Southern Gap freshman Katelyn Wolford continued the strong start to her high school career last Wednesday, racing to a sixth-place finish in a large field at the UVa-Wise High School Invitational.
Wolford completed the 5,000-meter course in 22 minutes, 24.17 seconds, leading the Eagles to sixth place in the team standings. The race attracted 81 runners to the UVa-Wise Cross Country Course.
Wolford was the top freshman finisher from a Virginia High School League member school and one of only six runners to break 22:30.
Sophomore Vieronika Silishchenko was Southern Gap’s second runner across the finish line, placing 22nd in 25:27.42.
Senior Kelly Ratliff finished 31st in 26:20.69, and senior Ava Ward placed 42nd with a time of 27:19.17. Senior Madison Lester completed the Eagles’ scoring five, finishing 51st in 29:04.28.
Junior Sierra Lowry also competed for Southern Gap, placing 65th in 33:31.45.
The Eagles scored 124 points and posted an average time of 26:07. Southern Gap finished 13 points behind fifth-place Tazewell and eight points ahead of the seventh-place Virginia Bearcats.
Union won the team championship with 57 points, placing all five of its scoring runners among the top 19. Wise County Central finished second with 74 points, followed by Eastside with 84, Honaker with 110 and Tazewell with 111.
Eastside sophomore Allie Salyer won the individual championship with a time of 20:59.71. Teammate Hailey Mays finished second in 21:29.23.
Union junior Riley Spain placed third in 21:34.35, while Eastside junior Hannah Mays was fourth in 21:51.21. Ridgeview junior Journee Perry finished fifth in 22:17.27, just ahead of Wolford.
CROSS COUNTRY
UVa-Wise High School Invitational
At UVa-Wise Cross Country Course
Sept. 16
GIRLS
Team standings
Union, 57
Wise County Central, 74
Eastside, 84
Honaker, 110
Tazewell, 111
Southern Gap, 124
Virginia Bearcats, 132
J.I. Burton, 153
Individual results
Allie Salyer (Eastside), 20:59.71
Hailey Mays (Eastside), 21:29.23
Riley Spain (Union), 21:34.35
Hannah Mays (Eastside), 21:51.21
Journee Perry (Ridgeview), 22:17.27
Katelyn Wolford (Southern Gap), 22:24.17
