of 34:31.80.