Landen Eyre, Aylah Humphreys win 2024 Highland County Invitational races

LEESBURG — The 2024 Highland County Invitational saw Whiteoak senior Landen Eyre win his fourth consecutive Highland County title, while in the girls race it was Fairfield senior Aylah Humphreys leading the way for the first-place finish.

Though the boys and girls races were held at the same time, the boys had a total of 24 runners in their event, while the girls had 21 runners.

Eyre, who has won every race he’s entered this season, earned the Highland County Invitational title for the fourth consecutive year, this time on Thursday (Sept. 26) with a time of 16:39.28.

In second place for the boys race was Hillsboro senior Corbin Winkle with a time of 16:52.75. In third place was Lynchburg-Clay junior Kyler Fite with a 17:27.22, followed by Hillsboro sophomore Rason Brunck at 18:00.47, and in fifth place was Hillsboro senior Chris Sowders with a time of 18:35.79.

The team championship for the boys was won by the Indians with a score of 31 points, followed by Lynchburg-Clay in second place (40 points), and in third was Fairfield (49 points). The McClain Tigers and Whiteoak Wildcats didn’t have a team score.

The rest of the boys Top 10 included: Ryan Smith (Fairfield) in sixth place at 18:52.07; Wyatt Osborn (Lynchburg-Clay) in seventh place at 19:04.99; Keegan Eyre (Whiteoak) in eighth place at 19:25.45; Zach Ahsaruk (Fairfield) in ninth place at 19:44.23; and Trenton Gulley (Hillsboro) in 10th place at 19:47.32.

Other times for Hillsboro included Jayden Wells at 22:44.45.

Lynchburg-Clay times also included: Tavion Huguely (19:56.23), Caden Faust (19:56.80) and Cylus Arrington (20:29.97).

Fairfield times included: Connor Ayers (20:03.76), Griffin Friend (20:26.48), Caleb Rice (21:28.17), Zachary Morris (25:58.55), Gregary Achtermann (28:53.48) and Landyn Hoskins (29:53.55).

Whiteoak times also included Shane Mitchell-Cox (20:29.36).

McClain times were Dart Stovall (21:03.65), Zander Lyons (25:59.01) and Jesse Van Hoose (27:04.19).

In the girls race, the champion was Fairfield senior Aylah Humphreys with a time of 22:11.93. In second place was Whiteoak sophomore Addy Hauke at 22:54.09, and in third place was Whiteoak sophomore Charli Hauke at 23:02.23.

The rest of the Top 5 were Hillsboro junior Olivia Covault in fourth place at 23:05.37, and fifth place went to Hillsboro senior Abbey Letts at 23:15.86.

Hillsboro won the team championship with a score of 22 points, followed by Fairfield in second place at 49 points, and McClain was third place with 55 points. Lynchburg-Clay and Whiteoak didn’t have a team score.

Hillsboro had the sixth- and seventh-place finishers, with Kennedy Sexton in sixth place at 23:43.17 and seventh place was Brynne Holsted at 25:44.35.

The rest of the Top 10 included Aubrey Swafford (Whiteoak) at 25:55.19 in eighth place, Iryna Reeves (Fairfield) in ninth place at 26:17.76, and 10th place went to Olivia Stegbauer (McClain) at 26:26.70.

Hillsboro scores also included: Alizeh Hudson (26:46.48) and Claire Winkle (27:43.21).

McClain times included: Laura Barber (27:12.54), Ashley Mitchell (30:54.78), Bailey Mitchell (31:15.66) and Vada Ponder (31:19.18).

Fairfield times included: Madelyn Wiseman (28:26.24), Emelia Roehm (34:20.93), Eleanore Warner (35:35.10) and Taylor Livingston (36:30.61).

Lynchburg-Clay had the following time: Destiny Reynolds (28:12.72).

The middle school races were won by Hillsboro eighth grader Luke Thompson (12:14.07) and Greenfield eighth grader Lila Banks (13:35.93).

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