Lions continue to out-race the competition; win Bob Reall Invitational
Thus far this season, nobody has been able to catch the Fairfield Lions varsity cross-country team, as the boys placed first at the Bob Reall Invitational held at the Ohio University-Lancaster campus in the Division III race on Saturday.
The Lions finished with a low score of 45, defeating the following teams in this order: Mt. Gilead, Columbus Academy, Fairfield Christian, Caldwell, Bellaire, Cardington Lincoln, Racine Southern and Huntington.
FHS placed all seven runners in the Top 17, led by sophomore Matthew Mangus, who finished fourth with a time of 17:09. He was followed by Wyatt Evans in seventh (17:23) and Noah Richmond in ninth (17:32).
Also placing for the Lions was Trent Swisher, 12th, 17:40; Andrew Davis, 13th, 17:45; Dillon Burley, 15th, 17:47; and Austin Setty, 17th, 17:50.
"Coach (Raymond) Friend and the rest of the coaching staff and I are quite pleased that we had seven varsity boys running under 17:50 Saturday. All Fairfield teams from middle school to high school had their top performances this year," said coach Bill Mangus.
The Lady Lions were also in action Saturday, finishing eighth of nine teams.
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The team was led by freshman Megan Gragg, who finished 25th with a time of 23:35. She was followed by Alexis Swisher, 38th, 25:08; Sammy Shepherd, 43rd, 25:22; Meadow Cunningham, 52nd, 27:51; Andrea Spears, 54th, 25:31; and Brianna Barnes, 61st, 30:20.
The Fairfield High School boys also entered a teams in the DII/DIII open race. The team finished third overall behind two Division II schools, Woodridge and Sheridan.
Running first man and finishing 10th overall was freshman Bennett Hodson in 18:39. He was followed by Nick Price, 14th, 18:57; Brandtson Duffie, 22nd, 19:15; Sam Buddelmeyer, 24th, 19:23; Lane Frost, 65th, 20:43; Mason Cain, 67th, 20:45; Jason Moeller, 144th, 24:52; Phoenix Taylor, 154th, 26:38; and Riley Friend, 165th, 32:03.
The Fairfield Middle School boys finished second overall out of 21 schools in the small school division. The Fairfield middle school girls placed seventh of 25 teams.
The high school boys team will be in action at Pickerington North High School, and the middle teams will be at Washington Court House on Saturday, Oct. 3.