Boys finish second at Cross Country Carnival
by Staff Reports
HENDERSONVILLE — Watauga’s boys’ cross country team finished second in the Western North Carolina Cross Country Carnival Saturday at Jackson Park.
The Pioneers finished the event, which had 22 teams, with 117 points. Chapel Hill won with 84 points, while Providence Day School was third with 122 points.
Josh Anderson led the Pioneers by finishing ninth overall in the 5K race by covering the course with a time of 16 minutes, 36.6 seconds. Anderson was the first of three Pioneers to finish in the Top 20.
Michael Holland, a sophomore, finished 18th with a time of 17:00.62. Peter Vandenburg was 20th with a time of 17:06.11, and Bryan Brackney added a 26th place finish with a time of 17:15.72.
“Our top four boys really ran well,” Pioneers coach Randy McDonough said. “Peter didn’t run as well, but he’s still limping from a hamstring. He was still in the mix. Michael Holland ran well and Bryan Brackney ran well.”
Matt Osborne finished 47th with a time of 18:00.19, and Drew Boyette was 66th with a time of 18:20.83. Carson Nguyen was 68th with a time of 18:22.82.
Watauga’s Darby Middlebrook won the girls’ race with a time of 18:15.00. Middlebrook helped the Pioneers finish third overall with 103 points.
Morristown-Hamblen West won with 59 points, while T.C. Roberson was second with 63.
Middlebrook averaged a time of 5:52.5 per mile. She beat T.C. Roberson’s Brooke Gordon by 30 seconds.
“Darby won going away,” McDonough said.
Madison Harman finished 10th with a time of 19:37.62. Kathleen Mansure was 30th with a time of 21:12.36, which gave the Pioneers three finishers in the Top 30.
Lynde Wangler was 32nd and Shelby Hickernell was 36th. Taylor Woolridge was 45th.
Two Pioneers finished at the top of the 3K run. Zack Styron won the race with a time of 10:39.46, edging teammate Andrew Harrelson, who ran a 10:39.85.
Watauga was third in the boys’ 3K with 73 points. Zack Styron and Andrew Harrelson ran well in the 3K race,” McDonough said. “They fought for the championship and Zach held out.”
Watauga’s girls’ team had four runners in the Top 10 in the 3K race. Lily Weeks was second with a 12:38.26.
Jesse Wangler (12:40.25) was third and Carson Middlebrook (12:41.07) was fourth. Emily Kane (13:28.69) was ninth.
Watauga won the team competition with 33 points.
The Pioneers finished the event, which had 22 teams, with 117 points. Chapel Hill won with 84 points, while Providence Day School was third with 122 points.
Josh Anderson led the Pioneers by finishing ninth overall in the 5K race by covering the course with a time of 16 minutes, 36.6 seconds. Anderson was the first of three Pioneers to finish in the Top 20.
Michael Holland, a sophomore, finished 18th with a time of 17:00.62. Peter Vandenburg was 20th with a time of 17:06.11, and Bryan Brackney added a 26th place finish with a time of 17:15.72.
“Our top four boys really ran well,” Pioneers coach Randy McDonough said. “Peter didn’t run as well, but he’s still limping from a hamstring. He was still in the mix. Michael Holland ran well and Bryan Brackney ran well.”
Matt Osborne finished 47th with a time of 18:00.19, and Drew Boyette was 66th with a time of 18:20.83. Carson Nguyen was 68th with a time of 18:22.82.
Watauga’s Darby Middlebrook won the girls’ race with a time of 18:15.00. Middlebrook helped the Pioneers finish third overall with 103 points.
Morristown-Hamblen West won with 59 points, while T.C. Roberson was second with 63.
Middlebrook averaged a time of 5:52.5 per mile. She beat T.C. Roberson’s Brooke Gordon by 30 seconds.
“Darby won going away,” McDonough said.
Madison Harman finished 10th with a time of 19:37.62. Kathleen Mansure was 30th with a time of 21:12.36, which gave the Pioneers three finishers in the Top 30.
Lynde Wangler was 32nd and Shelby Hickernell was 36th. Taylor Woolridge was 45th.
Two Pioneers finished at the top of the 3K run. Zack Styron won the race with a time of 10:39.46, edging teammate Andrew Harrelson, who ran a 10:39.85.
Watauga was third in the boys’ 3K with 73 points. Zack Styron and Andrew Harrelson ran well in the 3K race,” McDonough said. “They fought for the championship and Zach held out.”
Watauga’s girls’ team had four runners in the Top 10 in the 3K race. Lily Weeks was second with a 12:38.26.
Jesse Wangler (12:40.25) was third and Carson Middlebrook (12:41.07) was fourth. Emily Kane (13:28.69) was ninth.
Watauga won the team competition with 33 points.