Oak Ridge XC teams open season strong
Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats runner Dylan Job finished the 2024 Norris Dam Invitational in 18:16.87. (photo:Tony Cox )
The Wildcats finished second, just 13 points behind Science Hill.
“We feel pretty good,” Oak Ridge Coach Ed Wright said. “We would’ve liked to have won, but the times are about where we thought they’d be.”
Mason Greenhalgh and Rhett Hovater both posted Top 5 finishes, each completing the course in under 17 minutes.
Greenhalgh finished third with a time of 16 minutes, 7.97 seconds. Hovater placed fifth (16:16.04).
Other finishers for Oak Ridge included Nolan Riden, who took 17th (17:00.97), Evan Biewer (32nd, 17:34.56), William Hetrick (34th, 17:34.56), Patrik Vodopivec (38th, 17:45.22), Zachary Ibanez (49th, 18:00.53), and Cooper Bell (58th, 18:15.67).
The Lady Wildcats placed fourth in the team standings. Dylan Job took fifth overall, finishing the course in 18:16.87. Lillian Tice finished 14th (19:12.97), Emily Edwards placed 19th (20:28.69), Natalie Adams was 26th (20:50.68), and Brooke Taylor finished 46th (22:15.19).
“Dylan finished fifth, she broke 19 minutes, and in my mind, that makes her a front-runner to win the region,” Wright said. “Natalie Adams had a big day for us. She didn’t run cross country last year, but she ran track and did well in her first race.”