Girls Green Division
Grace Tyson got her second big regional meet victory of the year at FPXC.
MICDS' senior Julia Ray took 2nd, 10-seconds back of Tyson in 18:40. The finish was a flip of last year's finish with Ray edging Tyson, by 12-seconds. Last year the pair clocked 18:35 and 18:48 in the first year of the Langenberg-Cricket-Lindell Fields course at Forest Park.
Julia Ray got a runner-up finish in her senior season debut.
The Bentonville Tigers got an impressive win after making their way to The Lou from Northwest Arkansas.
Lafayette has a great 1-2-3, and they led the Lady Lancers to a runner-up finish. Not far behind winner Grace Tyson was junior Natalie Barnard in 4th in 19:24. Big sister and senior Elissa Barnard was 8th in 19:46. Senior Blair Lobdell and junior Ashley Rinkenberger were 28th and 29th as Lafayette totaled 71 points.
Lafayette's Grace Tyson (#606), Natalie Barnard (#571), and Elissa Barnard (#575), make up a brutal 1-2-3 punch for the Lady Lancers.
Both Bentonville and Lafayette averaged 20:00 for their top 5 while the Lancers quintet totaled times were 1:39:56, 2-seconds faster than the Tigers 1:39:58.
Bentonville's Madison Galindo caught Lafayette's Natalie Barnard at the tape as the pair both clocked 19:24.8, with Galindo getting the nod for 4th-place while Barnard settled for 5th.
The Owasso, Oklahoma Lady Rams put 5 in the top-35 and a sixth in 42nd, scoring 135 points for 3rd-place. Rockwood Summit was 4th with 174 points, just ahead of Francis Howell-177, Cor Jesu-178, Kearney-187, and O'Fallon (IL)-191.
Owasso's Sandra Humes (left) and Brooklyn Garafola (middle) placed 23rd and 25th to help the Rams to a 3rd-place finish
Tyson and Ray were the class of the field, both with great resumes and great expectations for their final school season and post-state meet season races. The seniors have had plenty of great races and will be dueling the rest of the season, each racing for their second individual state cross country titles. Ray won the Class 3 title as a freshman in 2019, a year before MSHSAA cross country's expansion to 5 classes. After winning the team title in 2019, MICDS was championship factored up to Class 5. Ray was 4th in the last two Class 5 state races.
Tyson was 3rd at the state meet in Class 4 as a freshman in 2019 with minimal experience. The swimmer had participated in the school district physical education class cross country and track programs, that was comprised of some but minimal training and a competition or two per year. Tyson was a revelation on the course and on the track. Tyson placed 2nd as a sophomore in Class 5 to lead Lafayette to the state title in 2020 and won the individual title last year.
Tyson earned her 3rd victory in as many chances this season, getting her second big regional meet victory, after winning the Memphis Twilight meet the Saturday before.
While sisters Natalie and Elissa Barnard earned Top-30 medals for Lafayette, so did Cor Jesu siblings Adrienne and Maria Luna. While big sister Francie having just graduated and moved on to the college ranks at Ole Miss, Adi and Maria placed 6th and 14th, sandwiching teammate Mary Mckenzie in 7th, to lead the Chargers to 6th in the team standings.
Class 3's Montgomery County toed the line in the Green Division race. All-staters Lyric Ford (senior) and Malia Rodgers (junior) shined for the Wildcats. Ford placed 9th in 19:54 while Rodgers was 12th in 20:07, both beating numerous Class 4 and 5 standouts. The pair make for one of the best 1-2 of any team in the state.
Montgomery County Class 3 star Lyric Ford finished 9th for the Wildcats.