Dragons charge hills at Three Ridges
Clinton senior Caleb Holt finished the Three Ridges Challenge with a time of 13:23.60. He was the second Dragons cross country runner to finish the two-mile course.
And Clinton’s veteran head coach saw plenty to like when the Dragons and Lady Dragons took the course for the first time this year.
“We had a great day for both the boys and the girls,” Kumes said after his teams competed in the Three Ridges Challenge, a preseason two-mile race at Three Ridges Golf Course in Northeast Knox County on Thursday. “This was a good tune-up for us. It gave the kids a chance to see what it takes to compete.
“It was a new course and a new race for us. It was hilly, and it was really a challenge, but we had a great day.”
For the Dragons, junior standout Cooper Bostrom cracked the top 10, finishing ninth in 11 minutes, 36.50 seconds. Caleb Holt, returning strong after missing last season due to injury, finished 43rd at 13:23.60. Freshman Baylor Cool impressed in his high school debut, placing 52nd with a 13:48.00. Max Bostrom took 67th (15:52.10) while Tyler Gomez came in 75th (16:28.00).
“Cooper finishing under 12 minutes was huge for him,” Kumes said. “Baylor had a great first race. Caleb did well. He really came back strong. Max and Tyler both had good runs, too.”
On the girls’ side, two freshmen made strong first impressions. Piper Bostrom, younger sister of Cooper and Max, placed 14th with a 15:43.00 performance. Lily West followed in 32nd at 17:17.10.
“Piper had a great debut, a great first run,” Kumes said. “And Lily is a hard worker. She trained with us in middle school and was outstanding.”
The Dragons and Lady Dragons will officially open their 2025 campaigns Saturday, Aug. 30, at the Scots Opener in Maryville.
